The Watchtower Society and disfellowshipping

by teejay 15 Replies latest jw friends

  • lauralisa
    lauralisa

    Try the word "expelling"- The Insight volume directs to that word under the listing "disfellowshipping". The first paragraph reads:

    EXPELLING. The judicial excommunication, or disfellowshipping, of delinquents from a membership and association in a community or organization. With relgious societies it is a principle and a right inherent in them and is analogous to the powers of capital punishment, banishment, and exclusion from membership that are exercised by political and municipal bodies. In the congregation of God it is exercised to maintain the purity of the organization doctrinally and morally. The exercise of this power is necessary to the continued existence of the organization and particularly so the Christian congregation. The congregation must remain clean and maintain God's favor in order to be used by him and to represent him. Otherwise, God would expel or cut off the entire organization. - Re2:5; 1Cor 5:5,6.
    (bold added)

    Well. I know I feel better knowing that the 17 year old girl who fell into the vicious pit of carnal passion ONE TIME but failed to cry convincingly enough in the closed-door, grave -threat meeting: THREE HUGE authority- wielding suit-wearing decision meisters against one 98 pound girl; various predatory "inquiring minds who want to know" lurking outside the door who can't wait to see the expressions on everyone's face when they emerge - This is real-time breaking news mightseeblood drama in action, and it causes them to experience an actual sense of FEELING SOMETHING ... ANYTHING! in their small, compressed, voided worlds......

    She is a mere child, and before this "event" she enjoyed having all the impact of a goosedown feather on the day to day affairs of the congregation. She could not THINK, much less speak during her interrogation, and she trembled, quaking with dread and fear, envisioning her entire family being gravely affected by her atrocious mistake, aching with the knowledge that she will be soon be experiencing the cruel denial of their comfort and affection. She reels, mind-spinning, when the cold fact hits her that she will also lose the companionship of most of her friends, (and any esteem they help her maintain, if she managed to cultivate any at all during her oppressive kingdom hell childhood)....

    God can continue to "use" this particular congregation, now that the little girl is a visible example of the suits' sound spiritual resolve, and an outcast.

    The pedophile is at this moment in a minivan, filled to maximum capacity with others, a six-year old daughter of a pioneer squeezed thigh-to-thigh next to him in the back of the van. (The people are engaging in random urban acts of absurdity, scouting out parking lots and lone pedestrians, so as to pounce unawares and foist printed matter into their hands - YES!!! Another "placement" cross-hatch on their service record!)

    The pedophile has also been in the little room with the suits, but is "working" on his issues. He is the recipient of undeserved kindness and patience; the suits feel that their wisdom and that "extra portion of Holy spirit" that they asked for (in this pedophile's case) is a marvelous example of God's compassion and infinite capacity for forgiveness. God is happy to allow this congregation to continue to represent him... there's even proof: the pedophile has just decided to be an auxiliary pioneer!!! The home-schooled kids and their hapless mothers need more MEN out during the day, and the suits admire the pedophile's gracious, humble, self-sacrificing spirit.

    In another part of the city, a pedophile is in jail. He's received the highest level of civil liberty benefits allowable by the judicial system, but no loophole was found through which he could slither. They have exercised their municipal powers and have excluded him from membership. (No one - on either side of the legal battle - has any difficulty whatsoever believing that the city is a safer place with this person interned and without access to children.)

    Moral cleanliness..... doctrinal purity..... "God's channel and mouthpiece on earth".... "representing" God.... exercising "power"..... "happiest people on earth"........

    I DON'T THINK SO

    Hey Teejay! Happy new year.... lauralisa

  • teejay
    teejay

    Hey, Laura! You're right!

    "Expelling" leads to an (as in "one") entry: "Does the Devil Make Us Sick?" ( http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1999/9/1/article_02.htm ).

    Whew! I thought the Society might be trying to pull one over on the public by not mentioning the topic at all. I'm restin' waaay easier now. That must be the article I remember reading. Sorry, y'all.

    Thanks LL. And YOU have a wonderful 2002!!

    Peace,
    tj

  • orangefatcat
    orangefatcat

    has any one read the Dec 1st WT 2000?Questions From Readers???
    I am disfellowshiped and my whole damn family hasn't spoke to me in two years. that is their loss though. I enjoyed your posting. OFC

  • dungbeetle
    dungbeetle

    "expelling is ...analogous to the powers of capital punishment,"

    Heeeere goes another letter to France and to Russia...

    thanks guys!!!!!

    In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"

  • Perry
    Perry

    (The people are engaging in random urban acts of absurdity, scouting out parking lots and lone pedestrians, so as to pounce unawares and foist printed matter into their hands - YES!!! Another "placement" cross-hatch on their service record!)

    Lauralisa, excellent post. The above had me rotfl though. "random acts of absurdity" that is just way too funny!

    Perry

  • teejay
    teejay

    Laura,

    Thanks (I guess) for your ‘fictitious’ accounts of Life in the Average Kingdom Hall. I meant to comment on it earlier but I was too damn mad.

    Very unusual for me, since hardly anything — be it religion, stupid bible passages, the WTS, the Razorbacks loosing, realizing that someone already ate the last piece of KFC — hardly anything makes me angry these days. That one about the 17yr-old girl did. That one was true. She was my sister, only she was nineteen. The congo was saved from the unclean, demonic influence, though. I guess that’s the main thing.

    And you gotta love the way they show mercy to those poor, misunderstood pedophiles, too. Life in Jehovah’s loving, spirit-filled Christian congregation.

    Right.

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