by jambon1 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
This may be a question for ex-elders.
Is it always the case that a talk will be given after a d/f or reproof relating to the persons 'sin'?
After these announcements in our hall we always seemed to have a talk/local needs, which practically told you what the person had done. Some talks were highly embarassing.
Is this 'policy' & if so WHY?
Yes it is policy. But one thing that changed in recent years was to delay the talk a couple of months rather than straight after. But the congregation always knew everything by then from the elders wives!!
never was an elder but this used to be the case when I was still in. I believe its been stopped in the states because DF'd ones were taking the org to court on Slander and defamation of character charges.
The policy now is to make a general announcement that xxxxxx is no longer one of jehovahs witnesses, they don't say whether da'd or df'd. I heard that announcement a few times while I was still in, then they made it about me.
It's because they can't get away with announcing what the person did with the df announcement for fear of lawsuit. They are only held back by legal issues, otherwise they would embarrass the df'd person even more.
I didn't know that! No one got dfed from my congregation in the years I was there until I did - and obviously I'd have gone straight back to the meetings had i known they were goign to give a local needs talk in my honor. I would have love to have heard what they said!
It's embarrassing. They cover one subject in detail, usually fornication, without ever mentioning the person's name. I always thought it was way over the top, even when I believed.
When I left last June...before it was announced...I sent out a few letters explaining to people why.
BTW...It wasn't just me...it was my husband and daughter as well.
So that night..June 30th...There would have been 3 names mentioned ( Our son disassociated himself about 2 years earlier) ....I bet you that got alot of tongues wagging!
Legolas, I am happy for you that you have your family out as well.
I can't remember any local needs items after an announcement, except when a brother was df'd for drug dealing. We were warned then about the danger of drugs. Usually, the elder who did the announcement put on a sombre face and told us all to keep well clear of the "disgraced" one. Mind you, I was there when they announced dedpoet was no longer a jw, and the elder who announced that one had a tough time not laughing, I think they were glad to see him go! Just announcing it like that lends a bit of an air of mystery to it - did they leave or were they pushed? The brothers and sisters have to guess as no one tells them, although I did know dp had da'd, of course.
