Is it just me, or does it sound like they want to start disfellowshipping people for being inactive?
May 15 WT - Survival depends on loyal association with the organization
by truthseeker 48 Replies latest jw friends
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Mary
Scully said: Why is the WTS so arrogant as to assume that they are not capable of offending Jehovah, and cause him to withdraw his blessing from the organization?
Bingo. According to the WTS, the founders of Christianity were people who had known Jesus personally and who were taught by him, had the gifts or prophecy, speaking in tongues, healing people, raising people from the dead, etc. yet we're told that the "pure faith" didn't last any longer than 30 or 40 years before apostacy set in.
If that's the case, then how can they expect that this religion, with no leaders who have ever been "inspired" or "led" by the Holy Spirit, who do not have the gift of prophecy, or speaking in tongues, or able to heal anyone or raise anyone from the dead, to be any different? Are they really trying to say that first century christians, taught directly by the Son of God, steered off the path of life in less than half a century, but this present day religion that's been around for 130 years, hasn't??
Ya....right.
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cyberguy
atypical,
I've been told that at the recent elder's school, instructions (similar to what I heard some 8+ years ago when I attended elder's school) were given to ask inactive ones if they wanted to be a JW. If they say "no," then they are to be DA'd!
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blondie
What makes a JW inactive?
Not going to meetings or not turning in a time slip?
If a person went to all the meetings but never turned in time...................
Or if a person never went to any meetings but turned in time.................
DFing the inactive...........what would the scripture be?
They would have to reverse themselves on these viewpoints....new light? I wonder how they would spin it?
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w80 11/1 pp. 30-31 Questions from Readers ***Does
the missing of Christian meetings in itself constitute an unforgivable sin, since, at Hebrews 10:24-29, the apostle Paul speaks of this sin right after discussing the importance of meetings?Failure to heed the command to attend Christian meetings is serious and could lead to disastrous consequences for a servant of Jehovah. However, more is involved in committing the unforgivable sin....
So we should not discuss Hebrews 10:24, 25 out of its setting and imply that failure to attend the meetings regularly is in itself what the apostle is talking about in discussing those who commit the unforgivable sin. Of course, when a person has "the custom" of not attending the meetings, he is working against his own spiritual interests and is in grave danger of growing weak in faith and becoming inactive in Christian works. This, in turn, could lead to a person’s actually denying or not taking seriously the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his thus losing out on everlasting life.
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w82 1/15 p. 31 Questions from Readers ***·
My son, who was baptized as a teenager, is now married and has a family. Because of the pressure of earning a living he has cooled off spiritually and does not associate with the congregation. Should he be viewed as a "disassociated" person?There is nothing in your description that would require such a viewpoint. The question may have arisen because of misunderstanding what it means to be viewed as "disassociated."
The
Watchtower of September 15, 1981, page 23, showed that there is a difference between (a) a Christian who becomes spiritually weak and inactive, and (b) a person who clearly renounces his being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, leading the congregation elders to announce that he has "disassociated" himself. It seems that your son fits the first description.The
Watchtower mentioned that some Christians become weak in faith and spirituality. This occurred also in the first century. (Romans 14:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 11:30) It does not mean that they have ceased to be Christians. Even if they become so weak that they no longer share the "good news" with others and stop attending meetings, and they are not bringing reproach on the Christian congregation, they are still to be regarded as our spiritual brothers and sisters. We should want to help them lovingly, following the apostle Paul’s counsel: "We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all." While the elders often take the lead in this, it is to be noted that this counsel was directed to all "the congregation of the Thessalonians." (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 5:14) So the elders and others might offer loving help and encouragement, having in mind the advice: "Straighten up the hands that hang down and the enfeebled knees, and keep making straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed."—Hebrews 12:12, 13; Revelation 3:1-3.It is quite a different matter with a former Christian who is "disassociated." This designation is applied basically in two situations:
First, though it is uncommon, a person might decide that he absolutely no longer wants to be a Witness. We do not mean a person such as is described above, a spiritually weak or discouraged Christian who may express some doubts. Rather, we mean someone who resolutely declares that he absolutely is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since in the past he voluntarily became a baptized member of the congregation, it would now be proper for him to inform the congregation that he is ending this relationship. It would be best if he did this in a brief letter to the elders, but even if he unequivocally states orally that he is renouncing his standing as a Witness, the elders can deal with the matter.—1 John 2:19.
