by sableindian 14 Replies latest jw experiences
If a person is disfellowshipped, can they talk to anyone in the congregation? And if not, what scripture says THEY (the disfellowshipped person) can not.
And, has anyone ever heard that an elder or someone else suggest a disfellowshipped person wear a letter "D" (the scarlett letter) when they go to public functions like an assembly? I have. I know you're laughing. I did too, but it was no joke. The elder meant it! (Zion, Illinois)
I was told a DF person may approach an elder to speak that is all.
sableindian: if you are disfellowshipped, that mean that you are not a jw anymore so, nobody can control you. You can do anything and you can talk to a jw too except that the jw are not supposed to talk to you. It can be pretty funny when you approach them and say hello to them because they won't know how to react in this situation hehe.
There is nothing that prevents a DFed person from talking to a JW... however a JW is not supposed to talk to a DFed person.
As a DAed person, I take full advantage of this little "gotcha"
The elders hate it. I will walk up to people at the KH and start making small-talk... all the while the elders are looking on in horror.
It is the responsibility of the JW to avoid the DFed person, not the other way around.
I'm Df'd and as I understand it I'm only allowed to approach elders. However, I've had sisters appoach me and give me literature and speak to me briefly at the KH or at an Assembly...but I never initiated it. I respect their belief that they should not speak to me, but if they approach me in person or online I'm talk with them.
They base this on 1Corinthians 5:9-11"In my letter I wrote you to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with teh fornicators of this world of the greedy person and extorntioners or idolaters. Otherwies, you would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing you to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolator or a reviler of a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man."
and 1Corinthians 15:33
"Do not be misled, Bad associations spoil useful habits."
They have numerous literature that expounds on this and I'm sure cites other scriptures. I know there was the August 2002 KM about it, which I'm sure you can find on this site because I remember someone posted it here.
Ironically, I remember talking about how it would be easier for those in the congregation to identify Df'd ones if they would wear a letter "D" or something like that....I went to a door in sevice and tried to place literature with a guy that I found out later was a Df'd brother. Of course, now that I'm Df'd I can appreciate how silly it would be if we did have to wear a letter "D".....just so that they didn't embarass themselves by accidentally speaking to someone like myself. But, to think that I actually suggested it, the irony is rather amusing to me now. I'm embarrassed and have been through enough being Df'd....I am already marked emotionally and physically (see my post from last week), I don't need to wear a letter "D." Although, when I started going to meetings last year in a congregation that did not know me, it sure would have made my life easier if I had worn a letter "D", because it was mightily ackward to have the friends come up to me all friendly and stuff just to have to tell them I'm Df'd and then watch for their reaction. Some looked away, some were polite, and some were indignant, but most were kind to me, so I really can't complain.
Quote From the NWT with Referrences
Truth2Me
Hi!
Were you from the Zion IL congregation? I knew a couple who used to go there (I'm pretty sure it was Zion). Their names were Duane & Cherry Brauer (sp?).
Did you know them, by chance? Did you know anyone else from other North / North Suburbs IL congregations?
ExpandedMind
"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Wear a letter "D"? Uh, that won't come from the Society. I can see some over-zealous, righteous over much, power hungry elder saying that, but no one with any sense. Remember the Nazis? Jews had to wear Star of Davids on their overcoats even before the concentration camps. Anybody that tried to do that today would be hounded to the fires of hell as being Nazi-like. The Society, despite it's many faults is not stupid.
I know ins't fun to torment them. A number of times I'll be shopping in the grocery store they actually turn around so quick that it makes your head spin, they high tail it another way. They pretend they don't see you.
On occasions when I have an attitude, depending on hormones, I'll say Hi, how are you. You should see the look in their eyes, complete horror. Like oh my god, she said hi to me, Jeh is going to strike me down! There was one occasion that there was an elder and his wife standing in the grocery line at the til, I made a point to go in line right beside them, I made eye contact with the elder and said hi, you should have seen the look the wife gave him. Priceless!
My understanding is that if the DF'd person is trying to come back into the congregation, they'd better not be caught trying to talk to a JW. That's kind of like breaking parole and will keep them from being reinstated for a LONG time. However, for those of us who have no intention of EVER going back, it can be kind of fun!
Nina
In my congregation, the elders wives talk to disfellowshipped ones!
Where does it say that in the scriptures - that the wives of elders can talk to ones that the rest of us are prohibited from talking to???
What a load of tosh!
xxR
