The Disfellowshipping Arrangement, New Book, Hope It Helps

by graysome67 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  graysome67

  Hello, I renounced my belief/faith in the Watchtower society a few years ago, though I am still a Bible believer. Since departing from them, I have studied the bible aptly to try to understand it's true teachings. I decided to start publishing essays in the hope that my research may help enlighten other disillusioned JW's by seeing alternative viewpoints, or at least pointing them in a direction that would help unlock their minds when studying the Bible. I was contacted by some JW's who were struggling with the Society's disfellowshipping arrangement. It seems that one of the questions that plagues many people is whether or not their arrangement or any part of it is scriptural and, if so, then how should these sort of things be handled? After many countless hours of research spanning over a year, I finally came upon what I feel is the way such things were likely handled in the 1st century, which is a far cry from how the Watchtower handles these cases. Every case should be handled privately, individually, and on a personal basis - not by some secret judicial committee. I decided to utilize the self-publishing avenues available these days and try to get my research out there so that it will be more widely accessible. I published a short, 70-page book, that consisely and critically examines the coldhearted Watchtower stand and shows how their supposed "scriptural" disfellowshipping policy couldn't be more dissonant from what the Scriptures actually teach us. I don't claim to be an "expert", I only hope that this small book will helpe others who are struggling.

  What prompted me to write this book was a case that arose in the congregation that I formerly attended - the minor daughter of an elder in her very early teens was disfellowshipped for committing fornication (several times) with a 20-year-old guy, of whom they pressed formal charges against. (Statutory Rape.) This young girl was manipulated and taken advantage of by a guy who is old enough and responsible enough to know that what he did was wrong. However, he was un unbaptized publisher in the congregation and no action was taken against him. He continued associating with active JW's while the girl that he raped was disfellowshipped and cut off from everyone she knew! No support group, no spiritual or moral guidance...etc...

  I tried to keep this book short and to-the-point, not weighed down with unnecessary details. For anyone who is struggling with this heartless and unscriptural arrangement, I hope this book will help.

  http://www.amazon.com/The-Disfellowshipping-Arrangement-Examination-Disillusioned/dp/1479297275/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_h3iAqb1R6FWCC_tt
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  ScenicViewer

  The disfellowshipping arrangement is one of the saddest arrangements of one of the saddest religions on earth.

  The price is very low. I'll be ordering one and having a look.
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  just a reader

  I'd be interested in reading it.

  I hope you included this scripture, 1 Corinthians 4:3, this scripture always proved to me how wrong their judicial committees are. From the new world translation..

  3 Now to me it is a very trivial matter that I should be examined by YOU or by a human tribunal . Even I do not examine myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself. Yet by this I am not proved righteous, but he that examines me is Jehovah.* Hence do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring the secret things of darkness to light and make the counsels of the hearts manifest, and then each one will have his praise come to him from God.

  New International Version (NIV) ...

  I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
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  jookbeard

  worth a look, the public need to be warned of their evil lies and deception.
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  EndofMysteries

  It is unscriptual, the bible is clear that there is no judging of others. Elders can pray and encourage, and any who sinned would be forgiven. That's IT! Even a WT or Awake titled Is forgiveness of sins possible (or some title like that, said the same thing).

  The disfellowshipping practice is from taking things out of context. The man who was to be removed was having relations with his fathers wife or took his fathers wife as his own, something SO BAD, even teh NATIONS and 'wordly people' were shocked. It didn't say he did something and asked for forgiveness and stopped, it displayed it as being still done at that time and they were accepting of it. So get him out.

  But the scriptures clearly show that if anybody sins, there is no judging of them, they repent, they get forgiven, and jesus said even if they sin 7 times in one day and ask for forgiveness 7 times it must be forgiven. Also the scriptures are clear only God can judge and will look into the heart. So humans have no place in the mix. It's between God and them. As long as a person isn't refusing and actively going against what the congregation believes or knows is wrong and not stopping or repenting, then they kick them out.

  And also as for discipline, removing privileges, etc, they quoted a scripture speaking of those who drink the wine and eat bread unworthithly and how Jehovah disciplines those ones. It had nothing to do with a judical committee and on people who had sinned.

  Also, he speaks against the shepherds very harshly who abuse afflicated, don't help weak, etc. If somebody sinned they are weak, instead of encouraging with them studying, trying to associate, build them up, the reproof and/or disfellowshipping amount to the shepherd who shoots the injured sheep so it doesn't slow down the rest vs leaving the rest to help that one. The elder/shepherd shoot the weak, and if it doesn't kill them, if 6 months, a year, or several years they see it struggling to keep up, all alone, they may feel regret and take it back.

  That's what I learned researching the scriptures on it in a very summed up manner. Does your book have anything different or along the same lines?
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  Violia

  All that matters is the men in the Borg and their positions.
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  Sulla

  JWs shoot their wounded. This girl, clearly is wounded: so shoot her. The guy is not wounded; he is a bastard. No need to shoot him.
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  irondork

  tag
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  Nathan Natas

  I want to commend you for finding a way to publish your ideas without charging an-arm-and-a-leg for the book.

  The situation you describe from your former congregation is an example of how Watchtower policies result in a miscarriage of justice (no pun intended). The rapist should have been taken into a back alley by a few true elders and righteously crippled for what he did; instead he go off on the "technicality" that he was an unbaptized publisher while the child he raped paid in full for being seduced. I think I might also have questioned the girl's parents who obviously did an inadequate job teaching her. Instead, they get to self-fighteously shun the child they failed to train.

  I am no longer a bible beviever like you, but before I left the JWs I was an MS. (The conversion to non-believer did not happen instantaneously while I was on the road away from Tarsus, but over many years of personal questing and introspection.) If I recall correctly, the congregational reproval is supposed to be PUBLIC, in front of the entire congregation. Only in the Old-Testament legalisms of Rutherford's brain could the star chamber be turned into a mark of "the only true religion."

  I wish you well.
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  Nathan Natas

  SULLA observed, " The guy is not wounded; he is a bastard. No need to shoot him."

  Clearly, he is future elder material.