Hello Ginny,
It has been awhile since we last talked.
I agree with you completely. My commentary was more of a crystalizing of my most current beliefs. Or an effort at trying to express them.
What puzzels me often, is to read comments from those who have left the org, still justifying df'ing and the resultant shunning by the WTBS or even other religious bodies. They even go so far as to catagorize individuals on this board, as immoral or suggest that those involved in sexual misconduct, lying, cheating, whatever, got what they deserved, in other words upholding the whole idea of disfellowshiping.
I cannot stomach these self righteous bastards anymore. What they seem to forget is, if someone has committed a crime, or violated a law, be it physical (abuse, pedophilia,murder etc)or violation of family law, crimes against the state (most all other crime), then there is a provision to handel them. Police and the court's.
Turning over any of these decisions to a tribunal of religious zealots, make no sense to me anymore. It simple ends up creating the enviroment jw's now face, with the whole pedophilia debacle.
I guess that is why most governments appreciate the need to seperate church and state. Without this seperation, we revert to the old witch hunts, allowing self-appointed 'holy' men to exact judgement, or pass condemnation, based on only the presumption that God is backing their decisions. I would much rather put my fate into the hands of 12/6/1 of my peer's in a secular court of law, in comparison with 3 bible thumping, overzealous, pompus ass, 'appointed elder's'.
In other words the WTBS and every other religious body, should get the hell out of peoples personal lives. Preach their message of love or hate, but don't pass judgement on me....I will no longer respect or condone their right to do so. They don't have it, period.
Danny