by Simon Morley 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
There is no official policy to this effect. Of course, that doesn't mean the hounders or the hounder-hounder will not make this or a similar policy. And, they are not above treating people that are inactive as disfellowshipped even without actually recording this. Also, I believe they would classify someone that has not been to a boasting session within a certain period of time, and that they want to remove such person to appease the hounder-hounder, as disassociated.
Same difference.
W atchtower 20 0 8 November 15th pp. 15-16 par. 16 Help Them Return Without Delay!
16 One Christian elder says: “Our local body of elders is very interested in calling on those who are inactive. I thought about a brother I had studied with and helped to come to a knowledge of the truth. He had been inactive for about 25 years and was going through a very difficult situation, so I explained how applying the spiritual principles from the Bible could help him. After some time, he began coming to the Kingdom Hall and agreed to have a personal Bible study to help strengthen his resolve to come back to the flock.”
The y talk with forked tongue then!
f okyc
The issue seems to arise with the catch-all WTBTS announcement that “xxx is no longer a JW”. Some long inactive posters have mentioned that elders have called on them & have simply asked if they still regard themselves as a JW on the premise that they are “tidying up the paperwork” or “clarifying the situation as some of the brothers have been asking”. Either a negative or positive answer lends itself to DFing them.
The WTBTS have the challenge of weeding out the closet apostates who haven’t been DFd & who may represent a challenge to them while keeping on-board all the other ex-JWs who have just drifted out for various reasons & who may “return to the flock” in the future. I can forsee the time when any fairly vocal faded ex-JW who is known or suspected of being “disloyal” to the WTBTS will be DFd in something of a general purge.
"What if you were baptised, but NOT dedicated?? Or what if you were baptised under duress (pressure) and feel it is invalid?? "
The recent private JW Wathtower made it clear that all baptisms were to be regarded as valid regardless of circumstances or claims from the individual.
I should not be surprised in the future if they bring in a policy of DA ing long time faders, but not DF ing. Such a policy would only be communicated to Elders, and probably not in print.
This would have the desired effect of stopping us talking to active Dubs, and would in their mind be very difficult to argue against, as in reality we have DA'd ourselves.
I know there are ways we could fight such a move, but I do not want to outline them here, in case they pre-empt us.
Mind you, by the time they bring that in, I will not give a Flying F*** I am sure, but would still fight it for fun.
Love
Wobble
According to the org-book that all Jw have in their cubboard somewhere .. it says on page 149 and 150 based on 2 Thess 3:6,14,15 - if someone is not obedient to our word....
So, it is not neccesary to be engaged in DF-ing offenses, (I'm not sure about the actual English translation but in Dutch it says: grove minachting voor theocratische orde) but showing the outward signs of "gross contempt for theocratic order" and the elders have warned several times ... and the person involved does not listen (showing a brazen attitude) such a person can be marked.
Note the last 2 years of GB exaltations and pushes for thoughtless obedience to the chain of command.......
On page 155 it deals with Da-ing. DA-ing is a matter of a person taking "the right" action, not neccesarily in writing. Note that inactive ones are being offered help. ...Now what happens if this help is being turned down time and again and is indicative of a brazen attitude?
Then there is talk about a person who renounces the faith or who willingly and knowingly turns it's back on the worship of Jehovah. (what does the worship of Jehovah entail? Ah ... yes ...)
Associating with those who are disapproved by God automatically puts such a person in the DA-ed position. Of course one can argue what associating means but .... this is what happens online all the time.Engaging in debate, exchanges of viewpoints, interaction and communication.
Becoming a member of an organisation with objectives contrary to the bible and condemned by God. Well ... this board clearly is an organisation everyone on here has become a member of. And as we all know ... the phrase contrary to the bible and condemned by God simply means contrary to the objectives of the WBTS and therefore condemned.
The way these pages are phrased, there seems to be ample room to mass DA everyone here on this board in one swift stroke.The only thing that would keep them is: who are you exactly / where are you exactly.
Cheers
Borgia
This is not the policy. If it is it is not enforced. At one time I was a ministerial servant and pioneer. I was disfellowshipped, then reinstated and then quit attending a couple of years later. I have been inactive for about 8 years. I have been openly gay for 7 years. I am in regular contact with a number of witness relatives, including my uncle who is an elder in the city where I live. I occasionally (very occasionally) go to the Sunday meeting in my hometown, where I am always warmly greeted and made very welcome. I recognize that the elders in the last congregation I was associated with are just lazy and probably consider any dealings with me to be a waste of time, but the elders in my hometown and in the city where I currently live are under the impression that because I was inactive for a period of time before I took up "wrongdoing" and no longer consider myself to be or present myself as a witness, there is no need to take judicial action.
"They talk with forked tongue then!"
- Does it surprise someone?
Bamse: NO it doesn't surprise ME
BUT I think many others aren't aware of it!
fokyc
To hound inactive ones will never be admitted, I thi nk, even most elders would not like that.
It is put in words like "to help, to encourage, to show Gods love and concern"....
in theory, that sounds nice, but if it turns into a witchhunt (dont know if it is intended or nor), then it may awake more of the elders as well, they may start seeing the control freaks for what they are....
odd enough, some publishers I encountered wanted the elders to be more police-like...fortunately this does not work in our congo...
God I can be DFed for so many reasons & I'm so proud of all of them, yes.
Maybe one day.............................
