Snubbing after DF and child estrangement

by Fatfreek 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Fatfreek
    Fatfreek

    I?m doing some research on disfellowshipping, disassociating, and the simple resignations of people from the Watchtower Society ? Jehovah?s Witnesses. I?m especially interested in the effects it has had on the parents and the children who become estranged by the snubbing rule. Yes, it happened to me many years ago as a result of simply explaining to my son reasons (that?s apostasy) for leaving the Witnesses. However I recently read a post by one Gaila Noble which brought tears to my eyes as she so eloquently wove her painful experience into such a beautifully worded essay. I had to step back and recognize that only her words were beautiful -- certainly not what she went through. It occurred to me that shouldn?t have happened to her nor to the countless others who have experienced such legal psychological abuse. I wonder if the courts of our land have ever addressed the hurt which estrangement causes when a child is told by some outsider ? say, an elder -- that its parent is evil and wicked and sinful and he should avoid contact with that parent at all costs. But, are they really countless ? and who?s counting, anyway? I?ve seen figures on the internet that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 Witnesses worldwide who?ve been dropped annually from the rolls for one of the above reasons. But I don?t know how valid that number is, or when it was supposed to be valid, do you? For now I?m mainly interested in a number of those from the U.S. Given 2004 membership numbers of 1,019,696 (U.S.) and 6,513,132 (World) we could calculate that approximately 15.7% of the World number lives in the U.S. Is that a fair estimate? It could then follow that from the 45,000 world figure from above ? some 7,045 were severed from the WT in the U.S. Extending that further, some 19 people daily were removed from the Watchtower?s membership roll each day. Still a fair estimate? From there it admittedly gets fuzzy. How many of that 19 is made up from a severed spouse of a baptized couple with children? Ten ? Five ? One? Pure speculation, isn?t it? Hey, if it?s only one person a day, that?s far too many who go through the agonies of estrangement in our country which boasts so many freedoms. We have civil rights, laws against slander, and defamation of character. When a child is estranged by snubbing, to me those are all magnified as they?ve crossed that sacred line of child and parent. Violations even, I suggest, of the very human rights of both parent and child. Has someone compiled any of these experiences? If so, I?d like to know where to read about them. If not, let me know about yours. Let others who?ve had such experiences, and who aren?t online, know about this post so I can hear from them. I, of course, promise complete confidentiality. Len

  • jgnat
    jgnat
  • Aude_Sapere
    Aude_Sapere

    Here's a link to a thread from here a month or so ago.

    It might help.

    The Estranged Families List:

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/88460/1.ashx

    -Aude.

  • garybuss
    garybuss
    I'm doing some research on disfellowshipping, disassociating, and the simple resignations of people from the Watchtower Society ' Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm especially interested in the effects it has had on the parents and the children who become estranged by the snubbing rule.

    Yes, it happened to me many years ago as a result of simply explaining to my son reasons (that's apostasy) for leaving the Witnesses. However I recently read a post by one Gaila Noble which brought tears to my eyes as she so eloquently wove her painful experience into such a beautifully worded essay. I had to step back and recognize that only her words were beautiful -- certainly not what she went through.

    It occurred to me that shouldn't have happened to her nor to the countless others who have experienced such legal psychological abuse. I wonder if the courts of our land have ever addressed the hurt which estrangement causes when a child is told by some outsider ' say, an elder -- that its parent is evil and wicked and sinful and he should avoid contact with that parent at all costs.

    But, are they really countless ' and who's counting, anyway' I've seen figures on the internet that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 Witnesses worldwide who've been dropped annually from the rolls for one of the above reasons. But I don't know how valid that number is, or when it was supposed to be valid, do you' For now I'm mainly interested in a number of those from the U.S.

    Given 2004 membership numbers of 1,019,696 (U.S.) and 6,513,132 (World) we could calculate that approximately 15.7% of the World number lives in the U.S. Is that a fair estimate' It could then follow that from the 45,000 world figure from above ' some 7,045 were severed from the WT in the U.S. Extending that further, some 19 people daily were removed from the Watchtower's membership roll each day. Still a fair estimate.

    From there it admittedly gets fuzzy. How many of that 19 is made up from a severed spouse of a baptized couple with children' Ten ' Five ' One' Pure speculation, isn't it' Hey, if it's only one person a day, that's far too many who go through the agonies of estrangement in our country which boasts so many freedoms. We have civil rights, laws against slander, and defamation of character. When a child is estranged by snubbing, to me those are all magnified as they've crossed that sacred line of child and parent. Violations even, I suggest, of the very human rights of both parent and child. Has someone compiled any of these experiences.

    If so, I'd like to know where to read about them. If not, let me know about yours. Let others who've had such experiences, and who aren't online, know about this post so I can hear from them. I, of course, promise complete confidentiality. Len

    The Watchtower says about 1% are disfellowshipped each year.

    I am shunned by Witness parents and I have Witness children shunning me. I believe there are no good parents shunning their children or no good children shunning their parents.





  • Fatfreek
    Fatfreek

    Thanks to all (I wanted to ask several questions to a few of the replies but don't know how. The forum software seems to want me to create a new subject). All Those links are excellent. I especially liked the one from a former thread where ex Jdubs cited their experiences of snubbing by various relatives. To the one, I think Gary, who cited a number (or %) for disfellowshipping -- can you source that one or direct me with a link?

    Len

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    There are more than this. I'm too lazy to find them.

    *** w94 4/1 p. 16 Are You Resisting the Spirit of the World? ***
    Yet, each year about 40,000 individuals are disfellowshipped from Jehovah?s organization.

    *** yb95 p. 33 Worldwide Report: 1994 Grand Totals ***
    Worldwide Report: 1994 Grand Totals
    Number of Countries: 232
    Peak Publishers: 4,914,094
    Average Publishers: 4,695,111

    *** w68 8/1 p. 476 Why Christians Seek to Avoid Loose Conduct ***
    Indulging in loose conduct displeases one?s Maker, Jehovah God. There is always the danger that it will lead to an infatuation that would cause one to throw discretion to the winds, to ignore the warning signals and to risk a life of shame for a moment of madness. Thus it has been reported that close to 1 percent of the Witnesses in the United States were disfellowshiped in the past year, the majority for sexual immorality.

  • Fatfreek
    Fatfreek

    Excellent, Gary. I just didn't want to pull something out of the air.

    Thanks, Len.

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