by jambon1 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Xanthippe: t is quite primitive and a device used by dysfunctional families to punish or manipulate people they dont agree with.
Agreed, except here we're talking about institutionalized shunning.
When JWs shun people they often, maybe even usually, don't even know the reason why. They only know that they are told to shun disfellowshipped people unquestioningly.
That someone can tell an adult that they cannot talk to another adult is just wrong.
" For if YOU love those loving YOU , what reward do YOU have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? 47 And if YOU greet YOUR brothers only, what extraordinary thing are YOU doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing?"-Matthew 5:46
Even Jesus F. Christ tells them it's wrong. And yet they obey...
jambon1
"How can they justify it? How can they possibly believe that this is 'god's will.' How can they believe that it is 'loving?'
JW's who are practicing this should take a good look at themselves.
You are devoid of even the most basic form of humanity.
You are the very people the bible spoke of when it talks about individuals 'having no natural affection.'
Hang your heads in shame."
AMEN. I've asked myself those questions for YEARS, and the behavior disgusts me too.
Just ask yourself why a bar has a bouncer.
To get rid of troublemakers.
Jehovah's Witnesses are a top down organization. Everybody is required to take orders without insubordination.
To control a group of 7 million you need threats of reprisal to quell the leaven before the whole lump is spoiled.
Look how many lapsed Catholics are permitted to remain and dirty the reputation of the church!
The army has court-martial and discharge papers are either "honorable" or "dishonorable" for a reason.
What is hard to get one's mind around is the fact that christianity seemingly reflects Jesus Christ. Jesus left the 99 faithful sheep and went out
to find and bring back the 1 that strayed. Reality check please!!
Anybody ever heard of Judas???
Did Jesus try to stop Judas? No. He urged him on in his betrayal!
"What you must do, do quickly" was the fine "christian" counsel given.
No, the reality of the situation is that any religion--no matter which one---faces a reality check when it comes to trouble. The one dissent from a grumbler will bite them on the ass.
Olin Moyle was all the lesson Rutherford had to learn. The rest is history.
Just ask yourself why a bar has a bouncer.
To get rid of troublemakers.
The Kingdom Halls are clubs of controlling obedience, created and designed by the WTS. where you have to talk the talk look
the look and walk the walk, intensionally endeavored to create their own laboring sales representatives.
Ironical in today's practicing psychology, when family members or friends are on a direction of trouble and self destruction,
the ideology is to get close and involve yourself with these people as a means to help them out, not to shun them and leave them a lone.
Goes to show how much the ancient Hebrews knew about human psychology.
It is unnatural...it would be so much better if the message were something to the effect that "warning - prolonged association with this individual could be damaging to your spiritual health" and then leave it to the person to decide how much damage control to take.....but we all know that no one is allowed an opinion or decision of their own - and woe unto him who has the guts to do their own thing..........
i grew up in a family with a df'ed member....and it happened when i was preschool. one day all of a sudden i was ripped from my favorite friend - my cousin - and soon thereafter learned to quake at the very sight of my aunt....i was so scared of those people and for what...............of course we are talking dysfunctional family....anointed...third generation...psychotics...neurotics....oh the whole gamut.
Sorry OODAD I didn't mean to offend you I think I read that you have lost children to this cult. I cant even imagine the pain of that. I lost lots of family and friends but thankfully not my daughter because I had her post-cult.
I was just trying to make a comparison between disagreements in families and, as you say, institutionalised shunning. Good phrase. I was thinking about exclusion, shunning and exile in anthropological terms as a product of the evolution of human society. Thinking back to ancient Greece and the meaning of the word ostracism. I suspect the practice is much older. I suppose it shows how primitive fundamentalism is. Apologies for not being clear, I was kind of thinking through an idea as I was writing it.
I cannot see that it really assists people to regain the faith. What happens is that they feel the adverse effects of being shunned and either get pushed right away, or simply miss their family so much that they will do what it takes to get reinstated. Often this means telling the reinstatement committee whatever they want to hear, be it true or not.
So many times I have seen them, reinstated but only a shadow of their former selves as Witnesses, just doing a token service but enjoying the sweet fellowship of family and friends.
Is that really beneficial? If God were interested, would he be fooled? I think not
So many times I have seen them, reinstated but only a shadow of their former selves as Witnesses, just doing a token service but enjoying the sweet fellowship of family and friends.
In terms of ensuring integrity of faith, shunning is an abject failure; however, in terms of exacting obedience to the organization, shunning is a spectacular success. Besides, when has the organization ever lost sleep over the issue of integrity? Never. Flick through the literature over the decades - the unvarying preoccupation is on doing the will of the organization, and should you have any doubts, brother, suppress 'em and (gullibly) wait on Jehovah.
The fear of shunning consistently exacts obedience to the organization at the expense of integrity of faith.
Xanthippe, you did not offend me, but thanks for being sensitive to the possibility.
I'm glad you have your daughter!
I miss my children every day.
00DAD
