Some choice.Either backpedal and say that you were wrong or see thing in the primary way that they do.Not a choice to me....
re-enforcing the shunning of immediate family - WT 7-15-11
by undercover 172 Replies latest watchtower bible
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freddo
God; I wish the Watchtower would crumble more quickly!
I draw comfort from the fact (I hope) that they are tightening the grip because they must be seeing people ignore them.
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life is to short
btt
This is such a good thread that I hope those who might have missed it will see it.
LITS
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jonathan dough
Verging on the macabre in this 21st Century, the Jehovah's Witnesses draconian practice of disfellowshipping and shunning current and former members is one of the most controversial aspects of this religion and has caused untold psychological and physical harm to thousands. The Watchtower Society mislabels the practice of shunning and disfellowshipping, as an act of love and a means of enforcing conformity.
Scriptural justification for shunning is weak, at best. It is considered by many on the outside as one of the most offensive and unbiblical tools in the Watchtower Society's arsenal of weapons used to enforce rigid conformity to their multitude of rules and regulations. Grounds for disfellowshipping, a radical form of excommunication, are legion. The list includes adultery, fornication, greed, accepting blood transfusions (with modifications), drunkenness, associating with the disfellowshipped ... the list is very extensive and subject to wide interpretation. Many of those shunned or disfellowshipped are guilty of apostasy - abandoning the religion and turning away from the teachings of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Similar to the Mob, once you're in there's no easy way out without suffering severe consequences.
A significant amount of judging and attendance at judicial committees is involved. The act of shunning and disfellowshipping as implemented by the Jehovah's Witnesses has caused untold pain and suffering among friends and family members. Families are routinely destroyed and broken up, forever; siblings are separated, often for life, parents lose their children, children lose their parents. Grandparents are ostracized and cut off from their grandchildren for the sake of keeping members 'in.'
Most often the simple act of saying hello to a disfellowshipped person, or one who has disassociated him or herself from the organization, is forbidden. The horror stories told by the disfellowshipped, thousands of them, are ghastly and heartrending. The ancient practice of disfellowshipping and shunning causes profound psychological damage, and has led to suicide. As practiced by the Jehovah's Witnesses, their extreme form of shunning in most cases is simply cruel, nothing more.
Anyone considering joining the Jehovah's Witnesses is advised to pay close attention to the consequences and repercussions for not living up to the Watchtower Society's standards, or questioning their doctrine. The ultimate price might be unbearable and irreversible. To assist you in making the right decision and help you learn more about this practice, visit the websites listed below for additional information.http://144000.110mb.com/directory/shunning_disfellowshipped_shunning_disfellowshipping.html
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wobble
BTTT
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godrulz
This practice is manipulative and controlling, not redemptive like it should be. God does not destroy families and gives us significant freedom. There is a place for biblical discipline, but the WT practice is anything but biblical.
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nicolaou
God does not destroy families
I can think of a few ancient Egyptian families missing their firstborns that might take issue with you . . .
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godrulz
God does righteously judge evil individuals and nations. In the NT Church Age of Grace, He does not strike people dead (just exceptionally). The point is in a context of marriage, family, cults, relationships, shunning, etc. Cults break up families, but Christianity supports family/marriage even if there is difference of religious opinion. God's judgments are not a parallel issue.
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freeflyingfaerie
This little WT brings up such anger and sadness!!!! How can anyone reason with someone who is constantly being fed this toxic backwash, which supposedly springs forth so lovingly from god almighty himself?!!? It's constant, constant. No dignity for anyone in this WT at all. No dignity for the "helpless" family who 'lost' their family member to the 'evil world'....and no dignity for the 'sinner', who isn't there to defend him/herself as to the quite possible 'good' character that he/she actually has.
I remember as I was contemplating leaving the religion, a thought that kept coming....if it's the truth, why does it take so much work to keep on believing it?
It takes alot of WT articles, alot of 'faithful' slaving away to keep convincing yourself of something that just isn't quite right, and you'll be damned if you'll let any former JW's get in the way of all the hard work of maintaining that illusion of 'truth'......because man, that would just blow your entire belief system clear out of the water....scary, heavy stuff...
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william hahn
Suppose, for example, that the only son of an expemplary Christian couple leaves the truth. Preferring "the temporary enjoyment of sin" to a personal relationship with Jehovah and with his godly parents, the young man is disfellowshipped.
Funny that they only ever imply that someone leaves them because of immoral inclinations. what about all the dissillusioned peoople who have asked questions and been DF, lets not acknowledge these ones as there not team players and this would encourage free thought.