WORD MEANING??

DJ

Just what is up with words and their meanings with the jw's? The other day, I had the occasion to speak with my mom regarding family business. I brought up the issue of shunning. I was trying to make the point that the bible indicates not eating with repetitive flagrant sinners who show no desire to control their behavior. Here is a bit of the conversation:

Me: "Mom, why do you shun people who simply disagree with your beliefs and chose to move on?

Mom: "We do not shun, that is what the Amish do, they shun!"

Me:" Mom, what do you call it when you don't speak to or look at former members, then?"

Mom: "Well, they just need to repent from their immoral ways and we will speak to them again."

Me: " Ok, Ma....first of all, how do you know that someone is doing these immoral things?"

Mom: " Well that is why we would df someone, if they won't repent from immorality"

Me: "Mom, you shunned me and my family and I don't remember practicing immorality at the time"

Mom: "WE did NOT Shun YOU"

Me: "Ma, What is the definition of shunning?"

Mom: "I have things to do and I don't have time for this. I have to get changed for the book study and we didn't have dinner yet."

Me: "Love you, Mom and give Daddy a hug, ok?"

Mom: "I love you too, bye"

Poor Mom, she is 72 now and i love her but what kind of a strange relationship is this?? She doesn't use the WORD, SHUN, therefore she doesn't do it. Poor Mom. This is a highly intelligent woman for the most part. I have also noticed that she refuses to "be in a RELIGION" no, no, no. She is not in one of those!!! The jw's also do not teach any "DOCTRINES" those things are lies that Catholics teach! Do you think that I should get my mommy a dictionary for Christmas.......oops

scumrat

Sounds like she is pretty set in her ways. My mom is also in her 70's and when we use to speak about shunning she had the same type of reaction. Tough call, at her age it may do more damage than good if she is pressed with the issue.

scumrat

A Paduan

Jws have a gamet of words that simply have a different meaning for everyone else, and in truth, a different meaning from the actual word roots. I have thought that this is a very important link in the chain that the org employs - if the words themselves are a lie it's certainly easier to construct bigger ones from them.

I've started a jw to english dictionary, an example would be humble from humus - being 'down to earth', knowing where you're at, neither exagerated nor understated - fair dinkum as aussies would say. Whereas jw meaning for that is 'meek and subservient'. This type of distortion makes it very easy to take people much farther off track. It's not only jws though - but they appear to extend even further to the distortions of western language.

The word you present, "shun" doesn't appear to have a distorted meaning for them, but it is simply a denial of the meaning - such as religion, or clergy.

I'm not sure how to include these 'denial' type words into the dictionary though. Does she indicate that they mean something slightly different? It seems as though this is where the lie becomes too obvious for comfortable ingestion.

paduan

DJ

Scumrat,

I know exactly what you mean about her age. I have given a lot of consideration to that. I do not want to harm her in any way. I love my parents. She has always been a very intelligent woman with an extensive vocabulary. that's why I find this so surprising. She has so much to contend with right now. My father has been ill for a year now and she has quite a large amount of stress to cope with. I feel that this religion...lol....is only adding more stress. She still works p/t by choice. My dad is retired, he is 72 also. There is only one reason that she speaks to me now and that's because she needs me to babysit my dad while she attends the meetings. That upsets me but not enough to stop caring for my dad because I adore him. I have 4 siblings, all grown, married w/ kids. They all attend the meetings except for my oldest brother. He is an undecided. He doesn't fully agree with the WT nor does he disagree completely. We are the only two that care for my dad while they go out in the ministry and attend the meetings, etc. Sadly, if my dad never got sick~~ it is most likely that my mother would never have spoken to me again.

Sorry, I got off on a tangent and vented. Do you really think that it could harm her if I sat with her while she looked thes words up? If she understood the meanings, maybe she could start to use her own mind again, or at the very least be able to admit that these words are appropriate when used in connection with the jw's/. Help!!

