When I was growing up in the 70's You rarely heard about "so and so" has "Disassociated" themselves and are no longer one of JW's. That was how I remember a JW's sister being announced as "DA" in 1975. Her family and my family were best friends and it sent chills down my family's back. I was very young and I kept asking my mom, "Can we speak to Sister X-witness" "Is Sister X-witness still a JW's" "Will she be destroyed at Armaggeddon?" I just was so confused as to the Difference between DF and DA people. But I remember another pioneer sister making a remark about Sister X-witness(who had high blood pressure really bad) "Well if the High blood pressure don't kill her Jehovah will at Armaggeddon. I thought this was such a "nasty" remark to make against a person with High blood pressure no matter how bad they are. So I have always thought DA people are treated 10 times worse than DF people. What do you think posters?
In your "opinion" are "DF" treated worse than "DA" ex-jws? Are equally?
by booker-t 7 Replies latest jw friends
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NewYork44M
The preception is that DA witnesses do what they do because are wicked apostates. There is nothing worse than that.
When some one is DFed the generally preceived reason is for some sort of sexual situation. Most can generally relate to the DFing act. But not the dreaded apostate.
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journey-on
When I was a in the org, I never even remember hearing the term "disassociated". I only remember a few disfellowshipped witnesses and that was for "conduct unbecoming a Christian" which I don't think they can say anymore. Most of the df's were for immorality or drunkenness, not apostasy. I always kept up with everything because my family were all strong JWs, but I don't remember hearing of anybody writing a letter to disassociate themselves from the congregation.
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juni
Good evening Booker.
I was being shunned for no reason before I DAed myself. I'd just get in their face and talk to them even though they didn't like it - I have no reason why they would do that, but my guess is there was gossiping going on and stories made up. I just wasn't going to the meetings. And this wasn't over a very long period of time.
I remember that when someone was announced as DAing themselves what came to mind was that they had turned apostate. And you know that is being the scum at the bottom of the pond.
When someone was DFed, you knew they had done something against "the rules" and were unrepentant, but hopefully would come to their "senses" and come back to the loving fold.
Juni
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IP_SEC
Depends on what you mean by better or worse.
Better to me is "Leave me the fook alone."
In that respect I guess DA'd is better. If you hope there'd be any chance in hell they'd acknowledge your existence if you see them in WalMart. Then prolly DF'd is better.
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sass_my_frass
They're treated the same, inasmuch as all have no contact with family. Whether those accidental or unavoidable events are any better or worse will depend on the JW; hardliners re 'morals', psychopaths re apostates...
I guess it depends whether you're more bothered about being disrespected or feared?
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iamfreenow
In my experience, most people who disassociate by letter state their reasons for doing so, which in my letter was that I no longer believed in Watchtower doctrine. Therefore, the elders at least are aware why these peole have left, although in the Hall I attended gossip often circulated that the one leaving had done so out of shame because they wouldn't or couldn't meet Jehovah's standards. I very much doubt that anyone apart from the ones I sent personal letters to know that I left due to the research I had done,as it would not be in the eldes or the Society's interest to publicise that.
Because I disassociated, I haven't been bothered by elders calling on me to see if I want to return, which tends to happen with those who are disfellowshipped, unless they request otherwise. I would imagine that those who leave for the reasons that I stated in my letter would be viewed as apostates, and thus considered to be more of a threat to the congregation than those disfellowshipped for say, sexual offences,smoking etc.
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Jourles
It is because of these two distinctions, or labels, that I took the path that I did when I was df'd. I certainly could have da'd myself, but I wanted the elders to df me instead. In my 32 years time as a jw, a da'd person was viewed as much more worse than a df'd individual. As has already been pointed out, a da'd person intentionally and willfully leaves jehover. A df'd person could have had a moment of weakness but the elders still df'd them for whatever reason(yes, even as a hardcore jw, I knew that elders sometimes made mistakes when df'ing someone). I felt that if I was df'd, all of my old friends would look upon my person better than if I were to have da'd. I know, there is no difference in the end between the two, but there really is in the back of someone's mind. I know I felt that way and so did many of my friends and family.