I've found that even though I was raised a JW, but never baptized, I'm pretty much still shunned. I can still talk to them, but they pretty much they still treat me the same.
Anyone Shunned Even Though Not Baptized?
by Country Girl 8 Replies latest jw friends
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changeling
In their eyes you are "bad assocaition", nothing more than a "wordly person". My son is in the same boat.
changeling
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betterdaze
I've not been shunned so far, that I know of. If it has happened then I'm happily unaware of being ignored!
My last study growing up ended when I didn't get dunked after the six-month mark. I returned in my mid-30s to start studying again.
At assemblies, people I hadn't seen in 10 or 15 years came up to hug me. I'm simply a study that ended, Sister So-and-So's daughter,
not "bad association." We still wave and say hello in public, and I accept the magazines.
The only Witnesses who were unfriendly to me upon returning were insecure sisters who couldn't keep a handle on their husbands.
~Sue -
TweetieBird
I have a niece who HATES the witnesses to this day because she was shunned by most of her witness family on her mom's side. Her mom & dad were both raised witnesses, they divorced, her dad stayed in and her mom left for good. Her dad remarried a witness and they had kids. The kids friends were not allowed to bring their half-sister over because she was "worldly" and it has made her very bitter. Fortunately my side of the family never treated her differently but we did make her feel like an outcast at times (unintentionally) until she set me straight. I really felt bad for even making her feel even slightly different.
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blondie
*** w06 12/1 pp. 26-27 What It Means to Love Our Neighbor ***
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Love of neighbor, like love of God, is not merely a feeling; it involves action. It is helpful to consider further the context of the command recorded in Leviticus 19 that exhorts God’s people to love their neighbor as themselves. There we read that the Israelites were to allow afflicted ones and alien residents to share in the harvest. There was no room for stealing, deceiving, or dealing falsely. In judicial matters the Israelites should show no partiality. Though they were to give reproof when needed, they were specifically told: "You must not hate your brother in your heart." These and many other commands were summed up in the words: "You must love your fellow as yourself."—Leviticus 19:9-11, 15, 17, 18.
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While the Israelites were to show love to others, they were also to keep separate from those who worshipped false gods. Jehovah warned of the dangers and consequences of bad associations. For example, concerning the nations that the Israelites were to dispossess, Jehovah commanded: "You must form no marriage alliance with them. Your daughter you must not give to his son, and his daughter you must not take for your son. For he will turn your son from following me, and they will certainly serve other gods; and Jehovah’s anger will indeed blaze against you."—Deuteronomy 7:3, 4.10
Similarly, Christians guard against forming relationships with those who might weaken their faith. (1 Corinthians 15:33) We are admonished: "Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers," those who are no part of the Christian congregation. (2 Corinthians 6:14) Further, Christians are counseled to marry "only in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 7:39) Yet, never should we be disdainful of those who do not share our belief in Jehovah. Christ died for sinners, and many who once practiced vile things changed their ways and became reconciled to God.—Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
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In showing love to those who do not serve God, we can do no better than to imitate Jehovah himself. Though he is no lover of wickedness, he shows loving-kindness to all by extending to them the opportunity to turn back from their bad ways and receive everlasting life. (Ezekiel 18:23) Jehovah "desires all to attain to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) It is his will that "all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) That is why Jesus commissioned his followers to preach and to teach and to "make disciples of people of all the nations." (Matthew 28:19, 20) By our participation in this work, we show love for both God and neighbor, yes, including even our enemies! -
AWAKE&WATCHING
My ex was shunned for several (5-6) years though never baptized. He had given a few talks and gone out in service for a few months. This was 1980.
He started smoking, a JC was formed and an announcement was made that he was disassociated. I can't tell you how much crap I got for that from the family.
My viewpoint was that he had not made the commitment, the WTS said he was viewed as a brother. I tried to accept it, wait on Jehovah, blah, blah, yadda.
Lo and behold! NEW LIGHT (lawsuits?) This was mid '80's. He was visited by the elders who told him he was no longer to be treated like a disfellowshipped one. He could even have a Bible study if he wanted !!!
Yeah right.
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JWdaughter
I was DA'd in 81/82, and in about 86 and 90/91 spent a few months trying to see if I could buy the crap. . .anyway, I was never baptised and went through the gauntlet (limited, but definitely there) for a few weeks until a letter from my old elders said it was ok to talk to me. The second time, my leaving was no issue. I had barely become an associate in Montclair, so I just faded and apparently there are a LOT of folks who come and go without being baptised these days.
I was shunned by my relatives and that never really let up until recently. When I came back home for a visit in '86, I attended a wedding, and everyone just seemed kind of wary of me-though I had just flown in from an assembly in Philly. Funny how people wanted to know what national monuments I might have visited:) (none, no time!)
My mom shunned me at times, one particularly LONG time. My dad salvaged that somehow with my mom. She suddenly got over it. My uncle did until his little boy died (after not rec. blood and TOO LATE having it forced by a court)and his 3rd marriage was falling apart. At which time, we went through a bunch of family deaths and tragedies, and he was humbled in other ways. I have a JW cousin who along with my uncle used to get in the little JW ghetto at family reunions. Her, I would have shunned, so I don't care. She killed people and the state and the cong. gave her a pass. Then her son killed his little brother in a hunting accident. Why would they have any right to play righteous with me? So, the shunning is over, but the only JWs I ever see are my mom and my thrice divorced JW uncle. Any other JW relatives I don't know enough to care. -
worldtraveller
My JW business partner only calls me when there is work or money. I told him in September that I no longer wish to discuss the Watchtower propaganda because of all the discrepancies and pedophiles.
He is thankfully the only Witness I know and am glad he does not talk to me any more outside of work. His bs attitude and arrogance is not what I would have expected from a "bible student".
I think it's the other way around as far as shunning.
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lonelysheep
None of my family are jw's. My so-called friends/
study conductorsbrainwashers do shun me.My thoughts now are that you do not shun those you love if you really do want them in your life. Those who do are those who do not know what love truly is.