Our "leader"[1] have told us more than once to go elsewhere if we aren't interested.
At times it can come of as a trick, but twenty years later and seeing the way he treats people that leaves our church, i.e. friendly and with all respect I've come to realize he just doesn't want anyone to stay around just because they feel they must.
Still I'd find it hard to leave luckily to a large degree because it has meant a lot to me and they are my dear friends.
[1]: the one who most often starts our meetings as we don't have any schools or certifications to become a preacher, priest or anything
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Edit: looking at what I wrote above I feel a bit silly trying to elevate "us".
Sorry for that. Deadline for rewriting (2 hours) approaches quickly and I don't have a good idea about how to rewrite it, so please feel free to do so mentally.
My point is: I appreciate the liberty I get to approach other churches, to see if anyone teaches the same things we learn in the same or a better way or even to say that I only want to become a regular churchgoer. I appreciate the approch that our kids, even if they choose something different as adults should still look back at their childhood with joy.
I'm fairly certain this liberty isn't given to everyone else around, but I have no idea about how this is practiced elsewhere.
Well, I do have an idea, but I have realized lately that does ideas was planted by the same medias who plant lies about my friends, so I am very wary about what I think even about JW, a group that I think I deeply disagree with in theological questions.
From the folks who have left the LDS church that I've talked to, "friendly and with all respect" is profoundly not the experience that most have.
And my personal experience: it was a great shame on my family, and all the church wanted to know was (and this is the weirdest part) who had offended me??
I'm sad to hear what you experienced and I hope more Christians would follow the example of Jesus (calling Judas a friend) and Paul in treating people friendly and/or at least with respect as long as possible and leaving judgement to God ("for Demas, because he loved this world, he has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.", "Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.").
Sometimes we are forced to stand up for ourselves and to speak out loud and clear. I don't think someone admitting that they don't believe and leaving peacefully is such an instance as long as they don't try to lurk around to pry out or take advantage of others.
