On shunning

by joelbear 35 Replies latest jw friends

  • LDH
    LDH
    i always get to do what i want

    is what NYT says.

    Including posting on an 'apostate' board. Oh yeah, we've seen people like you come and go. You come in here and puff about how YOU are an INDEPENDENT witness. They don't RUN your life.

    We all know what you mean. You are WEAK in the truth.

    Like Jesus said to Judas, "What you are doing, do more quickly."

    Joel, although I've been branded an apostate, I'm glad that I still talk with some friends. Including an elder's wife. He'd shit a brick if he knew. Imagine having to live your marriage as a lie.

    Lisa

  • wannahelp
    wannahelp

    Joel Said:

    "Nah,
    My friendships are too important to me. Once I love someone, I will always love them, I don't "get over" friendships."

    I cannot agree more with this statement!!!!

    Shunning has NOTHING to do with love whatsoever!!!!

    It's interesting how the JW's talk about LOVE (agape I think they call it).. They somehow think that is unconditional love.. BTW: The rest of the world calls their AGAPE love common courtesy!!!

    Well, real unconditional love means accepting people and loving them in their times of need, as well..

    I happen to believe very strongly in god, and am always reminded of the scripture that says, "Do not judge, lest you be judged"...

    To shun someone where a close relationship has already been formed simply because they feel you have made an error with your personal relationship with god is passing judgement on that person....

    The thing is, the JW's don't understand a "personal relationship", they think the relationship is determined by how well they follow the rules of men!!!

    I feel in my heart that the JW's are not really serving god, but I certainly would never shun them, and will be more than happy to form relationships with them.. Of course, I'm not a JW, so the opportunity to form real relationships with JW's is very limited, by there choice, not mine...

    I am doing god's law, LOVE!!! The JW's are just being hypocrits! They say LOVE, but withhold all love, they say they follow the bible, but turn away from any bible principle that projects LOVE!!!! Jesus had true unconditional love, and I'd like to see just one scripture in the bible where Jesus shunned anyone!!!! He always talked to people, he always tried to help people, he always had love for people!!!! He even talked to SATAN, enemy #1 and rebutted him when SATAN was trying to temp Jesus...

    And, the fact that Jesus did talk to and rebut SATAN not only means he was trying to "teach" him, but also the fact that he didn't stop talking to him to "protect" himself from SATAN's evil ways!!!

    So, in order to emulate Jesus correctly, the Witnesses would certainly have to talk to and defend their beliefs in front of anyone, even the "demon possesed" apostates :-)

    So,

    They certainly do not practice unconditional love
    They certainly do not emulate Jesus
    They are certainly hypocrites!

    I simply deal with the pain with the facts that

    A.) I love them with all my heart and will continue to do so

    B.) I will always try to keep in contact with them, even if they do not reply.. (I send an email or two at least once every two weeks or so, just saying Hi! was thinking of ya.. Hope everything is ok.. Give me a call).. Never got a reply, but I'm letting them know I am always here for them, and will not judge them, no matter what they do!!!

    * Interesting, they claim that they love everyone, but hate what people do.. Well, you would think that would mean that they SHOW love to everyone, continuing to be around them, be friends with them, etc, but just not approve of or participate in anything that they hate???
    But, NO, that "we love everyone" means we cannot talk to you or associate with you if you do anything that we "hate".. Actions speak louder than words, you tell me if they are "loving everyone, but hating what is bad" Or "Hating the person that does bad"...

    C.) I want them to be happy, so I accept that in their mind they have been programmed to shun, and because they don't really know what love is, you cannot be angry or upset with them...

    So, I continue to show love to my friends, even though that love may never be returned again!!

    God says that if you have 100 sheep, and one gets lost, you actively go after that sheep to try and bring him back in the flock..

    Well, since the JW's shun, obviously they aren't trying to bring the "lost sheep" back into the flock, which says, "Hey, they aren't god's organization"..

    But, because I believe in god, I continue to show them love because it warms my heart, and also, ya never know, maybe a "lost sheep" will come back to god..

    If nothing else, it's kinda reverse-witnessing :-)

    And it truly is the only way I can ease the pain of being shunned for loving god!!!! (Don't the witnesses practice a form of persecution this way??)

  • nytelecom1
    nytelecom1

    this is an apostate board???

    the header says discussion for anything jw related...

  • Makena1
    Makena1

    I have looked briefly for previous threads that might answer this question - but so far no luck:

    Are there any statistics that show the percentage of those that have been disfellowshipped and "successfully" returned to the WTBS?

    Perhaps I am answering my own question: In my more than 40 years, I only know of 5, and of those only 1 that made significant progress (made elder or regular pioneer, assembly parts etc). Most of the others were probably treated as "damaged goods" and were not encouraged by the experience.

    Thanks,
    Mak

  • nytelecom1
    nytelecom1

    jesus had unconditional love?

    how did he feel about the jewish leaders?
    seems i heard the term offspring of.....now..what was that
    word again????

  • ashitaka
    ashitaka

    Hey NY...ever call someone you loved a naughty name?

    Joel, I know how you feel. Shunning has really just started to hit me recently and I don't think it's trivial at all.

    ashi

  • wannahelp
    wannahelp

    Nytelecom said:

    "jesus had unconditional love?"

    Well, I believe you try to emulate Jesus, do you not? I thought you claimed that AGAPE love meant that you love everyone, but hate what they do?

    if you love everyone, isn't that unconditional love.. Or, does that only apply to non-apostates? And if that is the case, then can you tell me how you interpret the scripture that says

    Matthew 5:43 - 48

    "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

    BTW: I thought that I read a thread on this very board recently where the WT was saying it was now OK to pray for apostate family members in PRIVATE so as not to stumble anyone? Can you please make sense of verse 44 for me with that "new light" in mind? After all, JW's are ALWAYS claiming that apostates persecute them!!!! Heck, you guys just tried pinning the UN stuff on the apostates!!!!

    Oh, and so as not to be accused of avoiding your question, could you please provide me with the actual scriptures you are referring to so I might reply to your "what about the jewish leaders" question...

    - Wannahelp

    FYI: all the scriptures quoted are from the Revised Standard Edition fo the bible...

  • wannahelp
    wannahelp

    NY said:

    "this is an apostate board???
    the header says discussion for anything jw related..."

    Aren't we at this very moment talking about stuff related to JW's? Specifically their shunning doctrine?

  • Vitameatavegamin
    Vitameatavegamin

    Just ignore NyeTelecom; he is always saying something insensitive. I question whether he is really a JW or just an antagonizer.....or maybe both!

    Vita

  • wannahelp
    wannahelp

    Hi Vita,

    You said:

    "Just ignore NyeTelecom; he is always saying something insensitive. I question whether he is really a JW or just an antagonizer.....or maybe both!"

    Nah, I try not to ignore anyone. I try, I fail alot at it, and if the person really offends me, I will ignore him/her, but NY hasn't offended me.. I've answered the questions he raised in how I view them.. I would hope that he will answer me back, and we can have an intelligent conversation over this.. But, I'm not so sure he will answer me back, and if he does, I would seriously doubght that he would answer my questions directly..

    And, as for the insensitive part.. I know he is, which is why I believe he is either still a JW or is just on his way out, because he by his actions has shown he doesn't know real love!!!

    Why would I want to turn my back and ignore a lost sole? Maybe what I'm writing will help him, or maybe (anything is possible) what he is writing to me will help me... Either way, he hasn't given me any reason to ignore him...

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