Public Reproof: What is it? Has it ever happend in your Hall or to you?

by jayhawk1 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  jayhawk1

  What is public reproof? Does the Watchtower Corp still use it? What do they use it for? Do they use a judicial committee for it? Does it work anything like Disfellowshipping? It is just something I am unclear on.

  Background...

  One time there was a teenage girl in my former Kingdom Hall. One Friday night, at the end of the meeting it was announced she was publically reproved. I was very young at the time, maybe 12 years old. I asked my mom what it was, she just told me that I just wasn't allowed to talk to the girl for awhile. I then asked my mom what the girl did, she said it was none of our business. I'm not sure what happened or why, but I am curious what the proceedure would be.
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  Jourles

  All it really means is that someone was about to get df'd - they even went through the jc motions - but the elders found the accused "repentent" enough for their taste.
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  OpenFireGlass

  Does it work anything like Disfellowshipping?

  it was for me... No one talked to me, including my imediate family....

  Do they use a judicial committee for it?

  yes

  What do they use it for?

  prolly just use it for unbaptized publisher little shitz like me...
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  fullofdoubtnow

  I've known a few who got a public reproof, mainly in their teens or early 20's, kids of jws who got baptised too young without realising what they were getting themselves into, and going off the rails as they grew up. It's not the same as being df'd, people can still talk to you, but the congregation isn't told why the reproof is issued, so there is inevitable gossip about what the reproved person has done, or at least there always was in my kh, and some of the more committed dubs tend to give the reproved one a wide berth for a while.

  It usually happens when someone has committed what is, in the elders eyes, a serious offence, but has repented when dragged before the kangaroo court jc and repented to save themselves from being df'd.
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  frozen one

  If I remember correctly a public reproof is one step shy of being disfellowshipped. When on public reproof you lose all priviledges - commenting at meetings, saying prayer at meetings, giving talks, going in service, etc - but your not shunned. I remember one guy who was reproved for chewing tobacco (this was years ago). The details came out later. The elders gave him 6 months to quit or he was going to get the boot.
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  done4good

  If I remember correctly a public reproof is one step shy of being disfellowshipped. When on public reproof you lose all priviledges - commenting at meetings, saying prayer at meetings, giving talks, going in service, etc - but your not shunned.

  Actually, you can still do service. All of the others apply, though.

  j
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  wonderwoman

  I got PR'd when I was 17. I was baptized (at 13) and could of really given a rat's ass, except that I was terrified of my dad. I had moved out, and he said I couldn't talk to my lil' brothers/sisters or my mom. I got back in the good graces a year later to only be DF'd a year after that.
  The best was I couldn't answer at the meetings, or talkat the door in service. OHH. BOO-HOO!!!
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  lost_light06

  Actually, you can still do service. All of the others apply, though.

  Hell ya you can still do service. They may take away your dignity but they sure as hell aren't going to do it at the expense of donations magazine placements.
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  frozen one

  The one that didn't make much sense to me was private reproof. What is that other then getting a good butt chewing? Are the elders keeping an extra close eye on the reproved? Does someone on private reproof lose any so called priviledges?
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  troubled mind

  Now if you are an unbaptized publiher and get into trouble they announce you are no longer considered a publisher of the good news . You have the awesome priveledge of answering at meetings stripped from you and they do not accept a time slip from you . People will treat you as a worldly one which means fake smiles at the hall but socializing is minimum.