There are a lot of Witnesses that have examined the DF'ing arrangement and deem it worthy to be the main force of discipline for God's Earthly Organization. The ProDFers as I just named them, are advovates of the policy and believe that it churns out, once the offender returns through the system in place, very "spiritual" people.
Think about this process and figure out what the desired result the originator of the policy was:
- The Subject is acused of a "high end sin" (requires the quantification of Sin).
- If Subject has been viewed by two or more Witnesses a private hearing is formed with a panel of three Elders.
- The Subject is interogated by the panel of Elders and information is gathered using policies from a secret Elder handbook. Audio or Visual recording of the private hearing is strictly prohibited.
- If the Subject is found guilty of unrepentance of sin (accepted evidence for unrepentance is found within the secret handbook) they are sentanced to Public Membership Revocation.
- The Congregation is expected to sever all ties from the Subject except when absolutely necessary (acceptable necessary scanarios available within the pages of the Societies main publication: The Watchtower)
- The Subject is available for "parole" (Subject being publically accepted as a member) at any time, but it is left up to the discretion of the panel of Elders what the minimum timespan the punishment will have. The Subject is not necessarily told of this time frame.
- The Subject waits in total isolation from his/her peers and is instructed to make random check up calls to the panel to ask if parole is possible. During this "hiatus" the Subject is instructed to study the Societies literature harder than when they were before the discipline. They are sometimes (again at the discretion of the panel) required to show proof of their study of the Societies literature. The literature has many question and answer articles and the panel will often look to see if they have highlighted or underlined the answers.
- If the Subject meets the requirements chosen by the panel to "prove repentance" then they will be allowed to formally submit a letter requesting reinstatement to the congregation. The letter is expected to be heartfelt.
- The Subject will send the letter and eagerly await the elders decision of whether to reinstate them or to deny them reinstatement and tell them to wait a few months and send another letter in. If the Subject has since moved to a new congregation colaberation of the two sets of Elders must be set up. This will greatly elongate the process.
- If the original panel of Elders accepts your letter then you will be publically announced as an accepted Member of the Congregation again and you can reunite with your family, and you regain full Field Ministry duties as well.
- At this point you will retain the status of Recently Reinstated. This status comes with limited privileges in the congregation. "Privileges" include a wide variety of Congegational Duties such as landscaping the Kingdom Hall lot, handing out literature sent to the congregation or working amplification equipment during Meetings
- This probation period lasts as long as the panel deems necessary as well. Similar actions are required to gain "Publisher in Good Standing" status from the "Recently Reinstated" probation position.
- Once the Elders have confirmed your willingness to be a Jehovah's Witness again they reinstate you as a Full Publisher and start encouraging you to "reach out" for more responsibility within the congregation and beyond!
Does this process sound like Jesus to you? I really can't see him in there at all.... maybe it's just me.
-Sab