Disassociate the Inactive? Maybe Not.

by metatron 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Balsam

  Hey it would be great if they just started dumping all those inactive ones announcing it in the meetings. Can you imagine the Elder getting up there and reading off say 25 names of people who are baptized but haven't been for years. The active ones would be in shock, perhaps a little scared. But will it make them think? Wouldn't some of them be thinking why are they saying old Sister Faithful isn't part of the congregation any more. She is bedridden and can't come to meetings or preach anymore. Heck the friends hardly even visit her. This is just shocking. And what about Sis Sickatheart who's Elder husband died a few years ago and has just been so depressed that she gradually stopped coming and the Elders haven't hardly spoke to her since then. This just isn't right the publisher might think though fearful of saying it.

  Yah let them start dumping all the inactive ones we'll welcome them all here.

  Balsam
• 

  truth.ceeker

  Hello,
  My take on this is a bit different. I remember when I was still active, there was always the teaching that the safest sheep were the ones in the middle of the flock. If the gb begins to direct the elders to announce that inactive ones are da'd, my former self would say, "Wow, the end must really be near as the separating work is going on within GOD's own house!" So, if the first reaction to an announcement is a gasp, the second one would be typical of a well controlled jw, and that is, "armageddon is almost here, better increase the spiritual work and get busy and give to the society all of my personal belongings since I won't be needing them anymore."

  ..truth.ceeker..
• 

  TheListener

  I guess the Society has to figure out whether they lose more by the drip drip drip of inactive ones being shunned and the depressed climate it may create at the Kingdom Halls versus the negative effect associating with an inactive one has on the faithful and the number who would reactivate themselves to save their relationships with family and friends.

  Imho there would be an intial house cleaning - large numbers announced or unofficially announced that would shock the congregations. This shock would cause the faithful to run around preaching and teaching like never before. They'd do it because for sure the end is coming. A well placed WT article or two discussing Jehovah cleaning his temple would suffice.

  After the initial spurt of house cleaning , things would settle down. The WTS would be left with a stronger core from which they could replace those who were inactive with stronger members and they wouldn't have the bad influence of the inactive ones in the congregation.

  They wouldn't have to announce anything publicly. A couple of WT articles or talks that discuss the pitfalls and dangers of associating or being friends with someone who is inactive would suffice to isolate the inactive.

  Those who are considering fading or currently fading would slow their fade down and possibly stop the fade in order to maintain relationships. The WTS DOES NOT CARE WHY YOU PREACH AND CONTRIBUTE - JUST THAT YOU DO IT.

  I expect we'll hear more about this within 6 months. Which means the articles are already written and laid out.
• 

  r51785

  I think history has shown that the dubs prefer a few rabid members over a larger number of more casual members. The announcement that so and so is no longer a Jehovah's Witness (due to being inactive) fits right in with this mentality. However this is only a short term solution for their survival. But since the rulers of the Theocratic Politburo are all well up in age, maybe a short term solution is all they care about. After all the end is near for anyone over age 70, whether by "Armageddon" or just the plain old ordinary "end" we all experience -- death.
• 

  Jourles

  Guys, first of all, don't discount the legal issues that expelling the inactive would have.

  You're forgetting that the WTS makes its own rules and that the courts won't touch those rules. If the WTS decides that its new rule is that you must be a participating member (participating, meaning field service) then you must participate if you want to remain a jw. Simple as that. A judge could ask a suing "exjw" if he was aware of this "rule." If the exjw says yes, then the judge would say, "Well if you wanted to remain a jw, then you only had to follow their rules." This is the case with anything else currently happening today. If you blatantly say that you absolutely believe that the FDS isn't the mouthpiece of god or if you go out and accept a blood transfusion and are not sorry for it, you know what the consequences will be. The WTS may give an unofficial time period for inactive ones to get active again(in a BoE letter maybe?) and then they will hit hard and furious. If you're not on their side of the fence, you're against them. No fence sitters will be allowed.

  I'm guessing the elders will visit the inactives and let them be fully aware of what could happen if they retain their inactive status. With the two-witness rule in effect, they can always fall back on that and say in court, "Your honor, we informed the 'exjw' of the consequences of not participating in the church activities." The judge - "Is this true 'exjw?' The exjw - "Yes your honor." Case closed.
• 

  metatron

  "your Honor, as you know, from the evidence provided, that being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not voluntary but rather enforced as a matter

  of duress. We therefore ask that you consider their statements on shunning in this custody case".

  "Mr. Eurocrat, you well know about past efforts by the Watchtower Society to deceive human rights authorities with regard to their written

  claim of "no sanction" in the matter of blood transfusion. We wish to add new evidence to that Jehovah's Witnesses are now deepening

  their duress on members of that faith. Any grant of their requests for relief about "human rights" needs to be seen in that context,

  as they refuse freedom for their own members"

  Born Again to Witness: "Your religion has now gotten so bad that you are now trying to punish people into peddling your magazines

  door to door by shunning any who don't meet a minimum requirement of hours. This is how you follow the Bible?"

  metatron
• 

  cruzanheart

  Of course, first we have to assume that they are even aware of the existence of the inactive ones: "Well, brothers, we have to announce that 25 people from this congregation are no longer Jehovah's Witnesse, but gosh darn it, I can't remember any of their names. Oh well, I probably didn't know who they were when they WERE going to meetings, so small loss." Or substance. Yep, that'd be REALLY upbuilding.

  Nina
• 

  TheListener

  The only way I see it working is if the shunning is a personal decision.

  Perhaps they'll discuss 2 Cor. 2:6 and the meaning of "the many" as opposed to "all".

  In that way they incur no liability. Each individual will make a conscience decision based upon biblical information whether or not to shun an inactive one.

  They won't have to dredge up old inactive names, the current members of the congregation are fully aware of who the current inactive ones are. If someone is so far removed that no one knows them then they are not a threat to the flock. It's the current inactive ones who remain in social contact with the congregation that concern them.
• 

  metatron

  Allow me to expand on their behavior as regards outright rot in Bethel, some years ago.

  The problem centered around the fact that brothers couldn't leave without facing the draft and personal dishonor. As a result,

  they had brothers who were utterly cynical about the Society, as well as dishonest, drunk, lotharios in the New York congregations,

  and worse. They did try some purging but still had troubles. Finally, they relented on the four year requirement and , when it was

  announced, were confronted with a scene worthy of the Emancipation Proclamation.

  Reading off names will simply make people and congregations more fake. More fake people, more fake hours, more fake numbers

  and more disloyalty driven underground. I don't think the same idiots( the GB) who argue for an hour or more about an assembly theme are

  ready for this move.

  metatron
• 

  Quandry

  It sounds as if everyone in attendance at the Halls will eventually be shunning everyone else, anyway. No one is good enough for the one seated next to him. All are viewed with suspicion. Are they really good associates? I don't like the car he drives. How dare they allow their child to get a higher education!! Did you hear that? They went on a vacation last weekend instead of service!!