Has there been a policy change?

by Mulan 44 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Mulan

  My mother told us last night that her PO told her we are disassociated.

  No announcement was made. She is upset, and I told her I would call him.
  At first she didn't want me to do that, but later changed her mind.
  So, I left a message on his answering machine.He will call me.........he always returns my calls.

  What I wonder is, 'Have they changed their policy on this? Do they just spread the word, if someone leaves, and everyone understands they are disassociated?'
  
  One of the older sisters told one of my friends "they just walked away." She meant us, and was explaining why no one talks to us. I wonder if there has been a talk on this at an assembly or what is going on? I will post again, after I get the phone call.
• 

  ThiChi

  Wow, it never ends. So, does that mean if you decided to "go back," you would be required to submit a letter to the elders for reinstatement?

  Or, is it just a marking? Please let us know the outcome.......
• 

  truthseeker1

  For what I know, they still announce it. They announced my DA a few weeks back.
• 

  metatron

  "No one expects the Spanish Inquistion!"
  -Monty Python

  Sorry couldn't resist

  metatron
• 

  Dismembered

  Dear Mulan

  Please let us know what you find out.
• 

  Joyzabel

  LOL @ jjrizo, "Now that you have a nice new picture up people are taking notice! "
• 

  Elsewhere

  Perhaps you need to remind the brothers of what god The Organization has to say about the matter....

  http://www.jw-media.org/beliefs/beliefsfaq.htm

  Do you shun former members?

  Those who simply leave the faith are not shunned. If, however, someone unrepentantly practices serious sins, such as drunkenness, stealing, or adultery, he will be disfellowshipped and such an individual is avoided by former fellow-worshipers. Every effort is made to help wrongdoers. But if they are unrepentant, the congregation needs to be protected from their influence. The Bible clearly directs: "Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." (1 Corinthians 5:13) What of a man who is disfellowshipped but whose wife and children are still Jehovah's Witnesses? The spiritual ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. The marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings can continue. As for disfellowshipped relatives not living in the same household, Jehovah's Witnesses apply the Bible's counsel: "Quit mixing with them." (1 Corinthians 5:11) Disfellowshipped individuals may continue to attend religious services and, if they wish, they may receive spiritual counsel from the elders with a view to their being restored. They are always welcome to return to the faith if they reject the improper course of conduct for which they were disfellowshipped.
• 

  Sentinel

  Mulan,

  I have been reading and re-reading all the information that the forum provided, regarding material on handling disassociated friends and family. This goes way back to 1952 up to the present.

  From what I gather, there is really no new news. It's just the same old stuff in the literature given in the same old hard to understand jargon--which goes back and forth between df'd and da'd persons, and labeling them all as wicked people "practicing sin". They label anyone disassociated the same as a disfellowshipped person--and also as if we "try to convert from within the congregation" to our way of thinking. This is pure crap. Seems like no one can just walk away. Oh No. Any association by active JW's with "us" would cause them to ask questions about their faith, and they might fall away.

  What really got me, is the statement in that information that basically said, "lucky for us we are living in a society that won't condeme people like us by stoning us to death." And that we are to be "hated". This is really strong language, and makes me wonder what some of the "nuts" involved might be thinking. It's getting kind of scary to me.

  Keep us posted on what you find out. As you know, I just lost my mom "again".

  Sentinel/Karen
• 

  Nowfree

  "THOSE WHO SIMPLY LEAVE THE FAITH ARE NOT SHUNNED"

  Oh yeah? HAHAHAHAHAHA!

  You wanna try telling THAT to the little family of "Flanders" living down the road from me.

  But then, (like i have ALWAYs suspected) exJWS know a hell of a lot more about the Jehovah's Witness religion than active JWs who are faithfully sitting (dozing?) at the meetings each week!!

  Bless them - they are SO naive!!

  Nowfree
• 

  LB

  Mulan if I were to be DAed without getting to write the letter I'd feel cheated somehow.

  I ran into a MS at the store yesterday. He looked right at me and walked on by as if I weren't there. I simply said.... asshole.... he slowed down and then sped up his pace.