Shunning Disfellowshipped & Apostate family Members. Scriptural?

by objectivetruth 30 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Wonderment
    Wonderment

    Oubliette: "PS: I hate this fucking religion. The rules, policies, practices and procedures have stolen my children from me. If I ever could find a way to get my hands on the people responsible for this, I would be sure to make them confront what they are and what they have done before I ended their pathetic lives."

    I may not got as far as you stated, but my feelings are similar to yours. In their goal to control every facet of the organization JWs worship, WT leaders will not stop at anything from accomplishing their goals of full-control = "unity at all costs," as one WT official stated in the 1950s during a court case.

    I for one have suffered so much for the last 24 years since I disassociated from the WT org. I have a big family which for the most part are absent in my life, and I feel the pangs of loneliness quite often. The hurt has been so great that I have found it difficult to be social with others. What the Society's practices do to these outcasts may not be direct physical murder, but they come very close to expunge the living spirit out of every moving ex-JW, just to save face before men.

    Their control is extremely dangerous, and I wish governments would take a more active role in preventing religious groups from exercising so much damage. Like others noted here, the WT should know that the Bible does not support such drastic un-Christian practices. I believe they know it does not, but for the sake of the organization, they still do it. That's evil!

  • Mrsobjectivetruth
    Mrsobjectivetruth

    The WT calling shunning a DFed person an act of holiness is disgusting. Unfortunately I thought it was "loving" to do so for many years. I'm so thankful to have been awakened. To know what an act of love and kindness really is, sympathy, empathy and respect. You know the saying you never know what you have until it's gone? Well, that can work the other way around as well. I finally know what I never had since its been gone from my life: freedom!

    To all of us that have lost loved ones, it really does feel like a death loss at times, doesn't it, may we find love and compassion from one another. May we appreciate an act of kindness when given to us, and realize, through loss, what love really means: unconditional.

  • designs
    designs

    Paul established Shunning. Jesus was just prejudiced.

  • objectivetruth
    objectivetruth

    Designs - I agree, that it is because of The writings ascribed to Paul that shunning is accepted.

  • nonjwspouse
    nonjwspouse

    I find the concept a perverted twist to the idea of not endorsing, or helping someone continue bad behaviors ( of course this is absurd to include different thinking!) but harmful ( to others) or bad behaviors.

    A friend, family member etc can show love and friendship with someone without providing them the means to perpetuate a harmful behavior through money ( drugs, or just complete irresponsibility and very bad choices) or through endorsement of acceptance of a bad relationship  or behavior. 

    The refusal to support is entirely different from the refusal to show love as the WTBTS prescribes.  it is to have contact, share the positives of a family life, even take a drug addict out to dinner along with loving talks and warm hugs. Provide a listening ear.  ( No money to possibly be used for anything else) just to show yes, you really love the person inside but do not approve of the behavior. You want to fill their stomach with good food and good company, remind them they have a family that does love them. They make their own decisions but we do not abandon them. We should draw the line at being enablers.

    I feel the WTBTS consider any contact at ALL as enabling the shunned person to feel any love. It is the love and contact the WTBTS withholds so cruelly, so they can hopefully be successfully emotionally blackmailed back into the cult. This is pure twisted controlling, emotionally abusive evil.

    Of course the reasons for shunning are also so convoluted and pharasitic it is laughable if it weren't so serious,


  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    designs - "Paul established Shunning. Jesus was just prejudiced."

    Yup; Paul was definitely a next-level kinda guy.

  • confuzzlediam
    confuzzlediam

    Just found this article on disfellowshipping in the November 2006 study edition: 

    "3. God’s servants study the Bible and Christian publications. Jehovah’s standards are discussed at their meetings, assemblies, and conventions. So Christians are in a position  to know what Jehovah requires of them. Disfellowshipping takes place only if a member of the congregation unrepentantly engages in gross sin."

    "4. Consider a Scriptural example of disfellowshipping. The congregation in Corinth tolerated “such fornication as [was] not even among the nations, that a wife a certain man [had] of his father.” Paul urged the Corinthians to “hand such a man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, in order that the spirit may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5) When disfellowshipped and thus handed over to Satan, the sinner was again part of the Devil’s world. (1 John 5:19) His expulsion removed an evil fleshly element from the congregation and preserved its godly “spirit,” or dominant attitude.2 Timothy 4:22; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13."

    Apparently, I was an evil fleshly element that needed to removed from the congregation to preserve its godly "spirit".  Not only are we shunned, but we are shamed as well.  Because that is what those who claim to follow Christ's example do to their fellow believers, shame us into thinking that we deserve to be treated inhumane, that we are not worthy of even a smile or greeting as we pass each other on the street.  WOW!!

    I have to admit, that when I was "in", I did think it was a "loving" provision.  That it was necessary to keep the congregation clean.  BUT on the other hand...I was torn.  I still socialized with my x's mom and 2 sisters who were disfellowshipped for 15 out of the 25 years that we were married.  I did not keep my kids from knowing their grandmother and aunts just because they were disfellowshipped.  After all, they were kind hearted, loving women that smoked.  No evil flesh existed in these women!! 

    SO glad they wrongfully disfellowshipped me!!  Best thing EVER!!  



  • scoobydont
    scoobydont

    The hypocrisy of the WatchTower Society is quite frightening, sometimes ! I will try and post a link to the AWAKE, January 8, 1947, in which the organisation attacked the Roman Catholic Church's practice of excommunication.

    Go straight to page 27 of the publication and read for yourselves, the WTS's thoughts on excommunication. Pay special attention to their rejection of the practice of excommunication and the Bible verses upon which the Catholic had based their practice, and then compare those same verses with the Bible verses on which the WTS now bases its practice of disfellowshipping members who refuse to toe organisational line on some issues !

    The very instrument of repression which they decried about the Catholic Church and which the Church has since discarded is what the WTS has unabashedly picked up and now wields as the new "god-inspired" rod of discipline ! The WTS justifies the practice of disfellowshipping non-conformist members, using some of the very Bible verses on which the Catholic Church had based its practice of excommunication !

    I wonder if the WTS, in embracing the practice of disfellowshipping, now believes that the Catholic Church was right in excommunicating its erring members ! Talk about flip-flopping and the dog returning to its vomit !

    If there is any active JW reading this thread, do you not find that a tad disingenuous and dishonest ?


    http://www.a2z.org/wtarchive/docs/1947_Awake.pdf



  • DesirousOfChange
    DesirousOfChange

    Jesus performs a Miracle, and because of seeing it his disciples believed in him.

    Just as soon as the GB performs a miracle -- for example being right about "The End" -- or those simple things like turning water into wine, feeding the Bethel family with 3 fishes (although they may be doing that my adding lots of beans to the soup), healing the dead, etc, then I will be first in line to believe in them.

    Doc

  • stan livedeath
    stan livedeath

    how many of that GB have children of their own ?


    if any do---are those offspring in the cult ?  if not--are they shunned ?

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