What is the WT's definition of an Apostate...

by Bells 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  Bells

  I don't mean the ' unruly men who cook up wicked reasoning and season their brew with poisonous lies that deceive minds' definition...

  I mean - who are they actually referring to when they are doing these awful talks at the conventions about the mentally diseased apostates etc.

  Specifically - is an 'Apostate' someone who was actually Baptised (Baptized for you American's ) ? Or can someone who was simply raised in "The Truth" but left and was never baptised be classified as this lying, deceiving, mentally diseased apostate also? Or am I considered to be an Apostate - even though I wasn't raised in the cult, never went to a meeting etc. - I'm just someone who married a man who was raised in the cult (but never baptised) and so I have learnt over the years about all of their bull$h!t and have made a conscious decision to strongly oppose it within myself! (Though I am not looking for followers, so maybe I don't count. Oh wait...) ;)

  So can anyone tell me - what counts as an Apostate...?? The reason I am curious is in regards to my husbands 'status' according to the WT. As he was never baptised, and therefore could not be disfellowshipped, he is not shunned in any way by his family (though sometimes I almost wish he was! They drive me crazy... I know that sounds horrible...). So if his family are at an assembly or convention or whatever, and such a talk is given - do they consider that the person giving the talk is referring to my husband - their son, brother etc.? Would they feel guild for not following the WT's line a bit harder - or are they ok to continue to have dealings with him because he was never baptised and so is not considered an 'Apostate'.

  B
• 

  Narcissistic Supply

  anybody they want to black ball.
• 

  VM44

  An apostate is a JW who does not believe all the doctrines of The Governing Body.

  The FDS and the Governing Body are now taught to be the same.

  "We love this new teaching!" -- David Splane.

  He would.
• 

  Phizzy

  I don't think the average JW would look upon your man as an Apostate, his family included. The "Flock" book describes Apostasy as anyone not adhering at this moment in time to the teachings of the W.T (that is a paraphrase, not a quote) but the section dealing with it is talking of baptised JW's.

  The WT does use the term about the Church after the death of the Apostles, but as the word means someone who "stands apart" from a former belief, this label from their view/version of history is O.K

  At present I would say you both are fairly safe, except JW's are quick to attach the label "someone with Apostate views", and then treat the person so marked as though they were an actual Apostate, so you must be careful what you say around your JW relatives.

  Having fostered such a pathological fear of so-called Apostates in the R&F JW's, I fully expect the GB/Writng Dept to extend the concept, use the word in their own way, as they do many words, to include any they see as a threat.

  So, watch this space, you will hear it first on JWN.
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  Jeffro

  In JW land, an 'apostate' officially refers only to someone who was baptised and later rejects the teachings of 'the Brooklyn 8' (i.e. the 'Governing Body'). They use the broader term 'opposer' for anyone who says anything unfavourable about them. JWs are only explicitly directed to shun those who are disfellowshipped or who disassociate*. However, similar treatment is often directed at other individuals who point out any flaws in JW teachings, even if they were never baptised .
  *JW elders can also decide that a person has disassociated without any input from the person.
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  Captain Obvious

  Some say its anyone who leaves the WT, others say its anyone who actively works against the org. Many talks say active dubs can be apostates if they're critical of anything in the Borg.

  In a JW's mind, an apostate is a vile person. The very word activates an irrational fear of that person's cult persona. For instance, my wife refuses to acknowledge that I'm an apostate. She is still unable to put a real person to the title 'apostate.' In her mind, the word 'apostate' is linked with 'demonized.'

  The WT has built up such a phobia with talks such as the one we had at the DC this year. This is mind control at its finest. Their brains are inoculated from anything someone they see as an apostate says. They have no problem calling them names, treating them like dirt and saying they would kill them if they were allowed. What the WT has done is strikingly similar to what the nazis did to the Jews. If we are dehumanized no one will care what we have to say, and will consider us like animals. Like we're not real people.
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  Jeffro

  Captain Obvious:

  What the WT has done is strikingly similar to what the nazis did to the Jews.

  Godwin's law strikes again.
• 

  Honesty

  My picture is in the JW dictionary underneath the word.
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  Vidiot

  Jeffro - "Godwin's Law strikes again"

  Well, try looking at this this way...

  The WTS is clearly an authoritarian high control group.

  In the (admittedly unlikely) event that they were somehow placed in charge of a small country, what type of government do you think their regime would resemble the most?

  Sometimes the shoe kinda fits.
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  Mum

  Bottom line: anyone who thinks for him/herself, who uses the brain G-d gave them.

  I'm sure, from their perspective, many active JW's are "apostates in sheep's clothing."