But if they did so and it went against what is taught by JWs, then the result is disfellowshipping.
To be clear, DFing would only happen after the elders attempted to reason with the errant one to no avail, and the individual would continue to express divisive thoughts throughout the Christian congregation.
In theory, yes. I wonder how many on this forum have been DF'd because they simply voiced a doubt to an elder, and not to the congregation. I wonder how many have been DF'd because the simply could not rectify what they learned the Bible said on a subject versus what JWs teach, and because they decided to believe the Bible over JWs.
EDIT: While I was writing this post, a couple responded and said this wasn't the way it happened with them. So, like I said, in theory, yes. It reality...?
Let's say for a moment that someone found a teaching in the Bible that contradicts what JWs teach. If that person believes the Bible over JWs, that person is automatically labeled an apostate. If that person finds the teaching is so big that it makes them want to leave JWs because they've discovered that JWs aren't teaching what the Bible says, that person CANNOT just leave with no repercussions. Sure, the person MIGHT be able to go inactive. But the reality is that the once you're a JW, the only way to leave is either through DFing or DAing. Why? Why not be reasonable and simply let someone go who has no interest in causing divisions. Why try to be masters over someone's faith? After all, JWs ask new ones to have their membership revoked with their own churches, so why not let someone who no longer wants to be a JW to simply revoke their membership? Why force the congregation to treat that person as if they didn't exist? Why force family members to treat that person as if they were the scum of the earth? Christ never did that to people who found his speech so shocking that they left, so what gives JWs the right to do that?
