Beroean,
Your M.O. on this thread is nothing more than defending the shunning practice. You go ahead and follow that, then, and STOP TALKING TO ME, ok? Your great Jehooba teaches that, the god that will strike down children, good people, and YOU, if you continue speaking to me. To put JW's in control of everything...
You really should get out and associate with more than Dubs. Do you even know what Satanists believe? Or do you just follow what the JW's tell you they believe? Perhaps you should look into it and learn. I was wrong in what I thought they believed, and I RESPECT them for their beliefs, even though they differ from my own. Believe it or not though, I can still have a friendship with these ones, because religion is rarely discussed. See that's the thing, Dubs are notorious about shoving their dogma down everyone's throats all the time. They can't go more than an hour without talking in their Dub speak language or talking about some talk, example, assembly, etc.
Natural love, is what I speak of. The love between a husband and wife. The love between parents and children. Not sick twisted love, that you bring up. Then again I suppose you are more familiar with pedophiles, the Dubs seem to have plenty.
As for pastors having cars, houses, etc. I know for a fact that the two pastors that I speak of, were given "hand me down" cars from family. One lives in a very small home (with wife and child), almost an apartment on the site of the church, and the other he and his wife (who works) totally renovated the house by his own sweat. Neither of them "ride in limos", far from it. They are both very humble men, that live simple humble lives.
You wanna talk about PLEAS FOR MONEY??? The Dubs do this constantly, with their "always short" expense reports at assemblies, "donation" arrangement for service and publishers magazines (double dipping here), pleading for money from the podium at the hall for local needs parts, etc. The CO, constantly getting "green handshakes", dinners bought, expensive gifts, etc. I saw this all first hand as an elder's kid, BTW my dad and step-grandpa were both elders, grandpa was the PO til he died. CO's were constantly getting big, luxurious meals and expensive gifts. So don't go pointing the finger at "Christendom", your CULT is just as guilty, and I saw it all from a front row seat.
As for being "new" to something... I spent 25+ years in the JW church, so I'm pretty much an expert on that. I saw all that "fake love" of which you speak, I also saw some genuine love here and there. I'm not a liar, I admit when I'm wrong, and I'll call people on their BS, and I'll question things when they change the rules in the middle of the game.
YOU are the one confusing love and discipline friend... I gave myself my own discipline, by writing my letter and telling them I no longer wanted to be a Dub. I still love my family, the Bible never speaks of families having to be cut off because leaving the congregation. That's a man made law. I don't WANT to be "part of the congregation", therefore I WILL NOT, go repent, and go to 6 months - 1 year of meetings just to speak to my family. That is the dumbest thing ever, true repentance is between you and God, and having faith in Jesus, who redeems you of your sin. Its very simple.
As for proving God's chosen people, I think we all are, as long as we seek to have a personal relationship with Christ, and try to uphold the principles taught in the scriptures, NOT man made rules and opinions on blood fractions, and other wishy washy policies.
Do you masturbate? Do you think of other women? Do you have oral or anal sex? How bout sex that's not for procreation purposes? All these are also sins of immorality, even if its done with your wife in the confines of marriage. Recall the scripture of "wasting your semen upon the earth". The sin of immorality is NO GREATER of a sin than any other sin, something that JW's need to remember. Sinning is sinning no matter what. Overeating, over drinking, smacking around the wife, irritating children, gambling, idolatry, BOASTING, watching NFL (according to Bro. Loesch), etc.
I looked up your scriptures too, 2 Cor. is totally on my side: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor.%202:5-11;&version=31 ;
Verse 6-8 - The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
So I excused myself from the congo, FIRST, therefore really wasn't a member, therefore their punishment, was null and void. But by the example in 2 Cor. you should already be forgiving me and loving me, so as to not cause excessive sorrow. That's the Bible's word, not mine.
Show me where it says for parents to cut off their children for one thing, but then call them up, go out to eat, etc. at other times... How is that right? That's just confusing, and playing by your own rules.
