My letter to the editor to the Davenport Times just came out on June 30, 2005. The Spokane Spokesman Review is interested in doing a story about shunning as a result of reading my letter. The Religion reporter wants to start working on it Wednesday. Does anybody want to tell their story of odd things they have been shunned for by JW's. Maybe you have a personal strange story about how the elders acted to disfellowship someone? Has anybody been shunned or disfellowshipped for bringing a pedophile problem up lately at the kingdom hall. If anybody is willing to be part of this possible story please post here or e-mail me, rocky_fitzp@hotmailcom
, title it "letter" or I might delete it. My letter follows (I tried to attach the JPEG image of the actual article, but am not computer savvy enough to have been successful):
'Shunning' Impacts Family Relationships
At the time of Davenport’s High School Graduation, 2005, I learned that I had been "marked" and was to be "shunned" when my brother, Jory, informed me that my wife and I were not welcome at my nephew Jade’s graduation reception. The reason he gave was because my sister-in-law, Andrea, believed if we came to the reception, then invited guests who were Jehovah’s Witnesses would not attend. This is because errant Jehovah’s Witnesses are to be shunned by others in the faith. This means no social contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses, including Jehovah’s Witnesses family members . Shunning is done to awaken the wrongdoer to repent and bring him/her back into the fold for such sins as adultery, fornication, drunkardness, thievery or worse. Three days later I was officially expelled (i.e., excommunicated, disfellowshipped), and officially shunned by the Davenport Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As bad as shunning is in this world, being expelled from the church also infers NO AFTERLIFE, PERIOD.
However, there is a religious crime even more offensive in the eyes of Jehovah’s Witnesses than what I have heretofore mentioned—and that is to doubt that this religion, which is directed by its corporate head, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., is the only way to salvation, and the only religion directed by God. Any questioning by a baptized member regarding the religion’s teachings, many of which have been modified and changed, leads to expulsion from the congregation. This questioning is termed "apostasy," and, apparently, I have been judged guilty of "apostasy" due to my voiced concern about my church’s policies regarding the handling of sexual child abuse accusations and the reporting of such accusations.
Victims by the thousands have come forward due to the efforts of sympathetic individuals who support the Silentlambs organization, which has spearheaded the disclosures about the sexual child assault problem within Jehovah’s Witnesses’ congregations. See www.silentlambs.org for complete and accurate information. At this web site you can view twenty TV documentaries from around the world and also hear the local Mark Fuhrman show discuss this matter. These programs have thoroughly analyzed the accusation made by victims and victim’s advocates that Jehovah’s Witnesses’ organization has become a "pedophile paradise."
It has deeply saddened me that my religion protects pedophiles because of their continuing inadequate and antiquated rules that were followed by many churches during the Dark Ages. One such rule requires reporting an accusation to the church elders first before the police, thus, allowing DNA to be lost. Other rules silence victims, and may allow pedophiles to sit unknown next to Jehovah’s Witnesses and their children in church and at social functions.
I believe that Jehovah’s Witnesses should stop interfering in what is police business. If the Witnesses want to forgive pedophiles, okay, but let these criminals serve time in prison too! That’s part of repentance. The elders should not cover up criminal behavior just to make the religion look good.
It is quite possible that no local area Jehovah’s Witness will ever read this letter because they have probably been told not to read the newspaper. This is because I warned the elders I would write to the paper if I could not address the congregation as a whole (Matt 18:15-17). The elders refused my request. The congregation will obey without question!
The only thing that will have any effect on Jehovah’s Witnesses in this matter is if you challenge them when they call at your door. If we can be of any assistance to further help you to understand this subject, give us a call. Joel and Linda Jahn 509-725-2122