by utahdan 14 Replies latest jw friends
Perhaps you should consider kindness on your part
Hey, I said welcome!
The sword cuts both ways. In general, posters here are more tolerant of those who "kindly" introduce themselves, rather than make "post no. 1" in full attack mode, and who obviously haven't bothered to read even one of the hundreds of thousands of posts on the site.
Blondie,
My thoughts on Shunning were meant for the active Jehovah's wittiness that come to this site, one little comment the they are afraid to think let along say perhaps would cause a torrent of change. Afer 30 yrs of being shunned I still have not giving up.
Utah dan
First post here, I've been lurking for about a year. Born in, never dipped.
When I was a teenager the daughter of a JW was disfellowshipped for turning up pregnant with a worldly guys child.
The girls father was disabled and needed family to assist. He called the elders and told them that they should disfellowship him too because he needed his daughter to help out. He would not shun her, period.
They backed up big time, (He was one of their faithful examples, always at the meetings, bookstudies at his house. Liked by one and all) Said all they required was that he didn't speak of the "truth" with her. Needless to say I never had a problem speaking to her too. She was a sweetie, and is to this day a friend.
She didnt live at home. Never went back. She is doing well over 40 years later.
Bsmart (it was supposed to BS-mart but dont know if I can change it.
If everyone that was called in to a judicial committee meeting, and presented a letter from their lawyer (note example at site below), BEFORE (is the key) any "announcement" from the platform with their name, then the 'officiality' of the shunning is impacted. Several have done this so no announcement is made. Of course, the rumor mill still operates. However, several JW friends and JW relatives have then still felt they could conscientiously talk some with their "off the record" ex-JW relative/friend.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/184645/1/Lawyer-Letter-copy-to-Judicial-Committee
It seems that the Watchtower headquarters drops it at this point (as far as not announcing), because if this ever went to court and the WTS lost, then this would certainly affect their control in a major way.
I encourage all that can, to avoid getting disfellowshipped when they have close JW family if possible. However, when is gets down close to the "demarcation zone," don't let them do that "smear" tactic of "announcing" your name at all.
I think it's something to do with the Bible and their interpretation of it.