Paduan,

I too, am nauseated at the mis-use of these words and others! Have you ever considered the concept of a new book or pamphlet showing this problem?? The word shun, to my mom just is not what she does. She gives no other definition for her behavior, she just lives in denial about doing it. The word religion to her means, that stuff that the world teaches. She says that she does not practice a religion....she is in the "TRUTH". Of course. The word doctrine simply is something that those 'religions teach" She does not teach those, she teaches........truths. See? HELP

Love, DJ

A Paduan

Have you ever considered the concept of a new book or pamphlet showing this problem??

Yes, I'm working on an extensive exposure to the problem - got any words?

Ephanyminitas

The word "shun" is in Society literature, isn't it? You ought to point that out to her.

DJ

Hi Paduan,

I think that is a great idea! Are you going to combine the two issues into one book? The twisted meanings are one side of it and the trigger words ie:religion are the other side. There are TONS of words that they misuse and quite a few that they are in a denial over. I will let you know when I gather some, ok?

Eph,

I don't know if it is???? Do you? If it is used then I really would like to know where! Then I could show her and I think she'd be shocked! She needs a loving shock or two. Let me know?

DJ

Gywen

"I don't know if it is???? Do you? If it is used then I really would like to know where! Then I could show her and I think she'd be shocked! She needs a loving shock or two. Let me know?"

Yes, they do use the word "shun" to describe what they do in their own liturature. Here is a quote directly from the official WT site:

http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm

"Such shunning would be appropriate, too, for anyone who rejects the congregation..."

While it is in their liturature (as the above shows), I doubt they call it that regularly in the meetings. Check this link out for a list of common buzzwords:

http://www.jwfiles.com/jw-words.htm

I wish you well in dealing with your Mother. I have a large portion of my family still in, or coming out, that I am helping still. It sounds like you are going in the right direction.

UnDisfellowshipped

Webster's Dictionary Definition of "SHUN":

Main Entry: shun
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): shunned; shunning
Etymology: Middle English shunnen, from Old English scunian
Date: before 12th century

Definition: to avoid deliberately and especially habitually

Synonyms: avoid, bilk, double, duck, elude, eschew, evade, shy

Related Words: decline, refuse, reject; snub; despise, disdain, scorn

Idioms: have nothing to do with, keep away from, stand aloof from, steer clear of, turn away from, turn one's back upon

Contrasted Words: accept, adopt, welcome

Ephanyminitas

Thanks to the quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com disfellowshipping/disassociation page, I found just what we were looking for. All bold text is my emphasis:

Yes, the Bible commands Christians not to keep company or fellowship with a person who has been expelled from the congregation. Thus "disfellowshiping" is what Jehovah's Witnesses appropriately call the expelling and subsequent shunning of such an unrepentant wrongdoer. Their refusal to fellowship with an expelled person on any spiritual or social level reflects loyalty to God's standards and obedience to his command at 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13.
--Watchtower 1981 Sept 15 p.20-26

Second:

The unanimous judgment of the federal court of appeals was based on broader grounds of First Amendment (of the U.S. Constitution) rights: "Because the practice of shunning is a part of the faith of the Jehovah's Witness, we find that the 'free exercise' provision of the United States Constitution . . . precludes [her] from prevailing.
--Watchtower 1988 April 15 pp.26-31, Discipline That Can Yield Peaceable Fruit

And best of all:

"Disfellowshipped and disassociated ones are shunned by those who wish to have a good relationship with Jehovah." --Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock (1991), p.103

The Pay Attention book is the "secret" elders' manual. That might make an impression on her. ("Where did you find that information?! This is exactly why the Society counsels us to avoid Internet research! That material isn't meant for us!")

So in conclusion, yes, Witnesses' literature uses the word "shun." :-)

Edited by - ephanyminitas on 28 September 2002 1:55:38

WORD MEANING??

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