by AllTimeJeff 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Major legal repercussions costing a lot of $$$$.
And that is the ONLY thng that would cause them to soften up on shunning. Of course the WT has a way of having one "official stance" with opposite actually being enforced in the congregations.
I would have never believed so many were still attending even though they dont believe it just to keep their families. This board is quite a small sampling of JWs everywhere, and just look how many here have to pretend to keep family ties in tact.
I'm too freakin' lazy to do all the documentation on this, so I'll just throw it out here and see if this clicks with others...
After the stupidity of 1975, growth sputtered and stopped. "Growth" was negative two years of the late 70s, as I recall. What to do?
For one thing, they started harping on "this generation", "the cry of peace and security", "the king of the north", etc. in new, more colorful litteratrash from "mother".
For another thing, there was a witchhunt. After clearing "apostasy" out of Bethel, they now were enjoying "jehovah's blessing".
Another major thing that stopped the dubs heading for the exit, was the hard line on treatment of the disfellowshipped that started in 1980 or 81. I don't remember it all that well, but I had older ones explain that things really "tightened up" after a couple of study articles. And since then, the hardline is being held.
If the historical example of the late 70s is legit, one could assume that many would be heading for the exits if the ropes were loosened.
Billy: I remember reading a Memo from the mid/beginning 80's (could be 81) where it was written that you could be DF for just THINKING out of line. you did not have to teach it to the others. i regret i didnt save it.
Regarding shunning - among the younger generation (ca. 20) i think its alive and well. My girlfriend has lost LOTS of friends just because she is seing me, ie. she is not invited when they have a party, etc. she is not disfellowshipped and she is not even marked. she just have a 'worldly' boyfriend .
I think shunning will continue to exist for the next many years.. they still have a card to play by turning all DF's into DA's (they are basically the same but as i understand it the WT believe that its leagally better to DA than DF), and even if they are prevented to tell the members to shun actively through the WT because it become to expensive, they can play the 'omg satan is procecuting us' card and 'hint' it.
It's the personal stories that really break my heart. There was a woman and her daughter in my congregation who I have known 33 years. I knew her daughter as a baby. The mom and daughter were very close to our family. We went on vacations together, etc. This girl practically grew up in my house and became the best friend of my daughter. Being a good, obedient daughter, she was baptized at the ripe old age of 14. When she was in her early twenties she met a man at work who she fell in love with. She fought with her emotions over the situation, but eventually love won out. They became engaged, and she stopped attending meetings. When it was discovered that they had moved in together a couple of months before the marriage, she was disfellowshipped. Since then the mom will have NOTHING to do with, has sent her letters back unopened, won't talk on the phone. All they had was each other as family in this world, and now both have nothing. It is too friggin' tragic for words, and both of them cry over the situation, but the mom won't budge, despite the daughter pleading and trying to reason with her.
When I became inactive she was the first one I called. My conscience bothered me constantly over the years that she was df'd and I didn't reach out to her. Now I am trying to be a sub-mom, and we love each other very much. Btw, this girl does NOTHING df worthy now, has her own business and a great marriage to a wonderful man, and is treated like a leper by her own mother and only family.
It is like a death, or more accurately murder. A mother has lost her daughter and a daughter her mother.
This is only one story. There are thousands, I'm sure, equally tragic. The nine old men in brooklyn don't give a Sh*t about people - that is for sure.
bump this thread in lieu of the latest shunning directives which include the prohibition against emailing DF'd/DA'd relatives.
