EdenOne ..........lot of interesting stuff on this thread. Hope it helps.
clarity
Help needed: Written material regarding shunning of DF'd and DA'd individuals
by EdenOne 68 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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EdenOne
clarity ... just to be (ahem) clear, the issue here isn't about disfellowshipping or dissociation, what sins lead to it, judicial hearing procedures and whatnot. This is strictly about shunning - that is, the treatment of ostracism, silence and avoidance that's dispensed to those who become ex-Jehovah's Witnesses.
Eden
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EdenOne
"We might wonder, then, since this congregation which God is developing or bringing into existence is based on love, why anyone should ever want to talk about disfellowshipping or putting people out of this congregation. There certainly must be some reason. Well, the reason for disfellowshipping is that some persons get into this congregation of God that do not love Christ. Those who are acquainted with the situation in the congregation should never say Hello or Goodbye to him. He is not welcome in our midst, we avoid him. Such an individual has no place in the clean organization or congregation of God. He should go back to the wicked group that he once came from and die with that wicked group with Satans organization." - Watchtower 1952 Mar 1 pp.131,134 -
EdenOne
"We do not have spiritual or social fellowship with disfellowshipped ones. ...In some instances, the disfellowshipped family member may still be living in the same home as part of the immediate household. Since his being disfellowshipped does not sever the family ties, normal day-to-day family activities and dealings may continue. Yet, by his course, the individual has chosen to break the spiritual bond between him and his believing family. So loyal family members can no longer have spiritual fellowship with him." - "Keep Yourself In God's Love" - pp. 207/208 -
sir82
WTS will claim that they merely offer "guidance", and that the decision to shun or not rests fully on each individual JW.
Good luck, but in my opinion, you are tilting at windmills. First amendment rights are a tough nut to crack in US courts, and rightfully so.
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EdenOne
"Do we share Jesus’ view of those who have become set in their lawless course? We need to give thought to these questions: ‘Would I choose to associate regularly with someone who has been disfellowshipped or who has disassociated himself from the Christian congregation? What if that one is a close relative who no longer lives at home?’ Such a situation can be a real test of our love of righteousness and of our loyalty to God. Consider the experience of a sister whose adult son at one time had love for Jehovah. Later in life, however, he unrepentantly chose to practice lawlessness. Hence, he was disfellowshipped from the congregation. Our sister loved Jehovah, but she also loved her son and found it extremely difficult to apply the Scriptural command to avoid associating with him. What advice would you have given this sister? An elder helped her to realize that Jehovah understood the pain she felt. The brother invited her to think about the pain Jehovah must have experienced when some of his angelic sons rebelled. The elder reasoned with her that even though Jehovah knows how painful such a circumstance can be, he requires that unrepentant sinners be disfellowshipped. She took the reminders to heart and loyally upheld the disfellowshipping arrangement. Such loyalty makes Jehovah’s heart glad. (Prov. 27:11) If you face a similar situation, please remember that Jehovah sympathizes with you. By cutting off contact with the disfellowshipped or disassociated one, you are showing that you hate the attitudes and actions that led to that outcome. However, you are also showing that you love the wrongdoer enough to do what is best for him or her. Your loyalty to Jehovah may increase the likelihood that the disciplined one will repent and return to Jehovah. One individual who was disfellowshipped and was later reinstated wrote: “I am happy that Jehovah loves his people enough to see that his organization is kept clean. What may seem harsh to outsiders is both necessary and really a loving thing to do.” Do you think that this person would have been helped to come to such a conclusion had members of the congregation, including her family, maintained regular contact with her while she was disfellowshipped? Our supporting the Scriptural arrangement of disfellowshipping gives evidence that we love righteousness and recognize Jehovah’s right to set standards of conduct." - The Watchtower 2011, 15/2, p.28-32 "Do You Hate Lawlessness?"
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EdenOne
I'm talking about European laws, Sir82. Here, religions don't have the gall to infringe human rights as they do in the US, at the expense of first amendment. Plus, if there's a clear threat to disfellowship those who ignore the Watchtower's policy of shunning ex-JW's, then it's no "guidance", it's outright coercion.
Eden
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WheninDoubt
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49
Attention to Article: PART II Article 2
Hate Speech coming from this forum.
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EdenOne
whenindoubt,
The only "hate speech" in this thread is the hate promoted in writing by the Watchtower Society towards ex-Jehovah's Witnesses. In their own words, "in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked." - Watchtower 1961 Jul 15 p.420
The purpose of this thread is to denounce the Watchtower's hate speech against ex-Jehovah's Witnesses and the shunning that results from disfellowshipping or dissociation. It has to stop.
Eden