I am not defending the "degree" to which JW's demand loyalty. I do believe organizations have the right to expect and control certain behaviors of its members. JW's are way off scale in their use of disfellowshipping. Disfellowshipping should be as rare as life sentences in general society. But equating disfellowshipping with execution is ridiculous. Any organization that is organized hierarchically can be accused of "killing". People on the bottom of a hierarchy experience more serious mental and physical illnesses than people at the top of a hierarchy. Sociologists and anthropologists have documented the serious effects of alienation due to low ranking. In a sense organizations are both useful and deadly.
Honor Killings vs. Disfellowshipping
by writetoknow 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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VoidEater
"But when it comes to the controversial question of whether any government of this world should exercise its right to execute murderers, genuine Christians remain carefully neutral. Unlike the clergy of Christendom, they keep out of any debate on this subject."
The question posed and the answer given pertains to Witnesses not becoming involved in Ceasar's judicial scene. It has little relation to the question of honor killings, stoning for sinning, and the like. Christians are "neutral" regarding governmental actions, not "against killing".
If I had a penny for every time I've heard from the platform how one shortcoming or another is deserving of stoning...!
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proplog2
Void: They acknowledge the right of governments to execute criminals. But a lot of witnesses will say that governments "ought" to execute criminals. I always ask these individuals if it would be OK for a Christian to be an executioner. I have always been against capital punishment. The video of the young woman that was stoned by her fellow villagers in norther Iraq was sickening. I don't think most witnesses appreciate the violence of stoning.
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writetoknow
I feel its a very fine line between actual killing someone and disfellowshipping. To make matters even worst once back in they never forget and the humilation continues.
I think it an easy way to remove problems unlike a family that is forced to deal with problems some times for years. Christian are a family that's the reason they call each other brothers and sisters. Further, family members are never forgot even in death.
Moreover, the reason for most disfellowshipping is do to the fact people cannot confess their sins openly without being somehow humilated. Thus, problems are hid in fear and distrust until the elders find out.
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wednesday
They are sure keeping this quiet around here. The brother of the girls was interviewed and he said more or less, oh no it has nothing to do with Islam. most everyone knows what honor killings are among the Islam. but the news is really keeping a lid on it here.
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writetoknow
Your right about playing it down. I think there is a political correctness regarding the subject. There should be a world wide out cry for the crimes against Isam woman.
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writetoknow
"Islamic" I can never get the edit to work for misspelled words.
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Bangalore
Bttt.
Bangalore
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blondie
As long as secular laws restrict jws from killing members guilty of "capital" crimes, I don't see it coming before the so-called "new system." The WTS does base what is a df'ing offense on capital crimes under the Law where people were put to death by stoning. Could it return....
*** w52 11/15 p. 703 Questions From Readers ***
In the case of where a father or mother or son or daughter is disfellowshiped, how should such person be treated by members of the family in their family relationship?—P. C., Ontario, Canada.
We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. "Thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him to death with stones, because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, . . . And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee."—Deut. 13:6-11,
AS.
Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof.
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Will Power
Writetoknow - love that name!
I believe the parallels between physical stoning and shunning as a result of df'g are similar and striking.
The mob mentality is easy to get caught up in. For a conscience, there is safety in numbers.
However, making a personal decision to treat another as dead - by choice or org. enforced - is still YOU killing that person in your mind.
If you need the bible to back up this "killing" for you - what do you do with a book that also quotes the opposite? Do you still worship every word as if from god? Shut off the brain and do as your told? Close off your heart and follow the masses? Let fear (read selfishness) push you to cause emotional harm on another. - I say selfishness because to go against the directives of the shunning policy puts yourself in jeopardy.
Disfellowshipping is a company rule - sure go ahead decide your membership, but shunning is a different game. It is cruel, humiliating, judgemental, and emotional blackmail - that kills the spirit - on both sides.
The story of the stoning of soraya is very powerful. I wish every shunner would watch this.
http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2010/05/the-stoning-of-soraya-m-a-review/
I hate shunning - can you tell?
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my 2¢ / wp