Questions for DFShipped...

LDH

Hi, DFS.

First of all, let me say it is not necessary to label yourself on this board, or anywhere on the internet for that matter.

So many of us have family members that are df'd, it really doesn't hold much water round here. :)

I did have some questions for you though, which of course you don't have to answer.

1. Why were you disfellowshipped? (pls. be general)
2. Are you continuing to 'sin'?
3. Did you grow up in the truth?
4. Do you consider yourself to have good friends outside the truth?

And anything else you want to tell us.

You referred to the 'bitterness' of so many on this board. Have you ever disagreed with something that is in print in the WT or one of the pubs, and if so, how did you address it? Did you talk to others about it?

Lisa

DFshipped

Hi Lisa
Thanks for the reply. The reason I "label" myself is out of respect to those who would prefer not to be unwittingly drawn into a conversation with a df'd person, somthing they may not otherwise want to do.
I was df'd for engaging in something clearly condemned by the bible, my actions albeit of a short period of time revealed apparent unrepentance. At the time I was ashamed of what I had done, I felt I was repentant but chose not to argue the matter, as I also felt the discipline would not kill me if I accepted it in the spirit of Heb12
I have not engaged in that practice for over 14 months. It was not something that would raise eyebrows by worldly standards but is never-the-less unscriptural.
Yes I did grow up in hte truth. But I was forced to consider my stand when I faced a prison term for my faith. I chose prison.
Nope I do not have good friends out of the truth. I am new to the country and have no friends.
Sometimes I have questioned something printed in th epub's.
My view was this:
Jehovah has a history of dealing with his people through an organization. Sometimes the Kings / Judges/ priest/ apostles erred in their application of the truth. Sometimes they need to be corrected.
HOWEVER here is an example:
High Priest Eli had oversight over the temple. He had tremendous power and influence on how things were conducted there. If I were living there and saw his toleration of wickedness, would I have independantly sought another avenue of worship and another place to sacrifice? Jehovah would not have accepted that. He equired co-operation with his appointed arrangement, and corrected it himself. His corrections were always definite and unambiguous. they were dicisive. So for us today to jump ship over our personal view on some matter which may be supported by a few others would IMHO not be the right decision.
How many of these diagreements actually are of universal importance.
So the menaing of the word "generation" has refined. Does that make any material difference to the admonition to serve Jehovah as if the time were close. A close look at the refined definition actually does not change the overall picture painted by the wtbs for many decades.
That is but on example.
So I have written to the WBTS on occassion and recieved answers that I could live with. The concerns I had were not earth-shattering and in fact one was later corrected by the WTBS ( Not at my prompting but so what ) The faith I have in the ransom, the Kingdom and the resurrection, to name a few are not affected.
How would we have felt if we were disciplined by Paul and later learnt that he at one time was not 100% accurate in his teaching of the circumcision issue ? So what ? The rest of what he said was true. Jehovah later corrected the issue ( via the GB ) and Christianity moved ahead.
Moses, Abraham, King David, and the apostles all had and said things that were not always 100% yet the people who stuck by them retained Jehovahs approval and prospered.
Ok OK I know I've said a lot but I hope that helps explain my view.
Regards
DF'd

LDH

I was disfellowshipped when I was 19, for 'fornication.' I totally disagreed with the decision as I was not 'continuing to sin.' and had shown all the repentance I knew how. Was reinstated 4 mos later, at the COs direction but the damage was done.

About the label, people will label you on their own. If you say something out of line, shouldnt that be judged on its own merits? If you correct my thinking about something, should I be able to cast off your counsel because you wear the label of DF'd?

You asked <b> How many of these diagreements actually are of universal importance <b\>

What is universal to someone may have no import to you at all. For instance:

Refusing CO status didn't affect my life at all, but there were thousands who did so based on the say so of the GB, who then retracted their position. After thousands of wasted years in prison, which brought no glory to Jehovah (especially because the position was later reversed.)

