As a JW, how did you feel about shunning?

by jwfacts 51 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jwfacts

  I am interested in the answers for a new poll. Also, feel free to suggest other options, wording etc.

  • Agreed in full with the Watchtower guidelines
  • Agreed with shunning in general, but not for family
  • Was stumbled by this practice but shunned as instructed
  • Did not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people

  For me personally, I did not agree with the practice and secretly associated with disfellowshipped people, even whilst at Bethel. I eventually got caught at a d/f friends engagement party, and that was the first time that I got an official meeting from the elders telling me that if I did not stop seeing d/f people I would be disfellowshipped for "loose conduct".
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  raymond frantz

  I fully agreed with the policy until I woke up .Now most of my true friends are apostates
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  EdenOne

  jwfacts,

  It's not a surprise that the practice of shunning (complete excomunication) as it is described in the Bible, it was meant to be applied only towards the "antichrists", those who deny the Father and the Son. In very specific terms, John was referring to the gnostics who denied the human nature of Christ and left the congregation. As for the other sins, Paul wrote about ceasing to have social contact, but not a complete shunning.

  If the Jehovah's Witnesses acted in conformity with what the Scriptures really say, shunning wouldn't be a problem. Therefore, i don't agree with the shunning policy. As an active Witness I must play along with it, in order to avoid problems. But if i would have such an issue in my family I would probably go against the official policy, discreetly.

  Eden
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  l p

  I was stumbled by the policy, but shunned as instructed until i left the borg....

  I never agreed with it...

  lp
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  Pterist

  Did not agree with the policy and OPENLY talked with disfellowshipped people.

  It was NOT a big sacrifice for me as I was still sort of newly baptised, and had no family in the org. All my beloved JW friends were jumping ship, following the Ray Franz disfellowshiping. It was really a failed 1975 delayed eruption where some families had sold their homes to go pioneering and give up their jobs.
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  GLTirebiter

  When I was the non-believing mate of a JW, I found it strange and peculiar. How could Ex suddenly dodge phone calls from the Sister who had been her best friend for years? (A: because the elders said this friend was a Bad Association.) After years of ignoring her, how could it suddenly be as if it was the good old days and the dark period never happened? (A: because the best friend got reinstated.)

  It's petty. It's mean. It's about as un-Christian a practice as could be imagined. It's a nasty way to manipulate people, and a weird loyalty test (WTBTS has many of those).
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  biometrics

  I had two DF'd siblings. I totally ignored it. I often seen people in the street who were DF'd. I always at least said hello, and sometimes had a chat.
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  jwfacts

  Thanks for the responses.

  GL Tirebiter, as a non-believer, did you ever discuss with your ex that you found his behaviour peculiar?
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  GLTirebiter

  GL Tirebiter, as a non-believer, did you ever discuss with your ex that you found his behaviour peculiar?

  No, it was difficult to discuss anything related to the WTBTS with her, essentially impossible. In her eyes any disagreement merely showed that I "hate the Witnesses."

  Separating your regard for someone as a person from your opinion of their behavior was something she did not fathom. I think that has much to do with shunning: if a person fails in some way, they must be A Bad Person. Never mind that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
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  MrFreeze

  I never agreed with it. Never practiced it.