I am so surprised about the latest new light about the generation, I was wondering if the views about how to treat a disfellowshipped person have changed over the years. This would be quite interesting to find out if there are some old publications that someone may have as proof
Disfellowshipping Rules
by LadyCCC 6 Replies latest jw friends
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stillajwexelder
I was wondering if the views about how to treat a disfellowshipped person have changed over the years.
They have varied from not strictly enforced to very strictly enforced even for family
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onacruse
Like stilla said.
Up until the late 70s, it was pretty much hardline. Then it changed to "If you think you can talk them back in, then take your best shot." Then, in the early 80s, it changed back to hardline.
LadyCCC, if you need written documentation, it is available...or was your question more of a "general" inquiry?
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The Last Nephilim
Back when CT Russell was stil in charge, this was the "society's" view;
"If some did not care to work in harmony with the Society thus constituted, that would be their privilege; yet that would not mean that there should be any ill feeling, nor that such should be disfellowshipped... If others see it in a different way, that is their privilege. There should be full liberty of conscience."
Of course, this applies only to not going along with the WTS and not to committing sins such as sexual immorality. -
belbab
I was disfellowshiped in 1973. Before this I had talked to a girl friend, who asked me too many questions about the organization. Two years after, this girl friend became my wife, she was never disfellowshipped. We had two sons born three years apart. My wife's parents travelled across Canada several times to see us and their grandchildrem. Suddenly, sometime in the eighties, they stopped coming and even if asked, avoided the request.
We did not know why. Then we came across a WT magazime by accident and in it I found an article or question from readers that, in subtle WT verbiage, said that it is not appropriate for grandparents to visit their grand children born of disfellowshipped parents. So our two sons grew up for eight or ten years and were in their late teens. Suddenly, the grandparents started communicating again and came out once or twice more. They could not understand why our sons were somewhat distant from them. Why? Because they were complete strangers. Again, we found that an article in the WT had made an about face and allowed grandparents to visit their grandchildren. I can't remember the exact article, but it was in the nineties.
My wife, confronted her mother with the WT articles , not unkindly, but the reply she received was, "Oh no, we would never do that!"
The grandfather died in the nineties. Later my wife's mother was placed by her JW son and wife in a care home, which she hated immensely. With the approval of her son and daughter in law, along with the elders in her congregation and the elders in the congregation where we live, she was granted permission to come and live with us. She lived her last year with us, and died a couple of years ago.
The grandparents were the losers, they missed the joy of watching their grandchildren grow up.
Both their grandchildren of their JW son left the organization, one rebelled and went to college and became a teacher. The other, the golden boy, got into drugs and thievery big time, persuaded to come back in when after he was hunted down and attended his grandfathers funeral, got married and as far as we know is split up or divorced again.
So they have made a change in their dismemberment policies. I don't have the facilities for looking up these articles, but they are out there if anyone can find them.
belbab
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freydi
Daily Heavenly Manna
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Galatians 6:1
"LET us learn well this lesson of reproving others very gently, very considerately, kindly, by a hint rather than a direct charge and detail of the wrong-- by an inquiry respecting the present condition of their hearts rather than respecting a former condition, in which we know they have erred. We are to be less careful for the punishments that will follow wrongdoings than for the recovery of the erring one out of the error of his way. We are not to attempt to judge and punish one another for misdeeds, but rather to remember that all this is in the hands of the Lord;--we are not in any sense of the word to avenge ourselves or to give chastisement or recompense for evil." Z.'01-150 R2807:6 -
LadyCCC
Yes, written proof would be great