Did you ever really believe that god wanted you to shun people? (page 4)

SPAZnik

Wasn't the guy who wrote that a former murderer? And didn't the same guy also have something against people hooking up, recommending they stay single or something like that? I suspect he may have had socialization issues, personally. LOL

iceguy

Momz according to the WTS you did the right thing since df'd are not supposed to associate with other df'd.

independent_tre

No. It was the one thing I was against even before I was baptized.

The logic behind it makes no sense. Let's say a person is struggling with a problem, maybe an addiction to drugs, gambling, etc. The way you get that person to change is to treat him like he's dead? Yeah, that'll work...

The reason they want people to shun a DF'd or DA'd person is because they are afraid members of the religion will find out some of these people found fault with the doctrines of the religion. So, they preach that it is for a protection that you shun somebody who is DF'd or DA'd. Actually, it is a protection for them. They want people to think the DF'd or DA'd person is out because of 'immorality' not because something is wrong with the religion.

Yup, this is exactly why shunning is so strictly enforced. Not because they (GB) give a hoot about repenting, but to keep the members in line and ignorant of this kind of information. I cringe to the bone when they convince people that this is the 'strong discipline' that Jehovah wants.

Thechickennest

The Elder-PO who studied with my sister and I before I was baptized, said about the shunning...." it is really a loving arrangement'. I kind of went along with it until this same Elder's disfellowshipped son was dying in the hospital with cancer a couple of years later. I had become close to this Elder and his wife. I took Orville and his wife to the hospital and we all visited thier disfellowshipped son. Orville came away from that visit saying that it was going to be ok because "David has made his peace with God"

From what I know now we all could have been disfellowshipped at that time for making that visit.

I think there was a huge message in that experience for all four of us that day. While this Elder and his wife were faithful until they died, we knew just between us that the shunning issue was a bad deal and nothing that we could defend any longer.

parakeet

I don't remember if I believed that God wanted me to shun anyone, but I remember I believed it was wrong to shun anyone.

I was 16 (having been in the "truth" for 3 years), visiting some JW friends who had a DFed adult daughter. The daughter unexpectedly came in while I and my parents and older brother were there. My brother had just enough time to hiss at me, "Don't talk to her. She's disfellowshipped." My parents had always drilled into me the importance of being polite to everyone, especially anyone older than me. I was shocked, having been unaware until that moment of the WTS's shunning policy. I hissed back, "If she says hello to me, I'm going to say hello back."

Even though I remained a JW for 10 more years after that, I never deliberately shunned anyone DFed, DAed or D anything. It was the only JW doctrine I openly defied while I was a JW.

SnakesInTheTower

Even as an elder, I would talk to DF people...of course, I told fellow elders that it was to "encourage them to come back and seek reinstatement" when in reality it was really just talking about the mundane things in life that normal people talk about...

Funny.... a poster on this forum called me tonight. They were in the same congo as me a couple years back. I was on their JC for apostasy (ironic, eh?). They want to get together for dinner and I am cool with that...

The poster is DF, their spouse is not but is inactive.... I wouldnt care that I am seen with them in public except I still have my JW mom to think about....so we are going to meet at a restaraunt away from the area where we live....just to avoid potential trouble for me...if a certain elder in our old congo seen me with them, that elder would immediately call my new congo (that I no longer attend) and I would be DF in absentia.... that is not something I want to put my JW mom through..whether she says she wouldnt shun me or not is not the point.......the mental upset it would cause her (more than my not attending meetings is already causing her) is not worth it to me to get DF/DA if I can avoid it. My mom's feelings come first...but only to a point....I wont go back to the Borg..not even for her...

I am glad my DF friend is understanding about this situation and not wanting to not risk my relationship with my mom.......they are good people.... I hated being on the JC....

What a load of crap...gotta sneak around to talk to who I want because of the damn shunning rules...I feel like a hypocrite....

Snakes ()

Did you ever really believe that god wanted you to shun people?