Weaponry

by Marvin Shilmer 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Marvin Shilmer

  Weaponry

  Of Jewish shunning:
  *** it-1 787 Expelling ***
  One who was cast out as wicked, cut off entirely, would be considered worthy of death, though the Jews might not have the authority to execute such a one. Nevertheless, the form of cutting off they did employ was a very powerful weapon in the Jewish community. [Bold added]

  Of WTS shunning of immediate family members:
  *** w52 11/15 703 Questions from Readers ***
  The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof.

  What is an apostate:
  ***ks91 94 Overseers 'Ruling for Justice Itself'***
  Persons who deliberately spread (stubbornly hold to and speak about) teachings contrary to Bible truth as taught by Jehovah's Witnesses are apostates.

  One straight-talk version of what is an apostate according to WTS:
  If you are a JW and for good reason you spread a teaching that is true but contrary to that taught by the Watchtower Society then you are an apostate.

  Question:
  Who's using shunning as a weapon today?
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  hawkaw

  Excellent post!!!

  Bigotry at its worst.

  hawk
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  hillary_step

  Marvin,

  You have a rare talent for trimming the issue to the bone.

  Many thanks for this thought-provoking post.

  HS
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  Sam Beli

  Well said, and bttt
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  OUTLAW

  Hey Marvin Shilmer,good post.Cuts to the point,very fast.The real truth usually does...OUTLAW
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  waiting

  Howdy Marvin,

  Of Jewish shunning:
  *** it-1 787 Expelling ***

  What book is that? If it's a jw book, it's even more telling, almost a Freudian slip......because the WTBTS has said that "expelling" a person from the congregation through the form of disfellowshipping serves as discipline in the hopes that the sinner will repent and return.

  Thanks - always enjoy your posts.

  waiting
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  TMS

  Marvin,

  The WTBS uses doublespeak in describing their "judicial" actions. To an objective onlooker, disfellowshipping seems cruel, heartless, short-sighted, counterproductive and unchristlike.

  The Watchtower describes df-ing as a benevolent act motivated by the desire to reach the heart of the offender, moving him to godly sorrow, genuine repentence and ultimately, salvation. My gut feeling, not supported by scientific study, is that almost no elders serving on judicial committees view the individuals they have just sentenced to pending spiritual death as really wicked, incorrigible. They are not really making that judgement, actually, although that is what their decision implies. They are just following a taught format. Was there a courting of the wrong? Was the wrongdoing a practice? Was there evidence of ignored counsel? Was the wrongdoing concealed? All that malarchy constitutes a judicial smokescreen that obscures the value of the person being condemned.

  If the alleged offense is apostacy, the Watchtower litmus test involves a yes or no answer to a simplistic question. Case closed.

  TMS