The Myths of Disfellowshipping (page 3)

outsmartthesystem

"Some elders might say, “Well, Jesus could read hearts. We cannot.”

Read more at http://www.jwstruggle.com/2012/08/the-myths-of-disfellowshipping/ OK. Let me get this straight. Jesus could read hearts and he could tell HOW repentant a sinner was. But elders cannot. SO what do they do? They follow the guidelines written in the Flock book which says that if a person has fallen into a deep pattern of sin......he may not be able to demonstrate ENOUGH repentance at the time of the hearing. He must be disfellowshipped. Ummmmm. How do THEY know how repentant he is if they can't read hearts? Maybe he doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve but he is being eaten up inside by his sorrow. Shouldn't the fact that we can't read hearts move an elder to be extremely selective as to when he thinks a person should be DF'd instead of the other way around? I guess that's the GB way. Guilty til proven innocent.

Londo111

Exactly! If they err, shouldn't they err on the side of mercy? BTW--I really enjoyed reading this today: http://www.freeminds.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3344:walking-a-path-of-integrity&catid=3:rank-file&Itemid=333

mamochan13

I have to agree with Quendi and Londo - disfellowshipping is both the worst and the best - if it gains you your freedom

Londo111

Unfortunately, freedom isn't always free. Sometimes it comes at a cost. Happy are those who were born outside a high control group like this, who can count on their family and friends in their hour of need, who respect their choices in life, even when they disagree with them. They do not know how lucky they have it.

Finkelstein

Just to refresh everyones memory including myself, what scriture does the WTS. use to support officially DF people from their flock.

I know of the scripture they quote concerning not walking with the wicked as a precautionary act from joining also

in wicked deeds and behavior but what scripture do they use to support publicly announcing a person is to be

shunned by all who know a certain person including immediate family members ?

Londo111

Misinterpreations of:

1 Corinthians 5
2 John 10, 11

Finkelstein

Thanks Londo111

1 Corinthians 5
2 John 10, 11

I get the point about those Scriptures but those Scriptures still do not say to publicly announce someone is acting lets say

in a evil manner and those that have heard this public announcement is to shun this particular spoken of individual.

The intensional suggestion in these Scriptures is to simple do not associate with wicked people.

There is no suggestion that high priests were to publicly announce someone is being wicked and that all in listening attendance is to duly shun

the person being mentioned.

mamochan13

Londo, your myths are spot on.

For a long time I didn't know why I felt so disoriented after being reinstated. Then I realized it was because while I was DFd, I had been told repeatedly that I was a nonrepentant practicer of sin who had to be removed to protect the rest of the congregation from being contaminated. They told my children I was not allowed to have a Bible study with them or talk to them about anything related to the religion, even though I had been faithfully teaching them "the truth" from the time they were born.

AFter I was reinstated, I realized that they had lied. I had been put through hell by three men who did not know who I was inside. I was the same person I had always been. I was not an unrepentent sinner, nor was I a danger to the congregation. Never had been. I had been the most faithful of the faithful, following all the rules. But I was lonely and discouraged. Many times I tried to get help and encouragement from the elders, but they never had time for me. In fact, when they called me to set up a meeting to DF me, they didn't even tell me it was a judicial meeting. I went in there thinking I was finally going to get some shepherding help. What a surprise.

I attended the meeting the night they announced it because I wanted to show my humility and desire to remain in the congregation. They were angry and told me to leave, that I was being disrespectful. I requested reinstatement two months later for the same reason. They were angry and told me I was being disrespectful because I had to wait at least a year. It didn't matter what I did, they interpreted it the way they wanted to.

I know many who had the same experience. I was the same person before and after being DF and reinstated. I was a faithful believer of the religion. Nothing had changed. But three men had the power to destroy my life by telling everyone something different about me. It was like Monday I was a faithful witness in good standing. Tuesday I was an unrepentent evildoer. By the time the weekend came around, they had decided I was a faithful witness again. When I realized that, I knew I wanted no part of being a JW anymore.

I just want to reiterate your two key myths about disfellowshipping:

1. The elders make subjective decisions on repentance and they are mainly guided by personal opinion.

2. Most who are DF'd are good, faithful witnesses in everything else except the offence related to being DFd. They are not actively trying to turn the rest of the congregation to wrongdoing.

Londo111

Finkelstein: Point taken! There is much they do that is WAY "beyond the things that are written" in the Bible.

Mamochan13: I agree 100%. Your experience is sadly a textbook experience of the disfellowshipped repentant. Confirmation bias makes them look at signs of unrepentance, and they completly ignore the good. Jehovah does the exact opposite. But maybe they do this, so that after they carry out heartless procedures, they can reconcile it to themselves and sleep at night.

I remember one reinstatement 'check-in' meeting. They didn't crack open the Bible once. I detailed to them the Prodigal Son and various Bible examples of how Jesus treated people and they couldn't refute it. They said, "Understand, this is what we are instructed to do. You don't have to agree with it. We just want you to understand."

At another reinstatement 'check-in', I was told that I looked too downcast to be repentant. Hmm...disconnected from all my friends and family and I look downcast? Hmm...I wonder why that is...

Finkelstein

Finkelstein: Point taken! There is much they do that is WAY "beyond the things that are written" in the Bible.

Understandably so, I'm guessing the leaders of the WTS. instituted this style of disfellowshipping as an act to create

a strong wall around the organization and themselves since they had seemingly so much opposition from the outside.

Power becomes redundantly weak if you don't set about strategic acts to protect that power of which you are tying to achieve..

Not to mention the organization wanted to shape their own sales representatives to have the best social characters and appearance,

similar to how some business set standards upon their own employees.

I can certainly see a talk given expressing the counsel of not associating with wicked people as a precautionary social skill

to the benefit of people, but like you say the WTS. goes beyond whats expressed in the bible.

Religion is a game of power and control in men's hands, take it or leave but thats what it is.

The Myths of Disfellowshipping

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