How Would You Refute Disfellowshipping As Practiced By Jehovah's Witnesses?

minimus

Is "disfellowshipping" proper from a biblical point of view?

Knowsnothing

Seems to be. Just not necessarily the JW way.

Lore

Depends on which biblical figure you want to obey.

Jesus said to love your enemies, he talked to pharisees, he even had a biblical discussion with Satan. I'm pretty sure he didn't shun anyone for not listening to him.

On the other hand Paul said: But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man.

One could argue that what Paul said should only apply to people who still claim to be Jehovah's Witnesses. And anyone who leaves because they disagree with the doctrine or no longer believe the bible, they don't call themselves a brother anymore so it wouldn't apply to them.

Lore

What Paul said was directed at posers. People who wanted to call themselves 'Christians' and wanted to be part of the congregation, but were drunkards, fornicators, etc

Which makes sense, you can't have a bunch of sinners claiming to be Christians, it makes them look bad to outsiders.

It doesn't seem to be directed at people who say: "I don't wanna be a witness anymore."

minimus

Lore, very interesting.

punkofnice

The JW way. I can't see it in the Bible at all. I guess it's just their control tactic. Keep the dubbies in line.

Interesting that they were once AGAINST it!!

Awake! magazine of January 8th 1947, disfellowshipping has pagan origins:

Where, then, did this practice originate? The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence, "and its variations cannot be adequately explained unless account be taken of several non-Christian analogues of excommunication." The superstitious Greeks believed that when an excommunicated person died the Devil entered the body, and therefore, "in order to prevent it, the relatives of the deceased cut his body in pieces and boil them in wine." Even the Druids had a method of expelling those who lost faith in their religious superstitions. It was therefore after Catholicism adopted its pagan practices, A.D. 325, that this new chapter in religious excommunication was written.

james_woods

Let's remember that Pauls' statement is obviously made to INDIVIDUAL christians. It is about a personal decision to be made on an individual's part.

He gives no instructions about "judicial committees", "committee meeting with the accused", "two witnesses to the sin", "reproof or DFing", "appeals", "repentence", etc. Those things are from JW talmudic-style law.

Diest

I would point out that the Prodigal Son was welcomed back immediately. If you look at Pauls words through Jesus' thoughts you would reinstate someone immediately and not kep them out for 6 months to a few years. Everyone likes to quote the tax collector's work rather than think how would Jesus have handled it.

minimus

ALL excellent points!

Magwitch

Does anyone know when JW's started the DF'ing policy? (sorry to veer off topic Minimus)

How Would You Refute Disfellowshipping As Practiced By Jehovah's Witnesses?

Share this