DFing the newly Reinstated? Yes !

by Amazing 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  Amazing

  In my other thread an excellent question was asked:

  What I wonder is: can they disfellowship me for stopping the attendance immediately after my reinstatement? What could they do, apart from being a terrible nuisance?

  Some ex-JW choose to get reinstated so that they can have some certain family ties, and then just function with a low profile and then fade away ... but officially stay a JW for family sake. While I was still a JW and Elder this issue was discussed with respect to knowing if the decision to "reinstate" was the correct one. That is: Is the person really repentant, or are they just trying to escape the effects of being DF'd. Here is what our body of Elders concluded, and what another Body of Elders concluded when I asked them the same question:

  Yes, the Elders "can" re-Disfellowship a person who stops attending Meetings and failing to go out in Service shortly after reinstatment. The reason is that they can say that the reinstated person is "lacking works that befit repentance."

  So, were I to try this approach to gain fellowship with my family, then after reinstatement I would attend Meetings for a while, and go out in Service once or twice a month for a few months ... and turn in time ... then in about 6 months start the slow fading process. The Elders in every congregation will not necessarily re-Disfellowship for "lack of works that befit repentance," but you never know ... and it is not worth all the trouble to be reinstated only to be tossed out again in a couple of months.
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  Larry

  Amaz - Good information! I never heard of re-D'fing a newly reinstated person for "lack of works that befit repentance." Is that a directive from the BORG or just the local BOE's?

  Peace - LL
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  Guest 77

  Amazing, I challenged the elder and the org. about that scripture, Acts 26:20. I told them that they have taken it out of context. They never replied to my letters. This same Paul said, do not go beyond what is written.

  Paul was talking to King Agrippa. What the hell did King Agrippa know about Christians and doing works that befit repentance? Was King Agrippa a former Christian so that he knew what Paul was talking about? Paul was a Roman prisoner and was challenging accusations made against him.

  My expulsion hinged on the fact that I did not attend cong. meetings during my judical hearings, even though I had repented! The elder had the nerve to tell me that I wanted to be expelled because of not attending cong. meetings. This elder decided for me. Well, his so-called Christian love opened my eyes and that was it for me. This same elder when I told him about the pedophile in my life, said, "we don't handle problems of this nature". I've known this elder since our teen years, well, I know him better now.

  Guest 77
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  minimus

  You CAN'T get disfellowshipped for not attending meetings after re-instatement....Somebody's getting some wrong info. If during a judicial hearing a person decides to stop going to meetings and the elders ask where that person has been the last few weeks, the elders may conclude that since the person has stopped going to meetings,he must not be repentant. But if he gets reinstated,that JC made its decision and they cannot change it unless a sin has been committed. Then a new JC would be formed and new charges would have to be lodged.
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  plmkrzy

  I know a big bushel of JWs that stopped attending meetings or faded to only an occasional meeting. I know of no one df'd for it. Heck a long time family friend of ours has probably only attended a dozen meetings aside from the memorials in the past 40 years Still in good standing but just considered spiritually on the weak side. LOL
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  minimus

  I know of bodies of elders that felt you could be disfellowshipped for "french kissing" and masturbation.Some elders will say that a certain thing is a disfellowshipping offense but may be quite wrong.
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  Big Tex

  You can be DF'd for anything, all it takes is the will to do so. If a body of elders,or even a few of them, want you out, then they'll come up with a reason and DF you.
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  plmkrzy

  they'll come up with a reason and DF you.

  Thats true but the reason won't be not attending meetings regular. Or even at all.
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  minimus

  I'm sure there's false charges that have gotten people disfellowshipped .If some dope elders disfellowshipped someone for french kissing and that person never appealed it, then they are disfellowshipped.Sometimes an appeal commitee will do the right thing, and help the dope elders to see that they didn't have a valid charge.....Nobody wants to get sued.
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  Amazing

  Hi Minimus:

  But if he gets reinstated, that JC made its decision and they cannot change it unless a sin has been committed. Then a new JC would be formed and new charges would have to be lodged.

  Not so. You CAN get redisfellowshipped after reinstatement IF you fail to attend meetings and share in the Field Service. It is considered lacking "works that befit repentance." Normally, the Elders don't make a fuss out of this, but I have witnessed this and been part of Elder body discussions where we considered the possibility. Failing to engage in 'works that befit repentance' indicates that genuine repentance was not exhibited ...

  ... that is why reinstated people are given resrictions until they demonstrate a pattern of works that befit repentance. Reinstatement is a conditional status that can be revoked at anytime. Elders CAN even DF someone for sins not enumerated by the Society. Been there and done that. However, it is not normal to do things that way, but that does not mean it can't be done that way.