by Albert Einstein 25 Replies latest jw friends
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea." (New American Version)
So many here started their journey because of unkind and unwarranted treatment at the hands of self-righteousness dubs. By their own interpretation of the above scripture, they are more guilty in the eyes of their God than those they victimize.
Our friends started shunning us as soon as we abruptly stopped going to meetings. Nobody asked why. It was bizarre.
About a month or so after our last meeting we went to one of our best "friends" (of 10 years) house. Up until then, we'd have dinner with each other 1 or 2 times a week at least. But at this visit, a month after just missing meetings, you would have thought we'd grown horns. They were visibly mortified that we kind of invited ourselves into their house (as we always have with each other). They couldn't get rid of us quickly enough. Haven't heard from them in 2 years.
Other friends in another country have heard rumors about us, and have immediately virtual-shunned us (facebook de-friending). Again, with no contact to confirm the rumors. All rumors are assumed to be true.
Blondie, you have identified the one reason I could no longer go door to door and condemn Christendom by comparison with the True Congregation that would be identified by the love they have among themselves. How could I invite people to come to a place that I knew was a farce? As an elder I found out who hated who. There was more hate and resentment betwixt these people than in my old High School. It was childish and petty. Unchristian anyone? It wasn't covered over with love, it was just covered up. W.Once
I later learned that her name was Amy and that she was disfellowshipped or declared disassociated, which in the early 1980s was officially the same as being d'fed (Even to the ridiculous point of a certain watchtower using over and over again the composite word disfellowshipped/disassociated, yes they lumped the words together).
And we know why don't we? It was a personal hissy fit thrown by one of the 'anointed' great leaders, against his nephew - the principled, brave Ray Franze. The whole D/A equals D/F rule was passed PURELY as a way of hurting Ray. Lese majeste indeed. At least we know how they get their 'new light',spite.
R.I.P. Amy, sounds like another brave soul.
I quietly DA'd myself back in 2008. I have a few family members and friends who are JWs and they will have nothing to do with me. It is as if I no longer exist in their minds. I did not leave them, God or Christ. I left an organization
Yet, they all know that I am very godly, studious and pay close attention to details and cling to what Christ taught above what any religious organization teaches. They also find it odd that I am not disgruntled or angry.
I think they would be happy if I went off of the deep end. That way, they can say, "You see, it is because he left the organization."
But I did not go off of the deep end, I kept my senses and focus; not as a Jehovah's Witness, but simply as a Disciple of Christ as Jesus directed - no more and no less, no fancy religious organization titles. This puzzles them and they have no answer for me.
They see that I am not restricted as they are. I will greet and talk to persons they have been told not to talk to. I will read books that they have told to shun. I am free to express love and concern to ANYONE "I" choose. I even show it to my former Brothers and Sisters even though they refuse to show it towards me. This is what the Apostle Paul meant by the expression heaping "fiery coals upon his head."
It is foolish to shun anyone. It is stuck up, snobbish, and anal. Christ NEVER commanded this type of conduct out of his disciples. NEVER!
The WT is dead wrong with this shunning teaching of theirs. The way they justify its teaching is that they attribute it as a "Bible Teaching."
Guess what people! The Bible is NOT our Teacher and it is NOT the Word of God. CHRIST JESUS is our Teacher and he is The Word of God.
The reason why the WT never attributes shunning as CHRISTS TEACHING because Christ never taught such a thing.
Just as their is only one God, there can only be one Word of God. To call a book "The Word of God" is blasphemous when it is a "person" - Jesus Christ - who IS The Word of God.
No book can be elevated to such a lofty position! But that is exactly what "Christendom" and the WT have done. They have made a book holy and have minimized the one who is EXCLUSIVELY The Word of God.
So one must think carefully on this: Christ never taught shunning others. The WT organization justifies its teaching of shunning by cleverly saying "The Bible" teaches it.
This shows who it has placed above Christ, a book.
I simply do not care about what "The Bible" teaches because it is not my Head, Leader, Lord or Teacher - Jesus Christ is. I listen to him. (Luke 9:35 and 1 Cor 11:3)
If he did not teach shunning and he himself never shunned anyone, neither shall I.
Because Christ is mentioned in this book that men named, does not make "The Book" itself the Word of God.
Satan is quoted many times in "The Bible." Are his words the Word of God? Satan's words do appear in the very book many claim is The Word of God!
How much simpler is it to obey God with concerns his son at Luke 9:35.
All in this book called the Bible is Christ's teachings. Thus, know what the Bible is and how it came to be.
Only a very tiny percentage of Christs teachings are in this book named by men and called the Bible. It could have been named anything as men desired it to be named.
The bulk of what Christ has to teach us is not in any book, it is accessed by prayer to the Father in heaven (through his son) and we receive it through the same and ONLY channel that we asked: Jesus Christ.
Those desiring to be true disciples of Christ MUST NOT subscribe to the titles the WT gives them such as apostates, spiritually weak, rebellious, etc. If you do, then to you are not free because you show reverent fear of the organization to allow it to place those "foul stench" titles upon you.
You must become like "Superman" or "Superwoman" and those Watch Tower bullets bounce off your chest and you are not harmed (mentally or physically) by them.
You will then have power and know the freedom of Christ!
Its more like ignoring, or silent treatment, avoidance, etc.
This is exactly what is happening to me. I live in a different place as most of them, however, they all left my social media (around the same time). Me texts are ignored, or I get a superficial perfunctory response from some, from others nothing. My cousin literally told me, if I wanted to call and speak to her she would talk to me, but would not do anything socially.
Mind you none of them even know I am inactive. I am not DA'd not DF'd and my family has no idea about my status in the congregation. For something I said I have indeed been marked by them as dangerous and shunned as an apostate.
Also as I was pointing out last night to my spouse that JW's live in a despicable world of shunning. Not dfing related, just in general, it's so ingrained in their doctrine that they make it a much more common practice. They don't like the way you looked at them? You are more liked? Less liked? whatever, they will ignore you.
The shunning scale just gets more severe the closer you get to disfellowshipping, otherwise witness are fickle and petty, they will ignore you for watching the wrong movie or listening to the wrong music.
