The Efficacy of JWs’ Shunning (Your experiences and analysis)

by JW_Researcher 34 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Rebirth

  I see two parts to this. I see the lets-hang-him-in-town-square-to-make-a-lesson-out-of-him mentality and I see the lets-treat-him-like-a-naughty-child-who-needs-to-learn-his-lesson. Shunning has not worked on me from my parents and siblings, and actually seeing how a mother could desert their child, leaving every bit of natural affection behind has only served to demonstrate to me how important it is that I never go back to such mind control and that I teach my own children to think for themselves and trust their instinct above all else. BTW, isn't there a scripture about that being a sign of the times, mothers losing their natural affection? Well, lo and behold, they are fulfilling prophecy (said tongue in cheek of course).

  I''ve said this before, but even if JWs, by so weird wrinkle in time, end up being right, I want no part in a system in which a god would treat his/her followers with such cruelty. No thanks, I'd rather be dead.
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  Thechickennest

  Hello:

  Some have tried to shun me since I resigned. It always has been in a public setting. They try to do it and fail miserably at it. I always am pleasant and smile and maybe say hello.

  My wife on the other hand had a job for a few years in a local Doctors office where the office manager and receptionist were JW's and personally knew my wife. They had to work with her and they were really pissy to her most of the time. They eventially got her fired. A lot of the local JW's were patients there. Some were really rude to my wife and others were perfectly amiliable and pleasant.

  To put it in a nutshell at least in our area, the ones that try to shun us have always been kind of anal anyway in the best of times and, so their style of shunning carries over nicely to treating someone like a pile of shit.

  When I was attending meetings I never was unpleasant to disfellowshipped ones attending meeting or in any other setting. You know they might just get reinstated at some point and then they will always remember how they were treated by you. I did not wish for anyone to suffer any ill treatment from me.My worldly parents brought me up with way better manners than some JW's who think they are top dog.
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  jwfacts

  I think the overall affect is damaging to the WTS. It is one of the signsthat alert people to it being a cult, restricting the number of potential converts.

  For those in, it may reduce wrongdoing, but does not prevent it. All that happens is people end up living double lives.

  What also has a negative affect on growth is that fear of shunning keeps non believers in. I stayed for 10 years whilst not believing, so as not to get d/f. What happened was that over those 10 years I did not bring anyone to baptism, but was able to damage the faith of several others. I married a JW who left when I left; if I had not been afraid of being d/f and shunned I would never have been married to a JW and hence taken her out with me.
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  whitman

  In my experience I have observed that there is indeed a certain 'glee' or enjoyment experienced by the wider congregation when someone from within their own midst is disfellowshipped. Upon reflection I think that the reason for the joy is that the act of disfellowshipping represents, in a more outwardly and physical sense, of the way in which God is able to see within a person's heart, or see what goes on behind closed doors. In day to day witness lives, I don't think that they really do 'witness' the physicality of their God. Yes, they may look at nature and associate it with the workings of God, but to have a disfellowshipping takes that knowledge to a whole new level - it is evidence, or proof that God is indeed all-seeing and all-knowing. Something tangible.
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  Mickey mouse

  I've seen many disfellowshipped ones work to get reinstated to restore family ties. Then they execute a fade within a year. I don't know many people who have been disfellowshipped, reinstated and gone on to become hardcore JW's again.