Well, whatever happens, I wish they'd get it on. The suspense is killing me.
DF'ing and DA'ing procedural change in the horizon
by iloowy 285 Replies latest members private
-
-
undercover
don't know what happened....I typed a message but it didn't show up...go figure... Anyhoo...I'll try again: I wouldn't worry about it. I think this is another rumor that got blown out of proportion (but I will eat my hat if I'm wrong) (now my paragraph spacing isn't working aarrgggh my computer is demonized)
-
AllTimeJeff
There are a lot of better sounding rumors then this. To disfellowship someone in absentia is hard to do, it goes against the by laws of the Borg. For them to be able to do this, they will have to change their "Borganized to Accomplish our Felony" book and include it in a new set of questions for baptism to protect themselves legally.
-
eyeslice
I can't see his happening myself. As long as you are obviously not doig anything 'wrong' they like to leave the door open to you. And then when you return after 20 years they have a great experience to use at the next assembly.
Joking aside though, it would worry me if they took this line. I have had only a couple of visits in 5 years and the elders did try pushing the 'do you still believe this is God's organization?' line. I managed to give a reply that was sufficiently vague and puzzling to them that they didn't push it.
-
truthseeker
Bttt
-
daniel-p
Nah... after a while thinking about this I think it's less likely it will all go down like this. When it comes down to it it's up to the local elders to do the dirty work. And most of them are not up for it. They don't like the dirty work.
-
cattails
Auto DF'ing and DA'ing -- letters affirming this in new service year 2009-10?
- For the new Service Year 2009-2010 look forward to announcements of a couple of new members in the Governing Body.
- Eventually another two more to bring the number up to 12.
- There will be adjustments to Congregation meetings and traveling overseer arrangement.
- The new school for elders will feature the continued advancement of the trained "conscience" of the friends...
- more emphasis on each one's conscience and disassociation by one's actions to avoid costly legal troubles.
-
minimus
btt
-
minimus
"Training the consciences of the friends"= brainwashing.
-
cattails
To me it feels like the GB is trying to orchestrate things so that
they keep the control while in every way they can try to be more loose
on the reins. They want to be like King Lear and get the honor and
the reverance but don't want to be burdened with legal cases tracing
responsibility to them or the WT Society.
___________Original Post____________
There is to be no current disassociation or expelling of anyone from congregations, be it due to acceptance of blood, fornication or adultery, apostasy, or dealings with apostates, familiarity or intimacy with those who are no longer part of the congregation, or any other type of transgression or non-Christian conduct.
Instead of expulsion by disfellowshipping action they are to be considered "voluntary disassociations" by people who regularly or irregularly associated with the congregation.
Such voluntary disassociations are twofold:
1. Disassociation that could be called "expressed", that is, when the person expresses or states that he no longer wishes to remain a witness OR acknowledges and confesses he has committed a gross sin and has tried to hide his error (and therefore shows that he has disassociated, "perhaps temporarily), and2. Unstated disassociation (or not notified) when the person does not say specifically, but the body of elders finds that there is evidence, whether the "facts" or "omissions" that the person in question has no interest in continuing to be associated with the congregation and, therefore, the same body of elders has explained or tried to explain to the person that through his action he has disassociated himself from the congregation and nothing else.
It is not the congregation that disfellowships, expels or disassociates, but the person himself who leaves by his own choice of action. He is not disfellowshipped. He is not disassociated by anyone else.
It is a matter of making the person see that he has chosen through his actions to separate or disassociate from the rest of the congregation. He has disassociated himself. At any rate it will be announced from the platform that "So-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah's Witness."
Absolutely no mention the words "Disfellowshipping" or "disassociation" should be made in the public statement.
Unstated disassociation calls for highlighting the "facts" and "omissions".
By "facts" it is to be understood that these are mainly gross sins not confessed, but "uncovered" by others. In this case the person is asked to appear before a judicial committee and make a statement. If the person comes before the committee and confesses his wrong course, "he is made aware that he has disassociated himself from the congregation through this wrongful course" and that he can return to the congregation when after some time he ha "demonstrates true repentance." If he chooses not to come before the committee, but there is evidence from other persons that he has taken a wrongful course which sets him apart from the congregation, "he has automatically disassociated himself".
"Omissions" could also be understood to mean neglecting the preaching work and not attending meetings without good reason during a long period of time, perhaps even several years. In this case, the wholly "inactive" one (to differentiate from the occasionally "inactive" one) is invited to meeting with two elders (not before a judicial committee), either at his home in the Kingdom Hall or in any other agreed place. If the brother or sister rejects the invitation or refuses to answer repeated phone calls or written invitations, the body of elders, after a "reasonable" waiting time, perhaps a few months or a year, will conclude that the person "is not interested in associating with the congregation and, consequently, it is understood that "he has disassociated from the congregation" and so it will be announced.