Family Business
An element of the shunning practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.
If a former Jehovah's Witness group member has any assets or influence that a current member might want access to, the huge conglomerate that issues their behavior instructions, The Watch Tower Corporation, has provided them a corridor to that influence or to those assets. The corridor is called "family matters" and "business dealings".
The behavior directions and the exceptions are issued by the Watch Tower Corporation in directives such as the following:
"The situation is different if the disfellowshipped or disassociated one is a relative living, outside the immediate family circle and home," states The Watchtower of April 15, 1988, page 28. "It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum," in harmony with the divine injunction to "quit mixing in company with anyone" who is guilty of sinning unrepentantly. (1 Cor. 5:11) Loyal Christians should strive to avoid needless association with such a relative, even keeping business dealings to an absolute minimum. - See also The Watchtower of September 15, 1981, pages 29-30. ( Our Kingdom Ministry, August, 2002, page 4, paragraph 9)
When my Jehovah's Witness relatives made the decision to start shunning me, they did not inform me of their decision. Maybe they thought I would not notice. But I did.
They had family dinners and did not invite me. Relatives died and I was not told in time to attend the funeral. They just quit inviting me to anything social. My wife was still practicing and she had two family dinners at our home every year and she invited the Witness relatives. For a time they would come to that.
This is what happened at the last dinner she had that they attended. After dinner it was usual to go to the living room and visit and that is where I went and sat down. They all got up from the table, walked past me, and went down in the basement and sat there and visited. I read a book till they left. Not a one conversed with me or came into the living room where I sat. As the relatives were leaving, my wife's JW aunt stood in the doorway and took my picture sitting in the living room alone.
Before I objected, the Witness relatives would still contact me to borrow my tools or to ask me how to do a building project. They had reduced me to "family matters" and "business dealings" with out having the guts to tell me I was a social outcast and I did not appreciate it. I still don't. Since they have excluded me (shunned me) from all social contact, I have excluded most of them from all "family matters" and "business dealings" and make the shunning and snubbing absolute.
In my experience, "family matters" and "business dealings" have all translated into money. It's okay for them to associate with me if there is a buck involved but it's not okay to associate with me as a blood relative.
To the people thinking of joining this group, I hope you look long and hard at the scenarios it is possible to have to face once you, and people important to you, surrender to the directives and to the agents of the Watch Tower Corporation.
If others have experiences relevant to "family matters" and "business dealings", I hope you post those.
Thanks and best wishes to all,
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