I think they're having articles like this because they know full well that many Witnesses (in good standing) have normal, semi-regular contact with family members who are disfellowshipped and "not living under their roof". I know of one couple (he's an elder) who have a 19 year old daughter who disassociated herself a couple of years ago. Her reason? She realized that she got baptized far too young (12 years of age) and that the religion was far too restrictive and controlling and she did not want to live her life like that.
Oh the humanity of waking up and realizing at the age of 19 that being a Witless is nothing but a mind-numbing, zombified existence of which there is no end. Anyway, her mom admitted to me that they have regular contact with their daughter as it was simply far too difficult to cut her off like that, simply because she doesn't want to be a Witness anymore. I know of several more Witnesses who do the exact same thing. They dont' give a shit about it being some big "test"---they just want their family members in their lives, like any normal human being.
The Meddling Body members know this, but since they have neither heart nor soul, they don't give a crap about how many lives they destroy, they only care about keeping control of people's lives at any cost. I'd also like to point out that their bizarre comparison of how the angels rebelled against Jehovah and the way JWs are supposed to shun their own flesh and blood, does not hold up under scrutiny. Didn't Jesus have a conversation or two with Satan himself? Didn't Michael the Archangel "have a dispute" with Satan over Moses' body? Didn't Jehovah and Satan have a few conversations about Job? Where exactly is the shunning of the "angels that rebelled"?
Unfortunately there are many Witnesses like Gumby's family, that have no problem whatsoever in obeying "mother" and treating their family members like garbage simply because they don't want to be a Witness anymore. It has long been my opinion that family members who can look through their own flesh and blood as though they are not even there, would not be very nice to you even if they weren't Witnesses. The shunning policy simply gives them the excuse they're looking for to elevate themselves while belittling family members.