Locutus, "I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons."
The thing is, I can see a witness or my brother interpreting this to mean He will be "persecuted" for their beliefs - as if he will be the one that is shunned. Persecution...oooh, break out the whips! In the name of Allah, I mean Jah.

Cadwaladr, I wish it were that. I could work with that. He never knew about me winning 2nd place in the contest. (not a big deal guys, really - I'm still considered a newbie)

It is because I am an atheist (Apostate Alert!) and therefore not worthy or equal to him. He said he doesn't watch TV or read about anything other than Gateway's articles. Extreme even by Gateway's standards. He should have stayed a witness; then at least his parents and two sisters...and all the neices, and his own children would still talk to him. Instead, he chose a different religion to oppose everyone, his parents and the JWs and take away the power of the silent treatment by reversing it on them. He wins.

It's no different than what my mom defiantly did to her dad when she was 16 years old. It's all about power.

She got pregnant (hello) and then married by 17. No more control. By 23 years old, she opened the door to the witnesses and used it as a weapon to debate her father who was a Seventh Day Adventist while her mother was, I believe a Babtist. She won.

My father, her husband was "opposed to the Truth" and soon left my mom with three little kids for one and a half years. She refused to get a divorce so he moved back in and remained opposed in front of us, every time we went to the KH, when we had to go door to door and peddle magazines, When my mom said grace in front of him like a sneer, every time we had bible study in the family room while the TV was too loud in the other room.....That's when the beatings started.

I'm ranting - arn't I?

My father finally gave up. He did a 180, studied with an elder, and got babtized within 3 months at a convention. I was 13 or 14 years old and had decided to get babtized, mainly to please my mom. So he "changed his mind" after spitefully opposing my mom and the JWs in front of us for 7 years - and got babtized on the same day I did. She won. I never bought it for a minute. His only way to gain any control back or at least share the power. Pure politics.

As a teenager I can remember watching him try to pray at dinner. It was embarrassing and so obviously fake. He mumbled through the rhetoric and my mother gleamed with power. I don't remember him ever going door to door though. I didn't stick around long enough to watch his total surrendering and transformation by the JWs and my mom.

I hardly know my brothers. I violently left home while my youngest brother was still in diapers, the other was just six years old. One of them is 10 years younger than me, the other 14 years younger. Afterwards, they were constantly told I would "die a horrible death at Armaggedon because I knew the truth and turned away". Nice thing to tell a six year old about your big brother.

At this point, there is no point. Why reach out and get bit again and again? Hopefully, the thing will run it's course and we may meet again down the road. I'm always interested in making things right and working on building a relationship of any kind. Hell, I'd even go to his frickin church and sing outloud if he'd just lighten up. I like christian traditions and talking about it's history. I celebrate Christmas (he doesn't - go figure) and I have no problem with moderate Christians. Many of them think like me but won't admit it for fear of being profiled and looked down upon, like me. Living like a christian is a wonderful life plan whether you believe in a god or not.

At 54 years old I find myself trying to repair bridges and strengthen the ones I have. Sometimes, bridges to nowhere are better left unbuilt until they do go somewhere.

Thanks again for your time and thoughtful comments everyone.