Process of Disfellowshipping

by ZeusRocks 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ZeusRocks

  I'm unsure if this has actually been discussed before, but I often wondered about the process of disfellowshipping. I know a lot here have been affected by it for many different reasons. I'm writing this from the perspective that some who read this believe in the bible as gods word and that Jesus words and teachings are what they are trying to emulate.

  The WTS process is primarily to hold a judicial committee overseen by at least 3 elders in a closed room and the final decision is made by them.

  Matthew 18: 15-17 15 “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17 If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.

  As you can see these words are attributed to JESUS himself. Here he clearly lays out how to treat someone who sins. As you can see, according to JESUS the final decision rests with the congregation, not 3 men in a closed room. The whole congregation gets to hear the sin and the congregation gets their input and decide.

  How the WTS get away with their completely unscriptural process of disfellowshipping is unbelievable. Any JW who can defend the WTS on this matter goes against the words of JESUS himself who is Head of the congregation as layed out in the bible.

  Shame, shame, shame on you.
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  nelly136

  matthew 9:9-12

  9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

  10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

  12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' [a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
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  besty

  welcome to JWN - zeusrocks - do i detect an atheist username there? :-)

  you might find some useful info in this Google article I wrote a while back

  http://knol.google.com/k/why-jehovah-s-witnesses-practice-religious-shunning#
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  BluesBrother

  J W's do operate also a system based on Mathew 18, but this is for personal wrongs, like slander, money disputes and so forth. At the end of the day, "The Congregation" in their eyes means a judicial committee, not the brotherhood, in this case.

  They claim scriptural support for disfellowshipping, based on 1 Cor. 5. 13 and 2 John 10
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  ZeusRocks

  Thaanks besty I'll take a look at that.

  Hi BluesBrother, I do take your point on the other scriptures. But at the end of the day, Jesus is suppose to be head of the congregation, no one else. By using those other scriptures they are in effect saying that Paul's way of doing things is of more use than what Jesus said. The fact that the congregation in their eyes means a judicial committee means that they have deliberately changed the meaning of the word.

  The word used in this instance is ekklésiaa) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
  b) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating

  They can spin it any way they want, but at the end of the day they are changing the original meaning to suit their own ends. They have gone over Jesus head and used Paul as the final authority. But then again, the WTS really has little use for Jesus these days anyway since they have elevated themselves above him anyway.
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  babygirl30

  VERY good post!!!

  What always amazed me was how often JWs use the story of King David and the Prodigal Son...as if both were disfellowshipped from 'the flock' and then returned to God (Jehovah). First of all, King David committed a ton of sins (premeditated murder, lust, adultery, produced an illegitimate child, lying) and NEVER ONCE was denied association nor shunned. He was approached 'informally' by a prophet one-on-one and that motivated him to repent. So using that as an example of "one who left the flock but repented and was returned to God's favor" does NOT suffice as one that I find any solice in?! As for the Prodigal Son...nowhere did I EVER read that he was shunned or banned from his family - he made the CHOICE to leave and live his life. And when he returned, there was no LETTER he had to write...he wasn't required to plead with a JC to be 'accepted' back - his family ran out to meet HIM!

  So a lot of the stories JWs use to try to motivate shame and repentance out of people are blantant fabrications of the facts! Despite it being written clear as day - leave it to a JW to twist it like a Twizzler.
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  PYRAMIDSCHEME

  In this organization the elders are the congregation. It's a class system where the "spiritual" get to play God with those who are deemed lowly and unworthy of attention. Where has a Judicial committee ever followed that council in Matthew? How many have been dragged into the back room only to be tossed out because these men, who cant read hearts, judges them not sufficiently repentant?