Re: Shunning is worse than the worst crime poss... Oct 26, 2001 10:13 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a thread which I received from Englishman, who explains it exactly as it should be (from the Scriptures)......One of the best sites about JW's and particularly DF'ing, (you might have to ignore the odd relgious plug)is at http://www.escapefromwatchtower.com/friends.html
Here's how it explains the un-scripturalness of shunning:"Actually fornication is reported among you, and such fornication as is not even among the nations, that a wife a certain man has of his father ... In my letter I wrote you to quit mixing in company with fornicators, not meaning entirely with the fornicator's of this world or the greedy persons and extortion's or idolaters. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. But now I an writing you to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reveler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." (1 Cor 5:1, 9-13) In First Corinthians chapter 5 a man was having sexual relations with his fathers wife on a continual basis. It was not a one time event. This man was continually having sexual relations with his father's wife. For this he was to be removed from the congregation. Paul's counsel was for anyone called a brother who was continually practicing fornication, revelry, greediness, drunkenness and extortion was to be removed from the congregation, not even to eat a meal with them. This was not a person who did an occasional wrong and was willing to make corrections. This had absolutely nothing to do with a person who does not go along with all the teachings of a particular religious organization's policies and rulings. Nor does it have anything to do with persons being required to follow doctrinal and theological interpretations of scripture. It does include all those who go against the meaning of the Christ, by a continual practice of selfish and hurtful actions against their fellow man. Only a continual and thoughtless practice of hurtful and harmful acts towards others would merit such a removal. Misapplying this scripture, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Jehovah's Witnesses, use this scripture to excommunicate or disfellowship any member who disagrees and questions any of their doctrinal teachings and theological interpretations, this being a highly effective controlling tool in manipulating their followers.
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Ginny, please ask why it is that someone who disassociates himself should be viewed the same as a disfellowshipped person.... is that biblical??? No!!!!! However, the Society deemed it necessary to equate disassociation with disfellowshippjng for the simple reason to keep the witnesses in line so they would not leave the organization en masse. I have said before that if the witnesses would have the option to choose to disassociate themselves and continue to be allowed to associate with witnesses, at least 50% of all witnesses would do so.... No scriptural basis - then the Borg will make their own rules - sound familiar? Yes indeed it does!!!:*) Richie
This is a thread which I received from Englishman, who explains it exactly as it should be (from the Scriptures)......One of the best sites about JW's and particularly DF'ing, (you might have to ignore the odd relgious plug)is at http://www.escapefromwatchtower.com/friends.html
Here's how it explains the un-scripturalness of shunning:"Actually fornication is reported among you, and such fornication as is not even among the nations, that a wife a certain man has of his father ... In my letter I wrote you to quit mixing in company with fornicators, not meaning entirely with the fornicator's of this world or the greedy persons and extortion's or idolaters. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. But now I an writing you to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reveler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." (1 Cor 5:1, 9-13) In First Corinthians chapter 5 a man was having sexual relations with his fathers wife on a continual basis. It was not a one time event. This man was continually having sexual relations with his father's wife. For this he was to be removed from the congregation. Paul's counsel was for anyone called a brother who was continually practicing fornication, revelry, greediness, drunkenness and extortion was to be removed from the congregation, not even to eat a meal with them. This was not a person who did an occasional wrong and was willing to make corrections. This had absolutely nothing to do with a person who does not go along with all the teachings of a particular religious organization's policies and rulings. Nor does it have anything to do with persons being required to follow doctrinal and theological interpretations of scripture. It does include all those who go against the meaning of the Christ, by a continual practice of selfish and hurtful actions against their fellow man. Only a continual and thoughtless practice of hurtful and harmful acts towards others would merit such a removal. Misapplying this scripture, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Jehovah's Witnesses, use this scripture to excommunicate or disfellowship any member who disagrees and questions any of their doctrinal teachings and theological interpretations, this being a highly effective controlling tool in manipulating their followers.
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Ginny, please ask why it is that someone who disassociates himself should be viewed the same as a disfellowshipped person.... is that biblical??? No!!!!! However, the Society deemed it necessary to equate disassociation with disfellowshippjng for the simple reason to keep the witnesses in line so they would not leave the organization en masse. I have said before that if the witnesses would have the option to choose to disassociate themselves and continue to be allowed to associate with witnesses, at least 50% of all witnesses would do so.... No scriptural basis - then the Borg will make their own rules - sound familiar? Yes indeed it does!!!:*) Richie