DFd for smoking. Is that considered an Apostate now?

NotaNess

Just wondering that now makes one an Apostate. Its more of a physical than a verbal shunning of their doctrine or even due to the hard habit to break, so do they treat you the same? also, can you be a smoker while going to meetings (not during), as long as your not baptised yet?

sweetface2233

I am confused as to what you believe is an apostate. The JW definition of an apostate is someone speaking out against God's Divine Organization, i.e. the WTS. Being a smoker is not speaking against the org. Just as gambling, premarital and oral sex, drug use, and stealing are not speaking out against the org. Just because the particular sin is considered a disfellowshipping offense does not mean that the offender would be labeled an apostate.

Mary

Just wondering if that now makes one an Apostate.

Not to my knowledge. While the end result is the same (disfellowshipping), smoking is not considered anywhere near as great a sin as "apostacy". Good example is what happened to Gumby. He was DF'd 13 years ago for smoking. He started a fake reinstatement last August or September and he was re-instated by January. Fortunately for him, the elders had no idea he was, and remains, an 'apostate'. Had they known his views at the time, there's no way they would have reinstated him.

Also, can you be a smoker while going to meetings (not during), as long as your not baptised yet?

The circumstances vary. If you're a 'newly interested one' who's just started to study with the Witnesses, you'll still be able to smoke, but with the understanding that they expect you to quit in the very near future. Certainly before you take the plunge. On the other hand, if you're a 16-year old non-baptized-but-raised-in-the-'Truth' and you get caught smoking, it'll be alot different. While they can't disfellowship you, you'll be forced to endure elder's visits, everyone in the Hall will find out that you're 'bad association' and will not let their kids hang around with you, you probably won't be able to comment at the Craptower study or any other Q&A meeting, and you probably won't be allowed to go out in Service. Like that's a big punishment. Of course, the real irony is that while smoking is viewed as one step away from being 'demonized', the average Dub has no idea that the WTS has stock in Phillip Morris. Typical hypocrisy from The Chosen Ones.

WTWizard

Within the Tower, there are two major levels of "sin" that carry disfellowshipping. The standard level comprises of the normal sins, and the (what they call) more serious level is the apostate. To be an apostate, you have to have turned against the organization in some way.

The average sinner (such as smoking) will be disfellowshipped if not repentant. But it is possible for the person to stop smoking, start going to all the meetings, and then apply for reinstatement. This person is sorry for having smoked, and will want to go back. All too many of them wind up succeeding in getting reinstated, and then they are "weak" for some time after.

The apostate, on the other hand, knows the real truth. This person has turned against the Tower, and is in no way sorry. If they go to the meetings, it is usually to find something that can be thrown back at the organizstion. Of course, apostates who get disfellowshipped for apostasy are going to have a much harder time going back, first because they know the real truth, and also because the hounders do not trust them.

blondie

Smoking does not make you an apostate, df'd yes. If you went around advocating for smoking or that it was wrong to df people for it and talked to jws or at the KH, you could be considered apostate. It is going against WTS teachings publicly advocating disobeying the WTS.