"Disfellowshipping" - a word being phased out? (Anybody got a WBTS CD?)

sass_my_frass

You know how JWs don't 'shun', or at least pretend they don't, because they don't use the word 'shun'? Do you think that soon they won't 'disfellowship', just because the announcement is no longer "Sass has been disfellowshipped", it's now "Sass is no longer a JW". Technically, if I wasn't disfellowshipped, I can't say that I was disfellowshipped and that my family shun me.... I'm just no longer a JW, as if it was a choice I made.

When is the last time the word 'disfellowship' was used in a publication? How long until you hear JWs saying that they don't even do that?

Frannie Banannie

Sass, this makes me wonder if their move to discontinue the use of the term in their announcements is just the old CYA move to cover them legally, while simply EVERYONE that's a WTS member will understand that the old "shun 'em all anyway" rule still applies. It really sounds like a move to legally protect their ASSets against further law suits.

sass_my_frass

Ooo, good call Frannie. Ever thought about studying law? I hadn't thought it through that far. I guess the proof would be the last time they used the word in a publication, because if there have been articles about disfellowshipping that don't actually use the word, that would be exactly it. For years JWs will know how they are to treat a 'no longer a witness', but there will be nothing in writing for a victim's lawyers to point to.

Frannie Banannie

For years JWs will know how they are to treat a 'no longer a witness', but there will be nothing in writing for a victim's lawyers to point to.

Exactly, Sass! And, yes, I did consider studying law, but with single-parenting and without the grants and such that are available today, I was really unable to do so and it was too late by the time I finally exited the WTS. I think I would have been a cracker-jack legal beagle. Perhaps in my next life.

Leolaia

The word appeared in the Kingdom Ministry in 2005. But its frequency may be going down. One interesting tidbit if you examine the CD-ROM is that the Society mispelled the words as "disfellowshiped" and "disfellowshiping" up until 1981, and then they figured out how these words should be spelled and have spelled them correctly since.

nvrgnbk

Good catch sass! I do believe they want to phase this term out. As per the new Organized for the Ministry book, The announcement made at disfellowshipping is simply that "so-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses". The same exact annoncement is made for those opting to disassociate themselves.

It is always about the Legal Dept.!

Nvr

Atlantis

Watchtower-2006-May-15-p.25 disfellowshipping of unrepentant sinners http://m1.freeshare.us/view/?139fs202743.jpg Nevada-

VM44

"so-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses".

This statement has always bothered me. Wouldn't Jehovah be the one who determines who His witnesses are?

--VM44

nvrgnbk

"so-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses".
This statement has always bothered me. Wouldn't Jehovah be the one who determines who His witnesses are?
--VM44

Seems logical to me VM44. Perhaps he informs them of who's in and who's out during his weekly phone call to HQ.

Nvr

jwfacts

I just checked on the 2006 cd library. It did seem that the word was being phased out, then in 2006 its use jumped up again. I wonder if it was to do with trying to counteract the falling publisher rates.

One interesting thing that I noticed is that the word was spelt disfellowshiped until 1984, then changed to disfellowshipped.

disfellowshipped was used the following times

2006 17

2005 0

2004 0

2003 2

2002 1

2001 12

2000 0

1999 2

1998 9

1997 7

...

1993 6

1992 10

1991 39

1990 4

1989 12

1988 24

1987 10

The word disfellowship has been used only once or twice each year fairly consistently for many years. Howeve it did not appear in 2004 or 2005.

"Disfellowshipping" - a word being phased out? (Anybody got a WBTS CD?)

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