In Memory of Jennifer Mansell

Gill

This JW woman was disfellowshiped around 1973. She had criticised an Elder for insisting that his group go out in service every Saturday but NEVER going out himself. Apparantly it was his Family Day. He would go out on Sunday and would then criticise his group for not going out on Sunday as well!!

Anyway, for writing a letter to him and criticising him she was disfellowshiped.

She was shunned by her Son who was a fanatical JW and planning to go to Bethel.

Within two weeks of the Disfellowshiping she killed herself.

I remember her. I wonder if her son does?

fullofdoubtnow

Gill what a tragic story.

A reminder, as if we need one, what arrogant, self - righteous, heartless ba""ar"s some of those jw elders are.

Gill

She was a great friend of my mothers. She was lovely to me as a young child as well.

I remember my mother weeping for days after she died. I had come home from school and my Mum told me what had happend and also, why. The Elder came round and showed the letter to my parents. I remember he folded certain parts of it so that they couldn't see all that the letter had said. But he was trying to make excuses for himself along the line that it was her fault, because she had the gaul to criticise HIM.

She had the loveliest long black hair. Her husband was not a JW and totally went wappy at the JWs in our area. But the son went on to Bethel. Ironically he became ill with a kidney disease and they threw him out after a few years.

I remember her well. It taught me NEVER to shun anyone that was disfellowshiped. I even got told off for talking to a disfellowshiped lady once. Never would I ignore her.....NEVER!

fullofdoubtnow

It taught me NEVER to shun anyone that was disfellowshiped

That's a lesson not enough jws learn, Gill. I never liked shunning people who I liked, and it was refusing to shun Trev that got me in trouble with the elders, led mee to this board and eventually out of the wts.

Wasanelder Once

I know that these days they can have a JC for "loose conduct" in such instances. It supposedly means that finding fault with duly appointed authority is spiritually loose conduct and punishable by DF'ing if unrepentent. I have never heard of that card being played in the early 1970's. I think it was thought up in the 80's during the time of the big Bethel apostacy. Are you sure that's why she was DF'd? Sounds like there may have been other issues. Either way its certainly sad.

W.Once

Gill

I was about ten at the time. I remember 'the letter', and my parents discussing what the Elder had said. I think she may have been DF'd for the dreaded 'Apostasy'. But, she had definitely been talking against that particular Elder, because I remember her saying what a hypocrite he was.

Certainly, it killed her and I know for a fact it was within two weeks. I remember my mum crying about her killing herself because 'No One will talk to her', and I remember my mum and a couple of sisters saying they thought what had happened to her was wrong.

LongHairGal

It is so sick to hear of somebody who kills themselves over this horrible religion. I would just as soon spit in their faces. I was always a firm believer in having friends on the outside in the event you have none there.

As far as their category of "loose conduct" for people who are DF under suspicious circumstances: isn't this dishonest? I think it is. It is made to sound like somebody committed immorality or engaged in some publicly disgraceful behavior. The idea is to stop curiosity about why they are out. They figure nobody will go after them and question why they are out if it was because of immorality or something similar.

This is what they are afraid of - they don't want the congregation to know that people have found fault with the religion and THAT is why they are gone.

LHG

Andie

This was a sad story. Do you happen to know what ever happened to her son? Where is he? Did he get re-instated?

In Memory of Jennifer Mansell

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