Can disassociated ones get reinstated without proving repentance?

by maksutov 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  maksutov

  One of the JW high-ups questioned by the Australian Royal Commission (I think it was O'Brien) stated that those who had disassociated (as opposed to being disfellowshipped) do not have to undergo a lengthy reinstatement procedure of proving repentance over many months, but can simply ask to be reinstated immediately. Is this true? Has anyone heard of this ever happening?

  I was not disfellowshipped, but an announcement was made that I am no longer a JW (without my knowledge or request), thus, I was forcibly disassociated (according to them, 'by my actions'). I find it very hard to believe that they would let me undo that simply by requesting reinstatement!
  
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  freddo

  I winced at his testimony about that. Theocratic warfare at its finest.
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  jookbeard

  yes it was O'Brian, I've never heard this before (I'm DAed) but I've never known anyone being allowed back after being DA'ed , I dont even know what procedures one needs to go through
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  blondie

  disfellowshipping

  pedophile brother - reinstated in 8 months

  adulterous wife (special circumstances...elder's wife) - eight years
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  sir82

  can simply ask to be reinstated immediately. Is this true?

  Of course it's true. You can ask anything you want.

  The answer is 110% guaranteed to be "No", but certainly, he made a truthful statement by saying it is possible to "ask" to be reinstated.

  I've never heard of a DA'ed person asking to return. If he did however, the elders would want to know about his "moral" (sexual) activity during the period he was away, and they'd also want to know about any alleged "sin" that occurred prior to the DA. Has he repented from that?

  Sometimes a person DA's just to avoid facing a judicial committee. If that were the case, if he chose to try to return, they'd re-open the judicial committee and determine if he has "demonstrated repentance" during his time away. The answer is 110% guaranteed to be "No" since he didn't attend meetings, and meeting attendance is about 95% of what the elders construe as "works of repentance".

  TL;DR answer: While technically a true statement, it is misleading and utterly false in practical terms.
  
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  Splash

  You are said to DA yourself if you do any number of things, including taking a blood transfusion.

  If it were as easy as O'Brien makes out, you could DA, take a blood transfusion, then get reinstated.

  That would not be allowed to happen.
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  Iown Mylife

  Yes, the meetings are just about un-endurable. So if you endure them, it proves you're sorry enough to let you TALK at the un-endurable meetings. Science has discovered that if you occasionally get to hear the sound of your own voice at a meeting, the meeting is rendered endurable.

  Marina the Unendurable
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Interesting OP.

  When I was still in about 12 years ago, a baptized young sister had left off going to the meetings but didn't DA. She said it was because of the way she'd been treated in the congregation she'd grown up in. I suggested to her she could try coming back to a new congregation - a fresh start - but she chose not to.

  Still not DA'd, I was told she took up with a 'worldly' boyfriend, with the implication being they were having a sexual relationship. She was never DF'd for this, and some brothers were moaning about this - saying she should be. One brother also moaned about DA'd brothers or sisters walking straight back to the WTS, saying something along the lines of "she can do what she wants for a number of years, while we ['the faithful'] have to suffer being JWs".
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  Possibly Right

  No it's not true! It is viewed as rejecting Jehovah, and being apostate, as your turning your back on Jehovah. You can be reinstated, but still have to go through the process - not being spoken to at meeting, judicial committee ect.
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  Tech49

  I know personally of someone, an immediate family member, that DA'd. She wrote an official letter and everything (I dont know what it said, but I know she wrote one). Went on to live it up, free reign to to most anything. (holidays, boyfriends, etc etc). A few years went by, had a few kids, finally married some schmo, and she wanted to get back in so that her mom and the grandkids could have a relationship.

  She went back to the cong she grew up in, and went to weekday meetings (husband would not let her go to Sundays, nor take the kids to ANY meetings). She went for all of 6 weeks, yes 6 weeks, played the poor abused wife card (no spiritual support), and requested "reinstatement". APPROVED. She then promptly moved out of town, to another state.
  

  Yes, 6 weeks, and I know this for a fact. She NEVER took the kids to a single meeting, and faded back out shortly after that.

  So the answer is YES, it can be done the way Mr Obrien stated, its all in who you know and what kind of game you play.