It is truly a "Dog & Pony" Show !

by Pitchess Co-Gen 26 Replies latest jw experiences

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  PublishingCult

  The arbitary nature of reinstatements shows that it is more about politics than love and holy spirit.

  
  
  So true, nugget. I was disfellowshipped in 1990 for no other reason than smoking cigarettes.
  
  There was a point, about two years ago when I had the idea to get reinstated in order to get closer to JW's, the elders, and the organization in order to document behaviors, attitudes, and the day to day operations inside of a congregation of JW's. Aside from being mentally free from the WTBTS, that is, being an apostate, which they could not have known at the time, there was no other indication I would be any sort of threat to the congregation spiritually. In other words, I was a clean, articulate, spiritual minded individual who had brought his life into harmony with Jehovah's standards and principles. I had quit smoking, had no other vices, was married, moral, hardworking, and was doing nothing in my life that would or should be considered sinful according to Bible standards. I had long since abandoned the behavior for which I was disfellowshipped.
  
  After attending meetings for some time, which was really hard because it was really creepy for me now, I met with the P.O. of the congregation, a man I had known most of my life. We went into the back room, just he and I, to discuss my reinstatement. We talked about what I had been df'd for, and it was clear that I had not smoked a cig in many many months, that I was clearly repentant for what I had done to be df'd for in the first place. He was firm in that the elders would need to "observe" me and my attitude for a few months before they could allow me to associate with the congregation again.
  
  I respectfully drew his attention to the Bible account of the prodigal son. I pointed out that when the PS returned, his father did not make him live out on the edge of the property in a tent for months tossing scraps of food over the fence before he accepted his son back into the house. He met his son coming down the road, embraced him, kissed him, no questions asked. In fact, the son couldn't even give his rehearsed speech because his father took control by getting the kid all cleaned up and fed right away. I suggested that he was acting more like the older brother who was unimpressed at his younger brother's return and felt the kid should be treated like garbage for going away and squandering their father's money in the first place. The elder didn’t like that one bit, dug in, and said that to let me back in right away might be a potential danger to the spirituality of the others in the congregation.
  
  A blatant contradiction.
  
  *** w98 10/1 Imitate Jehovah’s Mercy ***

  The first part of this article likens the older brother to the Pharisees.

  *** w98 10/1 p. 15 par. 8 Imitate Jehovah’s Mercy ***
  
  "Did he find real joy in serving his father, or had he instead drifted into smug complacency, believing himself to be a good son simply because he performed his duties “in the field”? If he was truly a devoted son, why did he fail to reflect his father’s mind? When given opportunity to show mercy to his brother, why was there no room for compassion in his heart? —Compare Psalm 50:20-22."
  
  (The following portion of the article almost seems to actually be written in the spirit of the parable of the prodigal son)

  17 To help us examine ourselves in this regard, consider what happened about the year 55 C.E. in Corinth. There, a man who had been expelled from the congregation finally cleaned up his life. What were the brothers to do? Should they view his repentance with skepticism and continue shunning him? On the contrary, Paul urged the Corinthians: “You should kindly forgive and comfort him, that somehow such a man may not be swallowed up by his being overly sad. Therefore I exhort you to confirm your love for him.”
  
  But the Secret Elders Manual says on page 119
  
  “3. The committee should be careful to allow sufficient time, perhaps many months, a year, or even longer, for the disfellowshipped person to prove that his profession of repentance is genuine.”
  
  Bottom line? Though you might actually be repentant, and though Jehovah might have forgiven you, your ass still has to get past us, slave!
• 

  sabastious

  The Watchtower wants total and complete loyalty. If you have been disfellowshipped it means you were not loyal to the rules... it means you are a possible problem. That's why their reinstatement process is so grueling, they have to be sure you are not a problem anymore. It has nothing to do with repentance as it has to do with unquestioning loyalty.

  -Sab
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  Quendi

  When I pointed to the parable of the Prodigal Son as the way Jesus and Jehovah viewed repentant sinners, my judicial committee was struck dumb. They could say nothing in answer except to plead for more time to consider my case. That was the same answer I got every time I asked for reinstatement. I finally realized what an elder who maintained contact with me despite my status had said long ago. These elders had no intention of reinstating me and I was better off leaving the organization altogether. This elder was himself later disfellowshipped for "apostasy" when he persisted in saying that Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC and so the 1914 date for the start of the last days was clearly unscriptural.

