Need immediate assistance - Part 1

by mikepence 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  mikepence

  A major news publication is interested in my article on JW's and sexual abuse. I need to document some sources for them. In order to do this as quickly as possible, I am posting what I need sources for here.

  The first thing I need a source to back up is this statement:

  "Disfellowshipping means a complete cutting off from the group; other members of the sect, including friends and family, are not allowed to speak to disfellowshipped members, for fear of banishment themselves."

  Please help me find a reference to back this statement up from the WTS publications.
• 

  Intuit39

  Here's what I could find quickly online:

  An article titled "Search Through Me, O God" appeared in the October 1, 1993 Watchtower. Speaking about "apostates" on page 19, beginning with paragraph 15, we read:

  Regarding them, the psalmist said: "Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become tome real enemies." (Psalm 139:21, 22) It was because they intensely hated Jehovah that David looked on them with abhorrence. Apostates are included among those who show their hatred of Jehovah by revolting against him. Apostasy is, in reality, a rebellion against Jehovah. Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah's organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah's feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they "feel a loathing" toward those who have made themselves God's enemies, but they leave it to Jehovah to execute vengeance.--Job 13:16; Romans
  12:19; 2 John 9, 10.

  An article in The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, on page 29 under the
  heading "DISFELLOWSHIPPED RELATIVES NOT LIVING AT HOME" has this to say:

  The second situation that we need to consider is that involving a disfellowshipped or disassociated relative who is not in the immediate family circle or living at one's home. Such a person is still related by blood or marriage, and so there may be some limited need to care for necessary family matters. Nonetheless, it is not as if he were living in the same home where contact and conversation could not be avoided. We should keep clearly in mind the Bible's inspired direction: "Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person . . . not even eating with such a man."--1 Corinthians.
  5:11.

  See also the reference to this article on page 20 of The Watchtower November 15, 1988.
• 

  mikepence

  Perfect, thanks.
• 

  anglise

  I have emailed you.
• 

  Intuit39

  These are even better:

  ...occasionally a Witness on his own initiative will decide to leave the [Watchtower organization]. ... They then will adhere to the inspired injunction 'not to receive such a one into their homes or say a greeting to him so as not to become sharers in his wicked works.' --The Watchtower, July 1, 1984, page 31.

  Persons who make themselves 'not of our sort' by deliberately rejecting the faith and beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses should appropriately be viewed and treated as are those who have been disfellowshiped for wrongdoing. --The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 23.

  ...Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled. ... What would the children and households of Korah, Dathan and Abiram do? Would they put loyalty to family ahead of loyalty to Jehovah and his congregation? Most of those closely related to the rebels put family before God. Jehovah executed these relatives along with the rebels. ... Great care needs to be exercised that a person’s situation as a disfellowshiped sinner is neither overlooked nor minimized. As the sons of Korah well demonstrated, our chief loyalty must be to Jehovah and his theocratic arrangement. --The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 26-30.

  It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum... Anyone who is feeling the sadness and pain that the disfellowshipped relative has thus caused may find comfort and be encouraged by the example set by some of Korah's relatives. --The Watchtower, April 15, 1988, page 26.
• 

  alamb

  The Watchtower publications of Jehovah's witnesses state how they are to treat such persons "We must hate in the truest sense, which is to regard with extreme and active aversion, to consider as loathsome, odious, filthy, to detest".
  From Watchtower magazine 1st Oct 1952 p 599.

  "….a disfellowshiped (excommunicated) relative who does not live in the same home, contact with him is also kept to what is absolutely necessary ….even curtailed completely if at all possible"
  From Watchtower magazine 15th July 1977 p443.
  "Would upholding God's righteousness and his disfellowshipping arrangement mean that a Christian should not speak at all with an expelled person, not even saying 'Hello'….a simple 'Hello' to someone can be the first step that develops into a conversation…..
  From Watchtower magazine 15th Sept 1981 pp24-26.

  "None in the congregation should greet such persons when meeting in public nor should they welcome these into their homes"
  From Jehovah's witnesses organization manual p172.

  "We should not see how close we can get to relatives who are disfellowshiped (excommunicated) from Jehovah's organization, but we should 'quit mixing company' with him".
  From Watchtower magazine 15th July 1977 p443.

  "If a Jehovah's witness joins another religion, an announcement is made to the congregation to stop associating with him".
  From Watchtower magazine 15th Oct 1986 p19