New light Pink Floyd, the light is always getting brighter. Back in the day one could disassociate oneself. It was done by writing a letter and I think usually it involved doctrine. But as the practice became more widespread, the gb (I can just see them at one of their wednesday meetings) came to the conclusion that it was allowing a circumvention of the disfellowshipping glee fest by more and more. So they came up with an overslapping (sorry) theory. All they did was to say that in effect the person had disfellowshipped themselves. Now it was okay to shun them. Same as apostates or apostate and who that included. Back in the day it did refer to the crazies. It was ones who had gone out from their midst and tried to either draw others along or foment trouble. But once again it became necessary to widen out, not in their service LOL, but in their venomous hatred. So over time it has come to mean anyone that even through rumour or gossip is accused of a "bad" attitude can and should be shunned.
Is there really any difference between disfellowshipping and disassociation?
by iamwhoiam 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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00DAD
Well technically, what the society by extension and your parents in the specifics have done is more like EXTORTION than BLACKMAIL. But either way, the end result is similar. The difference is that--although both are crimes--blackmail usually involves the threat (by one criminal) of revealing a crime or compromising fact about another criminal. Extortion is the threat of violence unless some demand is met, in this case the violence is the emotional and psychological abuse associated with shunning.
Your screen name says it all, "iamwhoiam". You need to be you regardless of the consequences; otherwise you should change your name to, "iamwhotheywantmetobe, butit'sokbecausei'mawillingvictim".
In response to your parents' choosing belief over family as evidenced by their thinly veiled threat, "you know if you leave, we can't associate with you anymore" you might ask them to consider this lovely gem of a quote:
"No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family." - Awake, July 2009, p. 29
If they balk or hesitate--for even a moment--ask them WHY WOULD THAT APPLY EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH EXCEPT YOU?
Best wishes,
Daniel
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Ding
I think we can safely say that according to the GB, there is no honorable way to leave their religion.
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00DAD
Au contraire Ding, you can leave honorably in a box!
The only plot in life is the one they bury you in!!!
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openmindnow
I have given this allot of thought, I'm trying to fade out and told my wife I am no longer one of Jehovahs Witness's. I won't go into the current battles I'm facing within my own household, one day my wife says its fine with her, the next she's telling me I'm Apostate, and if I am she can't live with me and would seek a divorce on the grounds that I'm a spritual danger to her. I have never cheated on her, I don't drink, I make a very good living and provide well for her, I told her I would keep the fade to myself and would not attempt to teach our borg friends or family the honest truths I've learned about the cult we belonged to. Theres more but I promised I wouldn't bore you with all the detailes.
Here's what I am thinking of doing!
I'm thinking about asking my lawyer to file a premptive restraining order agianst my body of elders from discussing any part of my life or my private choices about my religious belifes with anybody including fellow members of the congragation, other JW's or any outside body or organization and or corporation. I got the idea from the letter sent I saw on www.watchtowerletters.com . What does everyone think about that stradigy?
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00DAD
OpenMindNow, unless of course you WANT a divorce you should correct your wife about the Borg's own rules: She cannot divorce on grounds of being a "spiritual danger". She could attempt to use that as justification for a separation, but not a divorce.
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blondie
*** w88 11/1 pp. 22-23 par. 12 When Marital Peace Is Threatened ***Absolute endangerment of spirituality also provides a basis for separation. The believer in a religiously divided home should do everything possible to take advantage of God’s spiritual provisions. But separation is allowable if an unbelieving mate’s opposition (perhaps including physical restraint) makes it genuinely impossible to pursue true worship and actually imperils the believer’s spirituality. Yet, what if a very unhealthy spiritual state exists where both mates are believers? The elders should render assistance, but especially should the baptized husband work diligently to remedy the situation. Of course, if a baptized marriage partner acts like an apostate and tries to prevent his mate from serving Jehovah, the elders should handle matters according to the Scriptures. If disfellowshipping takes place in a case involving absolute endangerment of spirituality, willful nonsupport, or extreme physical abuse, the faithful Christian who seeks a legal separation would not be going against Paul’s counsel about taking a believer to court.—1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
***(God's Love book 2008) lv p. 221 The Bible’s View on Divorce and Separation ***Absolute endangerment of spiritual life. A spouse may constantly try to make it impossible for the mate to pursue true worship or may even try to force that mate to break God’s commands in some way. In such a case, the threatened mate would have to decide whether the only way to “obey God as ruler rather than men” is to obtain a legal separation.—Acts 5:29.
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00DAD
Blondie, thanks for providing the WT references for my unsourced, unreferenced assertion.
I guess after being a JW for so long, I didn't feel it was necessary to correctly cite my source! ... lol
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talesin
openmindnow
Welcome to the forum!
I think that is a GREAT idea. Here's a bit of encouragement.
One of my friends was disfellowshipped in absentia, and for no reason except that they 'heard' he was attending another church.
After he found out it had been announced, he hired a lawyer, wrote a letter showing the error of their ways (they had no '2 witnesses' and had not even asked him about it), and the JC had to reverse the disfellowshipping.
His name on here is "Kwintestal", and if you check his threads, I'm sure the story is here somewhere.
Good luck to ya!
(Note, I am no longer JW, so I can say Good Luck,, just one of the small things that I appreciate every day since leaving the Tower.
tal
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blondie
00, he would need a source to show his very jw wife though.