That paragon of Christian virtue, J F Rutherford, had the following to say on the merit of wholehearted forgiveness:
There is a maxim among men: 'I can forgive, but not forget.' This does not proceed from the Lord, but proceeds from the Devil... When one repents and asks forgiveness, the forgiveness should be complete and absolute, even as the Lord forgave us. Creation p. 220.
Yet it strikes me that disfellowshipped ones who are reinstated are very rarely appointed to any positions in Society - a strange state of affairs given that forgiveness is supposed to be complete. I know of one brother who was disfellowshipped ten years ago who was recently appointed as an elder - but his congregation was in dire need of elders. But apart from that example I am hard-pressed to think of many other disfellowshipped ones making much progress in the organisation after returning.
So my question is: what is the best comeback from disfellowshipping anyone on the board is aware of?
Have any gone on to be COs or DOs, for example? My guess is that going to Gilead or serving as a special pioneer would be extremely unlikely to say the least. Is there an actual policy stated anywhere against allowing people who have been disfellowshipped at some point from such "theocratic blessings"?
You would think there would be at least some life stories of Witnesses who went off the rails, but later got reinstated and did really well by serving in Bethel or something like that. But I can't recall any such experiences in the magazines. Are others aware of any?
Kind of a bummer for anyone who has been disfellowshipped to think that even if they get reinstated, their chances of organisational progress are virtually nill.
The organisation certainly seems to take the view: "I can forgive, but not forget".
Slim