How Many Here Remember Hearing Details from the Platform on Why a Person was Reproved or DF'd ??? (page 3)

Magnum

I'm with tiki. I remember hearing that someone had been disfellowshipped "for conduct unbecoming of a Christian." I don't remember hearing anything specific. I think those announcements ended before the 80's.

RubaDub

We had twin brothers in our congregation who joined the army at the same time. I recall my father reading two letters, one by one, that so and so and then so and so are DF'd. He gave no reason although that was still common at the time.

I guess my father (RIP) was smart enough at the time to not mention anything about joining the military as a reason to DF someone. I even asked him when we got home why he did not do it and I remember he said "Everyone already knows."

Rub a Dub

Fadeaway1962

They also used to announce

That Joe bloggs is no longer a unbaptised publisher , usually young ones .

eyeuse2badub

I was an "elder" during the 70's, 72-79 and as I recall, announcing the reason for a person's df'ing stopped in about 75---same year as Armageddon!

just saying!

Number 6

I can remember when they used to re-instate people and the congregation would burst into spontaneous applause at the joy of it!

The elders took a dim view but from what I recall they just left it as drawing attention to it just made it more contentious.

Then after the meeting everyone would be all around the (usually crying with emotion) brother or sister that had been accepted back into the fold.

One time however I was at a service meeting and just before the song and prayer one smug bastard of an elder announced that John Smith had been re-instated. There was applause and smiling with a feeling of what a way to close the meeting. How joyous! The newly re-instated brother stood up with a massive smile and shouted at the top of his voice "Fooled the lot of you. F*ck you" and walked out never to be heard of again.

Some of us teenagers found this hilarious and burst out lauging amongst the shock of the fuddy duddies.

That took the wind out of the sails of the elders for a while I can tell you.

cofty

I remember an elder's son who was married with children. He faithfully attended every meeting for 6 months, got reinstated and was never seen at the kingdom hall again.

I doubt if the elder cared now that he had his grandchildren back.

Spiral

@cofty, and yet they never seem to see the irony that they put people in this position. Getting reinstated just to never be seen again, but can be with family.

If they had any spiritual understanding whatsoever, they rank and file would question the need for the process.

RubaDub

@cofty ...

Similar thing in my old KH.

Had a family move in with two kids. Extremely nice kids and the wife was so kind. He was DF'd.

I don't think they missed a meeting in three years. Apparently, he was not aware that you had to ask to be reinstated and thought it was just something that is automatic.

Anyway, he was reinstated. They came to maybe one or two meetings after that and were never at the KH again. The elders made some excuse that he was working too much or something. But that was it.

Rub a Dub

Gorbatchov

I remember being a child and feeling the change in atmosphere in the congregation when the PO walked after the congregational watchtower study to the platform for a special message.

Holding my breath, because I was sensitive. I still can feel it, and hate it so much!

Most of the local df's in our town were in the 70's related to apostate thinking.

What a sect, it is emotional abuse. For a child to observate it, being sensitive.

G.

RubaDub

I can remember when they used to re-instate people and the congregation would burst into spontaneous applause at the joy of it! ... The elders took a dim view ...

Number 6 ...

I can tell you exactly why that "policy" changed, from at least two elders in Bethel at the time.

It had to do particularly with people at the time who had committed adultery, remarried, and then later reinstated. It was felt, especially if the innocent person was at the KH, that it was disrespectful to have everyone clapping and hugging and kissing the person when the innocent person may be there watching. I guess watching perhaps two people who had committed adultery in the same congregation getting reinstated would be too much for some people to handle. I could understand that.

It could also have involved other sins in which an innocent person may be in attendance.

You can't pick one sin to clap for and one sin not to clap for so the "policy" was changed to tone down the welcome back to the Borg.

Rub a Dub

How Many Here Remember Hearing Details from the Platform on Why a Person was Reproved or DF'd ???

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