I am disfellowshipped with no intention of returning. White Dove is right to contrast the WTS approach with the one Jesus said should be done. But it is no surprise that a reinstated person is treated like a second-class citizen. After all, the reinstatement and "forgiveness" are both conditional. That person is still on "public reproof" because the restrictions that are placed on them after their reinstatement are exactly the same as those given to a person who has been publicly reproved. And depending on the elders in the congregation, it can take years to get the restrictions lifted. I think you are far better off not returning, but that is easier said than done. So many Witnesses have cut off relations with other family members and friends, that their entire world revolves around the WTS. To not return could mean a lifetime of isolation and loneliness. So they choose the lesser of two evils and come back. But considering how they are treated and the restrictions they still have after their return, I have to wonder if they have made a truly wise choice. I mean when the congregation is forbidden to even applaud when the annoucement is made and must wait until the meeting is over to extend any welcome, then that should be indication enough that the entire procedure is unchristian and unscriptural.
Quendi