Excellent analogy Sophie G......
Don't e-mail DF'd family members - Congregation Reaction (WT 1/15/2013)
by 00DAD 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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problemaddict
Well since they didn't say carrier pigeon was off limits I think I am in the clear.
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whathappened
The sin is not what the person did, the sin is allowing yourself to be df'd in the first place. They tolerate no descenters, no matter what the circumstances. Don't expect any sympathy or compassion from the Watchtower Society.
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steve2
My otherwise lovely mother would frequently chide me for not doing the dishes. Subtext: If I did the dishes, she'd shut up.
Same principle applied here: The Watchtower frequently chides the rank and file about continuing to have contact with disfellowshipped ones. Subtext: If the witnesses ceased contact with disfellowshipped ones, the Watchtower would shut up.
Conclusion: The frequent warnings are a virtual admission that the rank and file are not obeying instructions to avoid contact with disfellowshipped ones.
Well done you disobedient and naughty witnesses.
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Bella15
I really wish they could tell their people, DO NOT bORROW money from DFd relatives ...lol...it will save me a a lot of grief
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00DAD
Hey everyone,
Thanks for all your great comments!
Theocratic Sedition, Well I'm not surprised a sister with two DF'd kids didn't show up for that meeting. Maybe it was coincidental, but it would have been more than most people could take. There was a recent article in the Daily Mail on how shunning not only emotionally hurts the one shunned, but also injures those doing the shunning:
Doubting Bro, That's what if felt like to me too. But the elder in the congregation where I attend is ALWAYS very conscientious about time so I had to wonder if it was a planned thing.
SophieG, Good point. Clearly many are ignoring it or it wouldn't be mentioned. It must drive the GB boys crazy that not everyone obeys. It could end up having the opposite effect. The crazier they get, the more insane rules they make, the more the R&F discount or disobey them. If a person decides to disobey one rule, then it's a small step to ignore/disobey two rules, then three, four ... all of them!
Finkelstein, yep, they're running outta' ideas so they are going to what all cult leaders do: Increase your control (or at least attempt to!)
wha happened?, great point! It's pretty funny when you put it that way, isn't it. But the reality is they ARE scared of DF'd ones because the GB knows that most of US know TTATT and will tell everyone we know. "Preach the good news of TTATT ..."
It's so stupid and unnecessarily hurtful. Wouldn't it be more Christian to teach their members to constantly reach out to loved ones that have "gone astray" in a kind and loving manner?
I guess they never thought of it that way.
vajeni82, Don't worry. They'll think up other ways to send you on a guilt-trip! If you're out they don't really care about you, it's those still in that the GB want to send on long and frequent guilt-trips.
SophieG, Great illustration. So what did your JW friend say in response? Did you get the "deer in the headlights" look? They're not used to thinking when it requires a thought that contradicts what the WT says.
problemaddict, Cool! Do you have any carrier pigeons I can use to contact my children that are "still-in"?
whathappened, You got that right! It really is more about control than about any particular "sin." Hence the alleged focus on "repentance." But even then, they can't let people in too quickly because it might embolden others. They need a certain amount of public flogging to put the "fear of Jehovah" into the rest of the congregation. But even that's problematic. If they elders appear too harsh then no one will ever go to them with real problems. It'a Lose-Lose situation.
steve2, Good point. SophieG made that point as well. I think it's important that we keep this in mind. Comments like this are indeed tacit admissions from the GB that not everyone in the KH obeys their ridiculous commands. This is in our favor. But as much as this acknowledges disunity in the congregation, it does create a certain amount of distrust. Sadly, they like that as it keeps people easier to control if they don't trust each other. This is in their favor.
Bella15, Oh they'll never say THAT. The WTBTS needs money and they don't care where it comes from.
Keep those cards and letters, text messages and emails, PMs and JWN posts coming!!!
00DAD
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jwfacts
I wonder why the Spanish Edition is different to the English one.
"No busque excusas para mantenerse en contacto con un expulsado, por ejemplo mediante correo electrónico, teléfono o mensajes de texto."
"Do not look for excuses to stay in touch with an expelled one, for example by email, phone or text messaging."
Would this be because they printed the Spanish one later, and felt the English version was not strict enough? Or do the Spanish try to bend the rules more, so require the information to be more direct and to the point?
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jwfacts
I just checked a couple of other languages.
Slovenian - just mentions email.
Tagalog - Filipino - just mentions email.
Turkish - not sure, but seems to just say Internet
Catalan - just email. mmm why favour the Catalonians over the rest of Spain?
Chinese - just email.
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steve2
"No busque excusas para mantenerse en contacto con un expulsado, por ejemplo mediante correo electrónico, teléfono o mensajes de texto."
Perhaps the Spanish brothers and sisters are more concrete in their thinking, requiring the exact prohibitions to be spelled out? Joining the dots may not be their specialty...maybe.
To be on the safe side, I understand the Watchtower's later editions will include (in Spanish) "...and no morse code contact either."
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steve2
Oh, I can see it now. A text from Sister Righteous to a newly disfellowshipped sister: "Cannot talk but can text as necessary. Okay?"