Ask the Malawi/Mozambique brothers whether the GB change on voting had universal import to them. Now they can in good conscience vote, for my entire childhood in the truth I remember hearing about the death of bros and sis who refused to do this very thing.

You asked me how I would feel about Paul. Jehovah forgive me, he is NOT one of my favorite bible characters.Take a fanatic and change his course of direction and you still have a fanatic. I've got a BIG problem with Paul's writings and interpretations, especially about women. More importantly, why those writings are still applied and approved of by the GB today when they were obviously CULTURAL to Paul's day and time.

Nothing Paul wrote can change the universal truth of Jesus' ransom sacrifice, or his two direct commandments to his disciples.
1. Love for the Father
2. Love for our neighbors

I really hope you cultivate some friendships outside of the KH.

Lisa

Venice

1. Why were you disfellowshipped? (pls. be general)
Apostasy for disagreing with the FDS.

2. Are you continuing to 'sin'?
Never did to start with.

3. Did you grow up in the truth?
Yep, 3rd gen.

4. Do you consider yourself to have good friends outside the truth?
A few now, but not when it happened.

Venice, short and sweet
(my comments that is, I'm neither short nor sweet, but that's an entirely different topic.)

LDH

Thanks Venice. But I really was talking to *DFShipped.* That's his screen name, LOL....

Lisa

thinker

Hi DF,
I'm curious. You seem aware of some of the things the GB got wrong. What exactly convinces you that the WTBTS is really the only org. representing Jehovah?
Is it possible that other religions that teach "wrong" things could also be represnting Jehovah?

happytobefree

DF,

You mentioned some of Jehovah's faithful servants who have gone astray at times. Were any shunned because of their behaviors?

Happy to be Free (Me)

DFshipped

Hi Thinker
Thanks for the reply and question.
Two people standing side by side each have long hair. Who is the woman? The thing to do if you are not sure is to list all the identifying marks by which to measure what a woman is. The one with the overwhelming number of "woman" features is most likely the woman.
Long hair alone does not make the man a woman.
So put all religeons side by side ...take the bibles measure of the true religeon. One carries 99% of them the rest carry hardly any and in fact carry more signs of being false than of being true. This will identify without doubt the true organization.

Happy
I'm happy you replied. hey I'm always happy to be noticed....doesnt happen often LOL
To answer your question : Yes. Miriam spoke out against Jehovahs imperfect, sometimes weka leadership and she was forcibly shunned by being struck with Leprosy and sent outside the camp. Jehovah led the way in showing that "shunning" is sometimes his way of discipline.

LDH
I am truly stunned. And I am not being facetious. Since when are we or anyone else able to vote with a clean conscience ?? If you can quote one published comment by the wtbs condoning this I will..um I will eat my hat.
My father was used by the society to smuggle literature to the bro's in Mozambique when the work was banned, so I have 1st hand experience in seeingt what those brothers lived through. As a kid I used to accompany him on those very exciting adventures accross the border.
No wonder I grew up to be a scoundrel.
( PS I also ended up in prison for the truth , but not for smuggling )

Gozz

Lisa, why do you...er...write 'fornication' and not fornication? Just curious.

DFShipped Quote:
"my actions albeit of a short period of time revealed apparent unrepentance. At the time I was ashamed of what I had done, I felt I was repentant but chose not to argue the matter"

rather confusing, no? You didn't argue, so how did they think you weren't repentant?

LDH

DFSHipped,

Get 'cher hat out baby.

Read the Nov 1 1999 QFR about voting. Read it VERY carefully.

Gozz,
Because in my little pea brain, what I did was no-freaking-where NEAR the wild orgies and Roman Bacchanalia that I think this scripture applies to. To me, fornication is an archaic word, and just because the WBTS uses it to describe my actions, I don't have to.

DFShipped. I'll accept your apology as soon as you finish chewing. ;)

Questions for DFShipped...

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