If your questions is asking what would happen if they completely abandoned the disfellowshipping policy (which of course they never would) then, yes, many would stop attending almost overnight if they felt relatively certain that they could still enjoy some social contact with their JW friends and family. But if they tweaked the policy a bit to make it more reasonable and balanced then I agree with JWfacts that it would actually help them maintain their numbers.
If they merely 'marked' persons disfellowshipped under 1 Cor 5, which is in fact what the apostle Paul was counselling Christians to do at 2 Thessalonians 3: 14, 15 ('not even eating' with such persons mentioned at 1 Cor 5 means avoiding close, social contact, not total shunning. The Watchtower Society mistakenly believes the Greek word 'sunanamignumi' which the NWT translates as 'quit mixing in company' at 1 Cor 5: 9-13 and 'stop associating' at 1 Thess 3: 14, 15, means total shunning, however, 'sunanamignumi' only means intimate, close association, not general association), then the disfellowshipped person would be encouraged to hang in there and return. They would be able to receive encouraging exhortation to repent and enjoy full association again, which their very attendance at the meetings implies they are interested in doing. Coupled with that, the Society should make the following changes: reduce the length of time that someone is 'disfellowshipped', ie, instead of making them wait 6-9 months for reinstatement, make it about 3 months, tops. Also, give the person basic 'privileges' back (and why is answering up at the meetings a 'privilege' when the Watchtower Society says it is an 'expression of our faith') straight away upon reinstatement instead of making them suffer the humiliation of being unable to do these things for months and months.
But that approach is too much like common Christian decency and love for the Watchtower Society. They prefer to use disfellowshipping as a punitive, harsh measure. Disfellowshipping is a major FEAR WEAPON to keep JW's scared shitless of ever leaving. To any normal person the fear of being totally shunned by all your friends and family is a very natural, understandable fear and the GB knows this. So they are happy to maintain their ultra-harsh, legalistic and unscriptural policy on treating 'unrepentant sinners'. But what the GB don't realise is that their harsh treatment of disfellowshipped persons actually prevents many persons from returning to the organisation. They cannot endure the shame and humiliation of sitting at meetings for months on end with everyone completely ignoring them. It is one of the most emotionally insufferable experiences a human can endure...I know, because I did it.
What do you think would happen to the organization if.......
by R.F. 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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