Not viewed as a JW if not reported for 6 months?

by kramer 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  kramer

  Hi, I seem to remember that the society have said that you are not viewed as a witness if you have not reported for 6 months.

  Does this ring any bells? Someone I know has been called for a judicial, even though she has said she doesn’t believe and is not not attending meetings and hasn’t for 6 months.What she did was 12 months ago when she was a witness.

  She is not sure whether she should turn up or not, as turning up shows she thinks she answers to elders still. But also doesn’t want to be automatically disfellowshipped which may happen if she doesn’t turn up.

  if there is an article to quote saying someone inactive isn’t seen as a witness, this would be helpful.

  any thoughts?
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  _Morpheus

  Unfortunately she is still considered a witness. What your referring to with the six month no time reported time frame means she is considered “inactive”. That dosent have a lot of bearing on the committee. If they have invited her (and it sounds like they have) they will indeed df her in absentia if she dosent show up for the kangaroo court. Im sorry.
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  sparrowdown

  I know when I was still attending there was an inactive witness that owned a local caf and she started putting full on xmas displays in the window of the caf one year they did investigate but decided she had been inactive for so long they wouldn't pursue it.

  She did come from a large influential witness family mind you and local witnesses patronized the business that could well have inflenced their decision because she was definitely known as a witness by the community at large.

  These things are often arbitrary and capricious in nature as to how they are handled locally.
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  caves

  sparrowdown- She did come from a large influential witness family mind you and local witnesses patronized the business that could well have inflenced their decision because she was definitely known as a witness by the community at large.

  How Ironic. I was just an hour ago thinking about an ex jw friend that her and husband owned a restaurant. They would cater large holiday events. Her entire family are well known and "model" jws. Not even a slap on the wrist. Drinking every night and plays poker last time I talked with her 11 years ago. Makes and sells lots of mums for friends for football games. Son on football team, daughter a cheer leader. But ALL the men in her family are elders or MS. What hypocrisy.

  She frequently talks to DFed people. And even goes so far as to say that "there nothing that would be done to her and her husband". Im thinking based on our conversations that 2 of the 6 elders in her family PIMO and she has some major dirt on them.

  I cant recall many JC meetings in that town of 10-12 congs or so that didnt have one of her relatives presiding on a JC. She knows all the dirt on the people in the congs in her local area. Brags about it. Cusses like a sailor. I just dont get it. If I did that........

  The last time we talked I decided to shun her. lol. Not worth my time.
• 

  steve2

  Your OP is incorrect because it leaves out the operative adjective, “No longer an active JW”. Technically someone who hasn’t handed in a report for six months remains a JW - just not an active one.
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  Biahi

  I haven't reported time or attended a meeting, including the memorial, in 35 years. I wonder if they even still have records on me.
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  fulano

  No Biahi, they have not.
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  stuckinarut2

  Interesting thread!

  While they may not view her as active, they do still count her as "a publisher" (inactive)

  So they feel that they have power over her - or the right to try and dictate a meeting.

  If she feels uncomfortable, she should just keep politely saying "Please respect appropriate boundaries. I don't appreciate your harassment. Have a lovely day good-bye"
  
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  TD

  So they feel that they have power over her - or the right to try and dictate a meeting

  Absolutely. People have been "disfellowshipped" after years and sometimes even decades of "inactivity"
  
  
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  sparrowdown

  And in many cases they're simply ignored. It depends on the local body often times not any hard and fast rule.

  In the case I commented on earlier it was the CO who put the kybosh on the investigation citing the "she has been inactive for a few years and the local community don't view her as a witness" principle even though that was debatable to say the least and there were elders gunning for her.

  It's not what you know or what you do in JWland it's who you are related to.

  Favouritism and nepotism was rife in every cong I was ever in