1,000's are DF'd Each Year...

Funchback

Thoughts and questions. Your viewpoints will be appreciated. Thanks.

Using the 1999 WT CD-ROM, I did a search of Watchtower articles containing the JW catch-phrase, "Thousands are disfellowshipped each year...". This phrase is used time and again. It is found in the following WTs: 2/1/1998, 12/15/1995, 4/1/1994, 12/15/1989, 11/1/1987, and 8/1/1986. Moreso, it is used in talks and assignments from the platform, mainly during Public Talks.

Conversely, the term "Reinstated each year" is virtually non-existent. In fact, it appears only one time in the WT (12/1/1960):

"During the service year of 1958-1959 there were 6,552 individuals disfellowshiped by the New World society of Jehovahs witnesses for various reasons. Many of these were cases of immorality, either fornication or adultery. Where it became proper and timely, mercy was displayed, and there were 1,597 of all disfellowshiped during past years reinstated during the 1958-1959 service year upon proof of godly sorrow, repentance and reformation."

My thoughts and questions:

Why is this so-called religious organization promoting this negative aspect of their religion?

How come they never boast about how many are reinstated each year?

Do you recall hearing the phrase "Thousands are disfellowshipped each year" from the platform?

Have you EVER heard a Speaker speak about how many are reinstated each year?

Personally, I have my opinions to each of the questions. I am curious to see how many share my viewpoints, which I will share after some responses.

Thanks, again!

Mister Biggs

yucca

i think it is to cause fear and show their power over people. isnt that what all dictators want.? if this is what jehovah wanted he could wield that power any time. he wanted us to have free will to love him with heart mind and soul. but jws take away the free will of the people do you think this is acceptable to god.? just think they came they conquered and without a war they took control of millions of people. i believe they are the ones where they say to god look what we did in your name and he will say i never knew you and spit them out of his mouth. god bless yucca

yucca

I think it is to cause fear and show power over people. isn't that what all dictators want? if this is what jehovah wanted he could wield that power any time. he wanted us to have free will to love him with all our heart mind and soul but w.t. take away the free will of the people do you think this is acceptable to God? just think they came they conquered without firing a shot they took control of millions of people. I believe they are the ones that say to God look what we did in your name and he will say i never knew you and spit them out of his mouth. yucca

JT

interesting post, the last published figures to appear in the wt for DFed was 40,000, i used to use that number in a talk, but you are correct they never tell how many get reinstated

just some numbers for you to play with,

i stopped being an elder in 1998- i had spoken to my old roomate who is still on the serivce desk in 1997 i asked him why they stop publishing the dfed numbers- his words to me were

it was decided (service dept) that the numbers would be too discouraging he quoted the following over 60,000 per yr and that was in 1997- for each DFing there are about 2-3 reproofs so you are talking about upwards of 240,000 folks a year who have had to meet with THE CHEESE CRACKER MEN in the back room

I personally at the time thought the number was too high, but looking back in our hall we did avg about 1-2 private or public reproofs each each

bottom line that is a hell of a lot of folks having to meet with the Cheese Cracker Men

as anyone who is an elder knows we don't send in s77 cards on reproofs, but when the co comes around we do give an accounting for any reproofs and that number is sent back with the co report on sunday

i would love to see the exact number

yucca

I want to apologize for first paragraph i wrote. i tried to fix it. i am new to the computer. my daughter just let me know using caps is yelling at people. please be patient with me. i am learning. love to all yucca

Tashawaa

Yucca,

I agree with the posts. Its done to strike "fear" into the remaining members. I remember that when I was apart of the Org, I always felt good to know Jah was "cleaning house" - makes me sick and ashamed of myself now

kenpodragon

In a universal way, it is common for a person or organization that feeds on negative energy to exhibits those features unconsciously in every facet. Thus, it does not surprise me that you would find the negative side to that procedure, more then the positive. If you examined their publications, and examined these following words, you will no doubt find the same result. Which would be negative mentioned more then positive ...

Positive Words

Love

Family

Kindness

Negative Words

Destruction

Fear

Hate

... check it out and let me know.

My thought

Dragon

Edited by - kenpodragon on 8 November 2002 13:55:36

jack2

Yucca, don't worry.....we're used to yelling in here.

I think one reason that the df numbers are mentioned, or were anyway, was to sound a note of warning. Talks and other discussions along those lines often seem to accentuate the negative, in order to, as some have already posted, instill some fear.

If some brother stands up there and says, "we've had __ number reinstated" he's not going to get much of a rise of of people in the audience.

Local needs parts are usually slanted toward the negative as well. A couple years back, a reminder was mentioned that local needs parts should also be upbuilding and positive. But the fact is, if you want drama and you want people to pay attention, dwelling on negatives is much more effective.

Dutchie

As a hard working witness it's hard to imagine that you could be disfellowshipped and so reinstatement has little or no meaning for most.

However, the prospect that some of our brothers and sisters, people we knew and respected, could be disfellowshipped, puts us on warning that it could possibly happen to us too. This knowledge could serve to make most witnesses determined to work even harder so as not to join their ranks.

troucul

it is correct to say that 40000 are df'd each year...

as far as reinstatements, I remember someone actually did say that the reinstatement rate was around 1%. Go figure.

1,000's are DF'd Each Year...

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