I like that way of looking at the shunning arrangement.Its pathetic.I had a very strong argument about d,fing with my Elder dad last night regarding the way my D,fed Brother is treated...i used words to that effect and realised what a joke the whole sorry,stupid thing is.
It really stinks that they can do this kind of thing.
As yet, we have not been shunned in public but I know it is coming. A jw came to our home the other day and said that they missed us and why we are not attending anymore. I told some of our story, you know, the whole UN scandal and he called us apostates for turning our back on the organization and left promptly. Also, we have a witness employee who has just quit because we are inactive and he cannot continue to work for us in good christian conscience.
Actually, I think that we are more happy than sad about this. And a family member has sent us the recent Jan. 15, 2006 watchtower asking us to read it.
My hubby who was never a JW has been shunned several times in our small community--just recently at an outdoor market by a whole herd of elders out in field service and another time by a sister downtown and then by an elder at the dump. This is very strange to me. For all they know I am just an inactive JW, as I have never spoken to them about the reasons I left the Org. What if I was a JW who was planning on returning to the Org--don't they realize their behaviour would drive me even further away? I saw 4 sisters out in field service right across the street from my house and I was standing in my yard and they didn't acknowlege me ( I am positive they looked over my way). I never hear from any JWs anymore. 20+years of friendships and I am totally ignored. I am grateful for it though--being around JW speak makes me feel crazy. I really don't want to be around these people anymore--their fanaticism scares me.