by ptrehearn152 81 Replies latest social relationships
you can try to hide your df status.
if you occasionally go to hall or assemblies you can hide anything....
but, if you want to be in the "in" the elders will ask what previous hall you were in and ask for cards.
to be reinstated a person must attend ALL meetings, show repentance and answer tons of question in the back room with the elders.
this process can take as little as 4 months and as much a 5 years depending on the situation and how many people this person pissed off
pt, the local congregation is not running a record check with the Bethel with every jw that shows up. The record check starts with their requesting the name and address of the congregation that holds your publisher's records cards if you want to be counted as a member of that congregation. Then the sh*t will hit the fan. I have seen df'd jws represent themselves as interested non-jws, studying with jws, and getting baptized. In this case a brother moved into the congregation from their old circuit and realized that they were a df'd jw.
so the chances of being reinstated after commiting adultry and living for 2 years unmarried with a non believer are pretty slim or difficult then.
pt, liiving in "fornication" would not be considered getting your jw situation in order. You would have to separate from that person or marry them.
pthearn
No, apostasy is probably the hardest to be reinstated from. Misconduct is relatively easy- attend all meetings...show 'repentance' to the elders and loylaty to the org.
just been reading some members biographies, there seems to be a lot of horror stories relating to jwism, can't for the life of me see what the attraction is or why anyone would want to put up with this religion, seems a very harshly disciplined way of life to me, i was under the impression that religion was supposed to bring piece harmony and love into peoples lives not the hanging judge techniques that some people speak of.
mind control pt, mind control
Ptrehern152
I'm here for therapy, it's better than paying a doctor.
I can't leave this religion.
I hope others see this trap, unlike me/parents where we are stuck.
wish you luck, you're gonna need it with someone who wants to come back to this lie
For many of us, there is no attraction.
We are born into the cult and it is extreeeemly difficult to get out because of the psycholical abuse.
We lose our childhood because, as children, we are not in a position to oppose the cult, then, as adults, lose our families if we oppose it.
Watch this from Michael Jackson.
I was gutted when I first saw this tonight. It fits my experience too well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVJscGa5vbc
Cheers
Chris
Just a thought, seeing she was disfellowshipped, she did not "choose to leave", but was kicked out. Even when choosing to leave due to doctrine and false prophesies, the fear and guilt are so ingrained, it is near impossible.
Now, for her, the guilt and fear may have become too much and she is mentally crumbling from it. She may wish to return out of fear of God killing her in Armegeddon. That is a strong fear. She was disfellowshipped for adultery. A clear offense in the scripture used to disfellowship her. Hubby and I however left because we saw falsehood. Not because we violated one of "God's laws". We chose to leave. It was still so emotionally shattering and nerve racking, the fear and guilt were hard to get past. The feeling that God would destroy you any minute is wretching.
There is mind control, and conditioning to overcome...even when you KNOW it, it is difficult to overcome. If you do not know it, I would imagine it impossible. If she hasn't searched elsewhere, seen the lies they tell about other churches and done her own research...they still hold her. She is a prisoner in her own mind until she can see the "man behind the curtain" calling himself "the wizard/God's spokesman".
I feel for you. The Watchtower lies grow deep roots and take over a person's free will. She may miss the comraderie, the structure, the requirements that make her feel she is "earning" God's favor. As a witness, you don't realize the scripture is true that the gift of life is a free gift from God. You feel that you have never done enough. But the scripture says, anyone believing has everlasting life. As a witness you are quoted scriptures that say "few are the ones", "maybe you may be concealed on the day of God's anger","preach as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come", " endure to the end" and on and on. It is always do more, have more faith, don't question, keep up with Jehovah's chariot, if you don't understand...pray and trust the Governing Body and keep going (it's your imperfection and Satan causing doubts), sacrifice more...it is a hard life.
On the topic of her reinstatement...she will have to meet with or the elders will have to talk to the judicial committee that disfellowshipped her. Reinstatement is NOT repenting and coming back to God. You can repent immediately and have God's forgiveness. It is putting on a show for earthly men who felt they were qualified to judge another and cast them out. You have to jump through hoops to please them, not God. The length it takes to get reinstated varies. It depends on what they want. My mother in law was disfellowshipped and they put off her reinstatement until after her daughter's wedding. That meant she could not attend the rehearsal, the reception and showers, help plan the wedding or have a seat of honor. Her future son-in-law, the presiding overseer of his congregation (top dog elder), didn't even want her sitting in the audience to attend the wedding. I truly believe they wanted to extend extra punishment to her and didn't reinstate her until just after the wedding. Evil isn't it? In the bible, the person was brought before the congregation. Not to a back room of elders. The prodigal son wasn't told he had to prove himself. He was welcomed immediately upon his return, before he even uttered a word! She will not experience the love a true Christian would offer as the angels in heaven rejoice over her return. She will be embarrassed, tortured and shamed. But if you are in fear and guilt...you will go through it...the same way a child being abused longs for it's parents affection, people chase the watchtower's. It is very sad and heart breaking. All the best to you and yours.