  I refused to grovel to the committee and instead talked to them as equals. They didn't like that at all, and I'm convinced that played a major role in their refusal to reinstate me. I told them that the Society had taken scriptures like 1 Cor. 6:9-11 entirely out of context, and that WTS literature about problems people had with serious sin were "inadequate, incomplete, and insufficient". I likened the experiences related in the literature to "fairy tales" that had no basis in reality. Furthermore, I told the elders that they themselves had no experience with my particular set of problems and so weren't in the position to counsel me or anybody else. I'm convinced they were completely intimidated by me and that only made them more determined to keep me out.

  The other thing I've criticized is the organization's insistence that when someone is reinstated, the congregation must keep silent when the annoucement is read. Their specious reasoning is that rejoicing over the reinstatement might offend those who might have been affected by the sinner's actions. How unlike the reception the Prodigal Son received upon his return home or the rejoicing Jesus said the angels do when a sinner repents! It's just more proof that this entire arrangement does not have Jehovah's backing and makes me even happier that I have never returned.

  Quendi
• 

  VanillaMocha73

  It depends on how much you sucked up to the elders before you were df'd. It depends on the phase of the moon and how much they have had to drink that day. It depends upon whether you came to the meetings thirty seconds before or thirty seconds after the opening song....

  Biggest question: Why in the world would you WANT your life to be controlled by three men again?
• 

  Leto

  All I see is inconsistant inconsitancies. My ex-girlfriend that I got d/f'ed over years ago had previously been disfellowshipped- for an entire 3 months before being let back in.

  A friend of mine recently got reinstated after her mother lobbied on her behalf. She hadn't even been to a meeting in six months. I suppose her mom must have known where some of the bodies are buried or something for that to have happened.
• 

  Leto

  I guess what it boils down to is yet another blatant example of how this organization is not "spirit directed". Actually I am willing to conceed that it is certainly "spirit directed"- just not Christ's spirit. Guess who.
• 

  Vidiot

  sabastious - "If you have been disfellowshipped it means you were not loyal to the rules... it means you are a possible problem. That's why their reinstatement process is so grueling, they have to be sure you are not a problem anymore."

  This makes the most sense from an institutional perspective; I wouldn't be surprised if an honest elder with JC experience actually admitted it, too (if asked).

  I've heard elders publicly acknowledge more extreme things.
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  Quendi

  We also don't want to forget that reinstatement is hardly the last word in the matter. Because even when a person is reinstated, the organization sees fit to saddle them with further "restrictions". You are not allowed to comment, participate in the Theocratic Ministry School, auxiliary pioneer, or enjoy other "privileges". However, you must still attend all the meetings and go out in field service. It as though a person is now being "publicly reproved" after being reinstated for the restrictions are the same. Furthermore, you are not told how long the restrictions will remain in place or what you must do to have them lifted. Of course, none of these actions is found anywhsere in the Bible but are man-made burdens imposed with a Pharisee-like zeal by the elders. I've known of people who went months and even years with these restrictions in place. Jehovah's forgiveness is unconditional, but not the organization's.

  Only one in three who are disfellowshipped ever return. The organization likes to blame the "sinner" for this, saying the refusal to submit to its sadistic discipline is proof that the decision to disfellowship him was correct and that he was clearly "unrepentant". And while the shunning may end for those who do return, in every other way they are treated as a second-class member of the congregation. I find it interesting that in discussing the reason for placing restrictions on reinstated Witnesses, the literature never cites one scripture for justification of this practice.

  Leto put it well when he questioned what "spirit" was directing the WTS, for clearly it isn't holy spirit. Indeed, the only thing consistent about the WTS's policy on "discipline" is its inconsistency. But I have to remind myself that when I was a member in good standing, I never openly questioned WTS procedures. I did think the practice of publicly humiliating people who have sinned or made serious mistakes was not the best way to handle this, particularly when sins like pedophilia are covered up. However, it was only upon leaving the religion that my thinking was finally corrected.

  Quendi
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  Honesty

  I knew a single brother who was privately reproved for fornicating with a married sister.

  It took him almost 2 years of groveling at the feet of the elders before he could comment at the meetings.

  Depending on what you were disfellowshipped for. "Apostasy", as being defined as questioning the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger or some trivial doctrinal matter, will usually require waiting 3 years and multiple attempts.

  A person might not live another 3 years so why would anyone waste precious time groveling at the feet of those simple-minded men.

  IT

  IS

  A

  CULT
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  agonus

  I suppose it depends on the perspective of the DFed. If THEY still believe it's The Truth, then, no, not necessarily. Not for them anyways. The procedure itself certainly resembles one however.