Tougher Stance on the Disfellowshipped?

by Rydor 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  Rydor

  One of my best friends with whom I grew up (and pioneered) with has been disfellowshipped for the past 6 years. His parents are still witnesses and, though they've been grieved over the fact that he's not a JW, they've always treated him well, and he pays them regular visits every month.

  Well he just informed me today that "The Watchtower came out with stricter rules... my parents flat-out told me in person they can barely have any contact with me from now on." He's pretty depressed about it.

  Of course, the position on the disfellowshipped has largely been, "If they're out of the org, they're dead to you, family or not." But I was wondering, have there been any recent Watchtower articles dealing with this subject? Or is it more likely that his parents just received a special elder visit? Either way, it's terrible... but sadly all too common.
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  AudeSapere

  I think I remember hearing about an article on this about 6 months (??) ago. It's possible that the parents rationalized their stance at the time and then a circuit overseer visit or other talk made them go back and re-read the article?

  As I recall, it was pretty direct.

  For a discussion and reivew of nearly each WT study, you can look back at the poster named 'Blondie'. She has a weekly 'column' here (JWN) called "Comments you will not hear...".

  Here is a link to some of Blondie's threads. None are jumping out at me as one that would re-inforce family shunning, but something may spark you. Hopefully someone else will have info for you.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/member/1573/started/39

  BTW, Welcome to JWN. It's nice to have you join us.

  -Aude Sapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding)
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  Joliette

  This is sad.
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  designs

  Since the 60s the 'Offical' stance has swung from moderate communication to complete silence, back and forth. Probably when the suicides get to high the moderate position gets reprinted, but in their heart of hearts the Leadership really wants and thinks of us XJWs as deserving the Second Death. And they have admitted they'd be like the Israelites of old and carry out the execution if they could legally.

  Never underestimate how cold hearted the Leadership is.
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  cantleave

  This has been the case since the "God's Love" book was published a few years back. One the appendix topics goes into a diatribe about how to treat DF'd family members.
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  lisaBObeesa

  This has been the case since the "God's Love" book was published a few years back. One the appendix topics goes into a diatribe about how to treat DF'd family members.

  Irony.
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  baltar447

  It's been that way for a long time. If there's been any local "problem" with say, family having some association with DF'd, they will touch on it on local needs or during a CO visit.
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  Black Sheep

  There is no change to published policy. His parents have been breaking the rules, but have now decided to abide by them. The question should be..... why weren't his parents shunning him before?

  Here is their official policy, pasted from their official website, from an article first published in 1988.

  The situation is different if the disfellowshipped or disassociated one is a relative living outside the immediate family circle and home. It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum, in line with the divine principle: "Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person [or guilty of another gross sin], . . . not even eating with such a man."
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  ProdigalSon

  This is what happens when fear prevails over love and compassion. One verse from "Paul", which was probably a fourth-century interpolation of the Eusebius gang, and they have their scriptural alibi to treat human beings like an infectious virus.

  We really should feel sorry for them. There is no judgment (see the Prodigal Son parable), only the laws of cause and effect. In other words, whatever you put out eventually hits you in the ass. They are judging their way deep into the goat class. They should only know that this is the real meaning of the Mark of the Beast. Beasts are lacking compassion. It's a great big blotch on the forehead that covers the third eye, keeping a person trapped in their own egos, and it comes from trying to extract splinters from your brother's eye while you have a telephone pole in your own.

  ~PS
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  Mad Sweeney

  You don't need to be DFd to be treated this way, either. They have the catch-all practice of 'marking' to fall back on when the elders aren't clever enough to catch you in anything.

  But that's going to end soon, too. After the new elder's school and book comes out, they'll be able to DF people just for having an attitude they don't like. They call it "brazen conduct."

  Please remember this always. The practice of shunning is not done for the reasons they give. It is not to "protect" the flock. It is not to obey God. It is to control information and emotion. Disfelloswhipping embodies the vowels of BITE Control. The Borg doesn't want its members to feel anything good for non-members and it doesn't want information that non-members have to fall into members' hands.

  This is an evil and insidious organization.