There's two definitions of an apostate.
The dictionary's (secular) definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apostate
1. a person who abandons his religion, party, cause, etc
There's the Bible's definition:
rs p. 36 par. 6 - p. 37 par. 2 Apostasy
2 Pet. 2:1: “These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.”
Job 13:16: “Before him [God] no apostate will come in.”
Heb. 6:4-6: “It is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away [“if they then commit apostasy,” Revised Standard Version], to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.”
I may not be in good standing in the Christian congregation, but I don't think I'm beyond repentance. Those with their spirituality intact are primarily concerned with those with some potential for repentance.
Those beyond repentance seem to be intent on criminalizing, not just criticizing Jehovah's Witnesses. They'll even draw from the Bible's explanation of wickedness to incriminate Jehovah's Witnesses. Much of what is said doesn't make any sense. Back in 1997, the Watchtower society shed some light on their policy regarding child abuse.
w97 1/1 p. 29 Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked
Depending on the law of the land where he lives, the molester may well have to serve a prison term or face other sanctions from the State. The congregation will not protect him from this. Moreover, the man has revealed a serious weakness that henceforth will have to be taken into account. If he seems to be repentant, he will be encouraged to make spiritual progress, share in the field service, even have parts in the Theocratic Ministry School and nonteaching parts in the Service Meeting. This does not mean, though, that he will qualify to serve in a position of responsibility in the congregation.
The only thing that can be done with an unrepentant person where the law of the land doesn't incarcerate serial pedophiles is to protect the congregation by excommunicating the person.
A common sense approach to the societal problem of child abuse was implemented in Jehovah's Organization and disseminated to congregations throughout the world. Corrective action should obviously be taken if there's any deviation to the public policy. The most serious violation would be if a member of the governing body issued a decree for the protection of a pedophile. A letter written in 1985, when the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the head of the Vatican's doctrinal unit, resists a request for the defrocking of an American priest with a record of molesting children, for the "good of the universal Church." For whatever reason, the overall membership of the Catholic church doesn't call for the resignation of his position as the pope.
Barbra Anderson didn't just criticize the writing department on MSNBC-Dateline in 2002 as she alleged in her letter, she assaulted the public policy enforced by the overall membership of Jehovah's Witnesses (“sexual abuse policies that protected pedophiles— policies that you helped formulate”) and thus assaulted individuals that implemented instruction from the governing body using twisted logic and outright lies. She then condemns the disfellowshipping arrangement even though it serves as a protective agent to the Christian congregation against pedophiles and those that bring in destructive sects. This is why she was disfellowshipped. Her dissent from Jehovah's organization was likely the result of some sort of power struggle initiated by her with staff members at Bethel headquarters. A power struggle she still seems to be waging with the administrative position of Jehovah's organization at the expense of her family. Her grandchildren will much more likely be repelled by her travesty on MSNBC-Dateline than anything stated in the Watchtower. Barbra Anderson's son or daughter is obviously one of Jehovah's Witnesses that will explain the truth to her grandchildren.
