I talked to my Mom about the disfellowshipping point afterwards. I told her that something like this would always leave me in doubt, that the family is the ONLY reason the person in question came back (which we know it is and unbeknownst to her, I'm not DF, but my family is the ONLY reason I'm still in and faking activity, so I get it).
She said, "Well I don't know, everyone has different circumstances, but I knda thought the same thing at first, but then I thought they must've had that in there for a reason."
I thought to myself REALLY?!?! You see the problem and gloss over it; if something is wrong, truly W-R-O-N-G, then gloss should never be applied no matter how you spin it. Holy shit!
I took a cleansing breath and replied, "They had better be careful with this shunning thing though, because there is such a thing as normal family business that HAS to be attended to and it really isn't fair to the one being shunned to force them back in just to be able to speak with his own flesh and blood, that’s just cruel. Besides shunning may have an opposite effect and force the person away like, "if this is how they are I don't want any part of it" so even if they still believe they won't come back."
She then said, "I don't know if I'd go as far as calling it shunning, but you're right to some extent, just try to think about it this way, they put this in the article for a reason and we need to focus on that, maybe there is a problem with one's not cutting off ties with DF family members."
Again I held my real thoughts back, which were, so I shouldn’t focus on the fact that some poor soul was blackmailed and forced back into this religion just to be able to speak with his family, and if this isn't what you would call shunning, then what would you call it? Are you joking? What the hell is wrong with you?
Instead I just said, "ok" and left it at that because we all know she's right about one thing, they are having trouble with association with the faded, DA and DF because people know it's wrong and completely nuts.
I'm astounded that, after all these years, this cult still has my Mom swindled; I mean they really have her by the spiritual balls.