Black Families & Shunning

snowbird

After reading Password's blog on Freeminds, and following the thread about the 7/09 Awake, I am saddened to hear the experiences of so many who have been shunned by their families.

I confess that when I first started reading at this site - 8 years ago - I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knew that DF'd persons were to be excluded from any spiritual interaction, but I'd never personally witnessed the extreme shunning that the Society encourages.

I've often mentioned that this seldom happens in Black families. Of course, I have no statistical evidence to back this up, but I have yet to see a family in my area practice this kind of shunning. If someone else has, please speak up.

As to why many Black families refuse to shun their loved ones, I don't have a hard answer, but I can make a conjecture.

During slavery, at the master's whim, many families were broken up, with members oftentimes never seeing each other again. Post-slavery conditions were so harsh that it behooved all family members to stick together for survival. I believe this tradition of keeping the family close has all but negated the WT shunning directives.

This is just my take on matters.

Thank you for reading.

Sylvia

John Doe

I think it's because they're not good at following orders and knowing their place.

(running for cover)

sir82

Very interesting.

Undoubtedly the Society is aware of stuff like this.

I wonder if the extremely heavy-handed articles on strictly shunning even close family members is aimed at the black JW community?

insearchoftruth

Not black myself, but the blacks who I know and work with in this area seem to have a much stronger sense of family than the white folks do......

babygirl75

I agree....

I'm not black, but have always noticed the family reunions that blacks have and they go all out when they have family gatherings. Always wished we had a family like that.

snowbird

John Doe, what are we going to do with you?

Sir, you may very well be on to something.

ISOT, down here, family is everything.

Sylvia

undercover

I knew several black families that held to the shunning as well as anyone else in the hall. And I've seen some white families ignore the shunning rules and continue to associate with DFd family just because they felt like it.

I personally don't think there is a coorelation between race and loyalty to the shunning rules.

I also don't think slavery has anything to do with why some blacks shun the shunning, so to speak. Slavery ended 140some years ago. Several generations have passed. I don't think that breakup of families back then has any direct influence on how current generations go about preserving families today.

snowbird

BabyGirl, you are absolutely right!

Chitlins, ribs, and pig tails are a must on such occasions.

Sylvia

snowbird

UC, I think otherwise.

But, of course, we both have that right.

Sylvia

insearchoftruth

To me family is also everything, I guess a die hard witness replaces family with the org, that is just so sad, because if you have any problems in life and a good family, they will always be there for you........the org tell you to get closer to Jehovah, or seek aid from some other group....

I know this is a bit off topic, but when my wife's parents started to have some issues with each other and had each committed adultery, they were both booted from the congo and then the family still in was told to shun them.....which some did.....at this time they really needed the help of family and the love of a congregation.....well MIL has not looked back at the org, FIL has groveled his way back in, and wife can see nothing but what a 'biblical' arrangement it was (with coaching from the study dubette of course)

Black Families & Shunning

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