The second situation involves a person who renounces his standing in the congregation by joining a secular organization whose purpose is contrary to counsel such as that found at Isaiah 2:4, where we read concerning God’s servants: "They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." Also, as stated at John 17:16, "they are no part of the world, just as I [Jesus] am no part of the world."—Compare Revelation 19:17-21.
In either of these two situations, the person by word and/or actions has clearly terminated his status as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, disassociating himself. Hence, the elders will announce briefly to the congregation that this individual has disassociated himself. Those in the congregation will accept the person’s decision and thereafter will view him as a former brother with whom they would not fellowship, in harmony with what we read at 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 2 John 9-11.
As can be appreciated, the spiritually weak and inactive son about whom the question was asked has not become a "disassociated" person in either of these two senses and no such announcement has been made in the congregation. So it still may be possible to aid him in the spirit of Romans 15:1: "We, though, who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those not strong."—See also Isaiah 35:3.
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w85 7/15 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***Even if he had become inactive, not going to meetings or in the public ministry, spiritually strong ones would have striven to restore him. He might have told them that he did not want to be bothered with being in the congregation, reflecting his weakened faith and low spirituality. They would not have badgered him, but they might occasionally have made a friendly visit on him. Such loving, patient, merciful efforts would have reflected God’s interest that none be lost.—Luke 15:4-7. Blondie -
ozziepost
.."Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is',(the "Organisation"™?) because the kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20,21 (NIV)
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ozziepost
"Just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be." (Matthew 24:37) With these words, Jesus indicated that the time of his invisible presence would be similar to the days of Noah, and that has truly been so."
Yet this teaching depends solely on their interpretation of a word (presence v coming); without it, the teaching fails.Kinda like, it must be so, 'cos we say so!
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ozziepost
And another thing!
The WT has selectively quoted Jesus' words as recorded in Matthew 24. It's true that Jesus spoke of the time of his coming as being like Noah's days but nowhere does he speak of entering an ark-like arrangement; indeed, in verses 40 and 41 he speaks of people being "in the fields" with one saved and the other not. So, again we have an instance of the WT pushing the illustrration too far.
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Gary1914
We were taught at the recent elder's school I attended that to be considered a Jehovah's Witness one has to be engaging in the preaching work.
You can attend all the meetings but that does not indicate that you are a true christian witness. A true christian witness "witnesses" about Jehovah.
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Mary
atypical asked: Is it just me, or does it sound like they want to start disfellowshipping people for being inactive?
While I'm sure the subject has come up, I can't really see them doing that. As Blondie brought out, they view being "inactive" as different than someone who DA's themselves or turns "apostate". It's always in the back of their mind that those who are "inactive" will someday, start going back to the meetings again and indeed this does happen. However, if you have someone who's inactive and not causing anyone any trouble, and they suddenly get a visit from their local elders giving them an ultimatum: either come back to the Hall or be Disassociated. That's going to immediately get someone's back up and very, very few (if any) inactive ones would say "gee, I think I'll go back to the Hall".
I know one guy who was inactive for years, but he eventually went back to the Hall, brought his worldly wife in, and now he's an elder and he and his wife are both pioneers. This is a sort of story that the WTS loves to give at assemblies. If the suddenly DA or DF people simply for slacking off, then where would these "wonderful" examples come from? And how would they explain the parabel of the Prodigal Son if they took such steps? I could be wrong, but I think if they ever decided to do such a thing, even die-hard Witnesses would be appalled at this hard-line and might encourage even more to abandon ship.