"Honor" of one's parents

Pahpa

Honor is defined in the dictionary as "esteem, respect, reverence." The first Commandment relating to human relationships was to "honor your father and mother." (Exodus 20) This even included giving material assistance to them if they were in need.

By Jesus' time the Pharisees and teachers of the law had twisted the command and excused individuals for disobeying it by saying that "whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift (corban) devoted to God." I'm amazed about the similarity between this and the attitude among JWs today. Parents who are disfellowshipped are shunned and ignored all in the name of religious faith. JWs rationalize that since "Jehovah is our father and the organization is our mother" they have no obligation toward their fleshly parents. But as Jesus warned the religious leaders of his day: "Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These peope honor me with the lips but their hearts are for from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Matthew 153-9)

megsmomma

Good point. I hate to say it...however if my JW mother who shuns me ever needs my support finacially....I wouldn't do it. I guess I would rather willfully disobey since the shunning hurts so much. I am BAD.

garybuss

A wise man once told me, that to be honored, one must first be honorable.

Hortensia

if you take religion out of it and just look at actions and consequences, it's easy to see that children naturally love their parents, but that love can be destroyed by the parent's actions. If you treat your children badly, they aren't likely to care very much what happens when you are older. There are many many people parked in nursing homes whose children never visit.

I remember when my abusive father died, I was glad. I was given a lot of flack about how evil I am, but the truth is I was glad. I'm evil, if you want to put it that way, or I'm telling the truth about how I really felt. I was made to feel guilty about it, but now years later, with enough distance, I can see my feelings were entirely natural and understandable and the hypocrites at the KH who pressured me because of how I felt, well, I hope their kids take care of them when they get old.

I remember reading a biography of some British writer who told about how desperately he begged his father not to be sent to his school, which was very abusive. His father wouldn't listen and told him he needed to be tougher, or something like that. In the biography, the writer said that came back to him, with all the pain he felt as a kid, when his father begged not to be put in a nursing home. I don't remember who that was, but I never forgot that story.

Corporates

This is a really good point, especially as i was disfellowshipped ( which i still beleive was unjust) and my three sons, who were around 12,10 and 9 years old and still in "the truth" with their mother, and all shunned me, not even seeing me at all, despite taking mum to court.

I guess her father(an elder) had a lot to do with it.

It is now some years on and my boys are of an age where they can decide for themselves, but unfortunately it is hard to alter deeply ingrained beleifs, i should know because i still beleive "most" of them.

In conclusion, respect for parents ought to be up there with not commiting adultery, and rightly so.

greendawn

Only a cult would be so wayward and hardline so as to break the parent child bond just because one side no longer agrees with their teachings and with good reason. The dubs never reply to doubters (since they can not) they just expel them with the silly pretext that they are trying to run ahead of the FDS as if that were a great crime.

If the parents don't honour their children as they should and play along with silly cultic ideas they can't expect to be honoured themselves.

jillbedford

You are the wisest person I know.

As you know, our own family does not speak due to the DF thing. Our family is divided now due to what old men in Brooklyn direct. What foolishness! You are a huge asset and source of good sense. What a huge loss to those in the family who shun you.

Instead, witnesses are directed to listen the wisdom from the faithful and discreet slave. The mis-application of scripture to prevent any corruption in the congregation by disfellowshipping individuals who question beliefs is very cold and unchristian.

Gill

Having recently been invited to my JW parents anniversary party and been ignored by JW relatives, I was ashamed of my parents, especially when, in front of all the guests my father threatened to smack my mother's head in for not putting food out 'properly'!

We were the shunned ones and they want me to 'honour' my dishonourable parents. They fought catishly all through their party! But to the JWs, they were the 'good and spiritual ones' and were were the bird food.

"Honor" of one's parents

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