SO after I stepped down and began to be the cynical young angry ex-elder in the hall a few brothers decided to have a surprise shepherding call.
They asked me what had me down, I said nothing. I am actually very happy right now. Then one brother says, "I think you are forgetting what makes us so special in the first place... we obey GOD as ruler... rather then men. " He said it in that elder tone that I use to use when driving home a point. He went on to explain that other groups set aside GODS laws in order to abide by HUMAN thoughts and LAWS.
So I said, You really think we are special and that we do that?" Then I began to give him an illustration.
let's say my 13 year old son got baptized and then got disfellowshipped. Would I have to totally desert him. The elder says, "Of course, not! We lovingly understand that doing that to a minor would bring great trouble in the family. As well as cause legal trouble. The way we handle disfellowshipping for younger ones is far more loving..."
So i said, "Nowhere in the bible does it show we should defferentiate for a minor. As a matter of fact the term minor is in place by governments. JEHOVAH CALLED DOWN A SHEBEAR TO DESTROY 8 and 9 year old kids for disrespecting his prophets. Jehovah is consistent.
However disfellowshipping which isnt truly biblical anyway has conditions based upon the laws of man not because of love but because we are scared of the legal ramifications... brother we arent really different are we????
Jehovah put laws in place regardless of age... we use governmental terms to decide how we will operate in the congregation... just like any other church.
The younger elder kept at it... the older brother who I served with just kept looking at me with an empty gaze shaking his head yes as I explained it... I thnk he gets it!