Profiling of an apostate

joe134cd

I must admit when I was in, the idea I had of an apostate, was an angry bitter person who would picket out side a convention. I was looking on Jwservey and found on the respondents to a servey that 54% were either active members or fading members. This made me wonder is the organisation underestimating the extent of apostasy. Based on this servey the profile of an apostate is in fact some one very much associating with the organisation, or trying to lessen his involvement. This completely reverses the idea of some one who is trying to draw off disciples after himself, but it is in fact someone who chooses to say nothing. I also strongly believe for every apostate who verbalises his ideas to the elders, the over whelming majority wouldnt. So what is the profile of an apostate. Thoughts please????

humbled

I never dreamed I was an apostate when I took a troubling matter to the elders.

I can't give you a profile of an apostate even now. But I am out now. An apostate.

ballistic

You need to analyse what would motivate someone to be an active opposer as opposed to just a forum member for example. And the reason is this.

Being an acive member of a church or the witnesses demnds you are an active member -it's enshrined in it.

Being an apostate does not come with being a member of JWD. It takes a definate , and determined effort from within oneself.

To be an active campaigner is very different from just associating at apostfests. I am speaking as someone who personally isn't into all that, but there are members here who are and we all know them. But by far , the vast majority are not.

So it's important to seperate the semantics of the word apostates, those who even like to be branded with the word and real activists.

joe134cd

Adding further. Only 31% of respondents to the servey said they were disfellowshiped. So the idea of an "x" angry member who is trying to get back at an organisation, that he/she feels has screwed them over, is just not correct ( well if the sample size of this servey is a reflection of the bigger picture). This is quite a big reversal to my current thinking.

steve2

I was never interested in trying to persuade those in my local congregation about my doubts and misgivings and when one of my JW uncles cornered me and insisted I state where I stood on the issue of the organization having the truth, I refused to answer. In his eyes, my refusal to answer his question was proof enough that I was an apostate. I stand accused - my silence condemning me. And, of course, my anonymity on this forum affords me an opportunity to be outspoken.

In the eyes of those who know me and know of me, I simply do not meet the stereotype of what an apostate is - on the quiet, my JW family still have contact with me. There is mutual respect and boundaries. But the local congregation would shun me as quick as look at me because I am viewed as an apostate and opposer. I cannot understand it but then when it comes to irrational behavior, the Witnesses are as guilty of this as the churches of Christendom which they condemn so strongly.

rayelynnlee

My understanding is as long as you don't voice your 'doubts' to anyone, you're not an apostate. As soon as you say anything to anyone (even the elders) in the congregation, you are considered an apostate.

The members of the congregation will likely start to treat someone like an apostate with very little evidence. Some take keeping ‘clean’ to the extreme. Not professing your love for the truth and your gratefulness to the FDS is enough proof for some.

I’m at the point where I spout the lines and keep my thoughts to myself. Well, I do bring some things up to my husband. Turns out he agrees with most of it. He says he knows everything isn’t correct, but believes eventually it will all get fixed and he’s content to wait. (He's a born-in JW, 3rd gen.) So I wonder if he stated that opinion to the elders if he’d be in trouble (apostate!) or congratulated on respecting the theocratic arrangement?

rebel8

I'm definitely an apostate by anyone's definition, but I have little interest in saving jws. I am mainly interested in prevention.

clarity

I confess ....I have been really baad.

I asked a question ....I had a doubt!

Therefore ......I am an apostate!

Ha .......clarity

konceptual99

Steve has it right. Of course, strictly speaking ones can have doubts and if they are quiet about it then they may not fsce any bother. Strictly speaking, apostasy involves some kind of vocalising of doubts or critical comments. They reality is that if the elders suspect that you have any misgivings about the band of 7 then you are very likely to be the victim of a sustained campaign of entrapment.

The Searcher

Personally, I feel very strongly that the term 'apostate' is not accurate or fully descriptive enough to offer a justifiable defence - much like many of the weasel wordings we find ever-increasingly in the literature.

For all Witnesses who are either fading or already out, they should be described as "Apostate of JW. Org's Teachings" or AJWOT.

Why adopt the degrading one-word terminology applied to yourself by those who now detest you? Speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and hit your accusers with it!

Profiling of an apostate

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