you betcha! Just one of many things that made no sense to me, and I always thought I was such a horrible person for not understanding that sort of godly love.

Tweetie - that was exactly my experience too! My best childhood friend lived next door to me. She was born/raised in a Baptist house and had a wonderful, wonderful family! I couldn't understand how Jehovah would want to kill such nice people. But then again, I couldn't understand how such nice people wouldn't want the Truth either. Haha! I used to be so jealous of her and her brother. I've since learned that her parents always felt sorry for me and wished they could've adopted me. When I got DFed, she was one of the first people I went to for comfort. We talked on the phone for hours at a time. The closest thing I've ever had to a sister really. We are still close friends and stay in touch regularly. She says it's a comfort and relief knowing I'm not a JW anymore.

The other thing that bothered me was when I was DFed. I attended the meeting the announcement was made, with full intentions of trying to get re-instated. All the brothers and sisters hugged and loved on me before the meeting...knowing the announcement was coming. But after the meeting the coldness was unmistakeable and depressing. How could these friends and family be so awful when I needed them the most? What happened to the organization of love taking care of me? What happened to the God of love protecting me? I only stayed a few more weeks and then left. Haven't been back to a KH since.

Andi

Hi 6of9,

I remember a WT comment that by ancient standards, stoning was relatively humane. Now, stop and think, is bludgeoning a person to death ever considered humane? How about beating them to death? I think beheading or hanging would be far more humane than slowly stoning someone to death!! Even if there were large stones, it's still comparable to beating someone with a sledge hammer!

Shudder . . .
Pat

Howdy 6,

First of all - like your red striped tie. Second, the WTBTS was putting the "humane" spine on the death penalty style of the OT, imho. I don't think the Israelites were trying to be humane - just kill the sinner.

The WTBTS was just trying to justify the terror imposed on persons back then - so modern people wouldn't be offended so much, imho. Not to say we're much better in many cases.

Hey Billygoat

One thing you might not of thought about when you were df'd - not all jw's like the shunning aspect of df'ing. Perhaps those who knew what was going to happen, and made sure to hug you....were trying to say they liked you & hoped you'd come back to them soon. Because as soon as the df'ing was official, they'd follow the party line and shun you - many jw's think of df'ing as a form of discipline.

It doesn't necessarily mean that they stopped their good emotions towards you - they just stopped showing their emotions.

Sounds convoluted, and it is ...... but I remember talking about such things with sisters. Brothers didn't seem to get involved that much.
It is a strange way to live - but necessary when one is a jw.

How much nicer to just show our true friendliness, eh?

waiting

All I said was, "this halabit's good enought for Jeeehooovah"!

Slipnslidemaster:"The average person thinks he isn't."
- Father Larry Lorenzoni

When I was a JW, I never thought it was one big stone followed by other small stones. I always thought the people who did the stoning got to pick their own stone, some could pick real big rocks other could throw a grain of sand, or other could chose not to throw anything at all, as long as they were not a witness,.. because witnesses were to throw the first stone(s).