by AuldSoul 59 Replies latest jw friends
Jeff - The only way to win, is not to play the game. Don't turn up for the meeting. Let them do what they want. If you can that is. If you expect the result to be the same whatever, why bother with them?
If the FDS really do fear the internet, as they should, then disassociating inactives is a good way to cut lines of communication between existing and former JWs.
Control of information is the only way they keep their power.
Just some points of clarification. 1. If you don't report time for a one month period you are considered irregular. 2. If you don't report time in a six month period (consecutively) you are inactive. These are established criteria by the WTS. I would say that the WTS is constantly warning the friends about worldly 'leaven'. That includes family members. The WTS doesn't need to go out and hunt down inactive witnesses to DA them. They simply need to make a mention that if someone who was a baptized witness in good standing is no longer among us, and hasn't listened to the good counsel provided by the spiritual shepherds then ----poof. you know the rest. The WTS doesn't care if you, the inactive person, knows about your standing or not. They can't control you. They control the congregation members. They control their thoughts and actions. As far as current elders and witnesses who associate with DF'd relatives. Yes, that has always happened. It sometimes causes contention in the congregation. However, it is wrong according to the WTS. If the those ones break the DF rules then they will probably break the inactive rules too. That doesn't mean the WTS wouldn't make those rules though. Someone who is weak and in need of tender loving care won't get DA'd. Someone who is staunchly refusing to have a bible study or attend meetings or meet with the brothers for shepherding would be the primary target. The WTS has to find a way to keep faders from infecting their flock.
I wonder how they would handle JWs that go to the meetings fairly regularly (with family) but do not turn in time? They are inactive, but......
Perhaps, rather than it being some set in stone directive handed down from on high it will be more insidious.
The WTS could harp on the subject for 3-6 months or even a year. Bringing up those that have faded and refused the help of the local congregation. How it would be better if the congregation let elders handle spiritual topics with them. They could subtly make it known that having spiritual discussions with these persons would be similar to doing so with a DF'd person. Currently many friends feel it is their duty to convince the fader or inactive the correctness of the WTS teachings which opens the way for 2-way communication which can prove dangerous to the helpful JW.
With this method they avoid making some sort of announcement and instead let the information be hammered in slowly over the course of time.
Witnesses with a heart and those with faded family will be soothed because they'll know that as long as they don't discuss anything spiritual they won't get in trouble. The WTS is happy because if spiritual discussions aren't had then there is much less chance of their flock being infected with reality.
Blondie, that was exactly my question. I fit into that category. I am inactive from a field service standpoint, and I'm not a believer anymore, but I go to almost all the meetings and conventions to lessen the impact on my wife in the hopes of getting her out too.
under_believer - You're a sweetheart but be careful you don't one day reach the point of cracking. Be true to yourself!!!
I highly doubt this will happen. It's an interesting theory, but I do feel it's scare mongering, which is something we have hopefully moved away from. It's a logistical nightmare, in my territory alone they would have to chase up at least as many people as are attending the meetings. And it would be a complete turn around on their previous standpoint of encouraging inactive ones.
The recent article on 'when a loved one leaves Jehovah' that we all enjoyed so much Talks about these ones maybe coming back.So it's certainly not appearing in any literature.
And I agree that if announcements had to be made, how discouraging for JWs to realise how many had actually left!! It would certainly cause many more problems for them that it would solve.
If I was DAd after a relatively sucessful fade, I'd never go back and there would be no reason for me to keep quiet then either!
Poppy
Gill, thanks for the note, it's appreciated.
As I've posted elsewhere, it's the most difficult time of my life, but my family is worth it. Maybe I'll fail in the end, but at least I'll have a clean conscience.
under_believer - My husband 'played the same game' as you are doing. But one day he just said 'No More!' I could see he was very, very unhappy with 'da troof'. He told me it was all rubbish and that he would never go again. I said 'fine'. But that I would still be going. When I was at meetings I missed him desperately. I decided that I'd rather die with him than live forever without him.
I faded. One day I got on the internet and discovered the real truth about 'da troof'.
It was his kindness and love all of the time, no matter what that made me choose him over the JW Cult. And it was his patience that one day had me stumbling across the real truth that he had always known.
I hope your plan works for you. But if you can be the most loving and considerate husband and father, you may well find that your family will choose you over JW land when the time comes for a decision to be made. People find it impossible to walk away from genuine love, even if they try to at first. They will always come back to you.
Don't waste too much of your life on the WTBTS. But be the best father/husband etc.
I promise you, the best man WILL win!!!!
Hi Auld Soul
They have established (legally) the criteria by which someone must show they are voluntarily being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Technically, since preaching is a primary criterion they could already disassociate inactive ones without affecting the voluntary nature of association at all. If someone isn't preaching, they aren't a volunteer witness for Jehovah. That one is already "on the books."
I'm curious: Is this supported by research? I'd like to know more.
I realize that the JW's often tell their members that, "You have to witness" [i.e. Participate in the door to door ministry] to be one of "Jehovah's Witnesses" but have always understood it to be a idealogical rather than a real, legal concept.
I'm not an attorney and don't pretend to be, so I honestly don't know for sure, but my understanding is that charitable/philanthropic/church organizations (In the U.S) can't actually demand either time or money and still be considered a tax exempt voluntary association.
