I ask because over the last few weeks I've noticed a marked 'cooling off' from my brother and sisters. I don't think I'm being paranoid - has anything specific been printed lately?
Bloody faith!
Has there been any recent counsel or articles advising JW's to avoid associating with 'inactives'?
by nicolaou 29 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Broken Promises
Yes, we're now "mentally diseased":
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/208984/1/Alert-Witch-hunt-begins-Watchtower-15-july-2011
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snowbird
I've also noticed a cool breeze from my little JW daughter.
She's semi-shunned me in the past, but this is a little different.
Lowdown, skulking, egg-sucking, good-for-nothing scoundrels!
Syl
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blondie
Since my teenage years over 40 years ago, inactive jws (inactive means not turning in time, not meeting attendance) were viewed as weak spiritually and a danger to active jws...not as dangerous as df'd or da'd jws, but there was a danger of being infected. You could talk about "spiritual" things and encourage them to return to the meetings but not to socialize with them. You were not to independently study with them but it had to be okayed and supervised by an "elder."
As time goes by that "suggestion" is not viewed as seriously by many jws thinking they are only encouraging them by being their friend....so the WTS "emphasizes" that suggestion again with behind the scenes sanctions if it is ignored.
*** g05 7/22 p. 20 Why Am I Drawn to the Wrong People? ***Melanie was drawn to a fellow believer who was not faring well spiritually. “I was told she needed some encouragement, so I started to associate with her,” Melanie explained. Of course, the Bible encourages Christians to “support the weak.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) But Melanie began joining her new friend at bars, where further associations led her into reproachful conduct.
*** lv chap. 3 pp. 31-32 par. 13 Love Those Whom God Loves ***Occasionally, there may be a situation in the congregation that calls for us to watch our association. Some individuals might engage in questionable conduct. Others may develop a bitter or complaining spirit. Congregations in the first century C.E. faced a similar challenge. While most members were faithful, some individuals did not conduct themselves aright. Because some in the congregation in Corinth did not uphold certain Christian teachings, the apostle Paul warned the congregation: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:12, 33) Paul cautioned Timothy that even among fellow Christians, there might be some who do not act honorably. Timothy was told to keep clear of such ones, not making them his close associates.—2 Timothy 2:20-22.
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nicolaou
Yeah, I'd heard about the 'mentally diseased' thing but I thought that was aimed squarely at apostates. Actually I wouldn't put it past some members of my family to have slapped that label on me even though I've avoided being disfellowshipped.
Weak, spiritually dangerous, bad association - yeah I guess I'm all of those things now Blondie, God, I'm tired of being an 'issue'. How about, just once, you try listening to what your older brother has to say?
F***ing cult
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Blind_Of_Lies
For the most part, if “witness” people realize that you do not share their beliefs anymore they will unofficially shun you almost instantly. This happened to my wife and I a couple years ago. We were recently married and were friends with a couple other couples who were guzzling the cool-aide by the gallon. We hung out several times a week and except for meeting nights were almost always at one of our houses for dinner. Over the course of a summer my wife and I quit going to meetings and unapologetically skipped the spring, summer and fall assembly. After we didn’t go to the summer assembly and didn’t provide an excuse the invitations quit coming. Eventually the only time we heard from them was when they wanted something or when they wanted to bring a Sheparding call through (that was cute). Now that we have had a year to detox we realized what a toxic relationship it was. Basically all we would do is get together and drink ourselves stupid while talking about WTBTS and their latest BS, however back then it was not considered BS it was gospel. I was open about not agreeing with everything and we can almost track the end of contact back to the WT article that basically said “you either agree with us 100% or you’re an apostate” being that I openly disagreed with several things that pretty much made me an apostate and now that I am an apostate I am now Mentally ill…. Ahh the irony of being called mentally ill by the largest CULT on in the world…
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flipper
There are some of my JW relatives who will take the " mentally diseased" thing really seriously and try to shun me. There are some who won't take it seriously- or at least will not apply it to me. So it's a mixed bag. I feel some of the stricter more fanatic Witnesses include inactive jW's among " apostates " and just lump them all together as " bad associates ". Such a strange cult
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strymeckirules
there has been a little drama at the place i work.
the boss is a inactive jw who left with his family around the 1975 failure.
i was a fader who wasn't sure about what to believe.
mike was a born in who met me through my brother and i helped get him a job.
after 3 years i have figure out the jw bullish and i attempted to help mike see the lies.
mike didn't like to hear negative things, but he never did any research to prove me wrong. he was in because of friends and family.
so me and mike stopped talking even though we were like brothers for 2 years.
yesterday he quit to go work with his jw brother in law, which he KNOWS is a bad situation as he saw his other cousin go through the problems with the brother in law.
i think that the new watchtowers are starting to take effect now. the apostates are to be avoided at all costs. and it shows.
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Blind_Of_Lies
Personally, I cannot wait until someone calls me “Mentally Diseased” for not playing along with a religion. That line of logic is SO easy to flip on them.
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slimboyfat
Yes I asked the same question because my grandmother in law made a strange comment to my wife the other week. This was the thread.
This was the key phrase I think:
"If we stop actively supporting Jehovah’s work, then we start following Satan. There is no middle ground. —Matt.12:30" WT 2011, 7/15 page 18, par. 15