Logically, the DA'd should not be shunned!

metatron

If the Bible sez that shunning applies to "anyone called a brother" who engages in serious sin,

then logically, if a person made clear to everyone - congregation, neighbors and community - that he is

not one of JW's, no shunning would apply - over and above any 'worldly person'.

Likewise, it would not apply to any DF'd person either - if they made clear they are no longer a JW in any way.

Of course, such logic cannot be grasped by the Watchtower - who would voluntarily submit to their dominance

if they allowed such things? Coercion is all they know - people have to be forced into 'returning'.

metatron

SpannerintheWorks

Metatron,

Hmmm...interestinckable. Is there a time-lapse between being a "brother" and "NLOOJWS" (no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses)?

Spanner

waiting

That is logical, met.

Which, knowing the WTBTS's viewpoint, means logically - they won't adhere to it.

If the WT let all it's followers engage in chat/discussion with xjw's ----------- why, most would then be xjw's. Which, imho, is the real reason shunning is in place - to keep jw's in their dark minds.

JW's are taught that the reason that they shun sinning brothers is to discipline them -"to remind them of the spiritual love they've lost - and to get them to return to "the fold."

Obviously, JW's aren't logical (or biblical) in reference to da'd persons - who aren't brothers by choice.

Metatron........where DO you get all these off-the-wall ideas?

waiting

metatron

I got tons of off the wall ideas - I wish I could say God told 'em to me
but he doesn't talk to anyone but schizophrenics these days.

I don't know how I ever survived for so long in such an uncreative, rule laden
organization as this. I sometimes ask myself why we even care about Witness relatives
or friends - most of them are no great prize as people. They often have crappy jobs,
no real hobbies, poor education, and (gasp!) no INDEPENDENT thought that might make them
the least bit interesting. Sheesh!

metatron

DanTheMan

I'm DA'd, I made it a point to say hello to a JW coworker today.

She's scared to death of me. Sad.

Simon

yes, if you have done something worthy of being shunned then wouldn't you have been disfellowshipped?

Of course, the WTS uses "disassociating people" as a way of disfellowshipping people without the inconvenience of having to catch them doing anything wrong other that thinking for themself or disagreeing with the elders on something or just seeing things as they really are.

They still don't want to risk letting such ones talk to others in the cong (hell, there'd be no-one left!)

The WatchTower website of course claims that those who simply wish to leave are not shunned ... yeah, right.

joannadandy

My understanding has always been that disfellowhiping/shunning is used to

Punish the person who did wrong
Keep the congregation clean from outside influences

If anyone disassociated themselves to become an outspoken apostate it would wreak havoc on the congregation. It's much safer to institute a policy of shunning to keep the flock away from such evildoers.

waiting

Hey off-the-wall-Met!

Yeah, - about those uninteresting jw's (now that we're xjw's).

When we were in the Org., at least we could always fall back on talking about the assembly, an article we read in the Awake about animals, etc., with some of the more boring jw family.

Now, we can't......and we still can't talk religion or politics with them, and I don't like to talk about business too much - because they always end up saying things like:

"AH put Kingdom interests first."

"AH spend my time in THEoCRATic activities."

"AH work as little as possible so that AH'm free to serve jaHOvah."

"AH don't want MYchildren going to college (or the least time possible) and be AXposed to all that BAAAAAD ASSociation."

Damned southern jw's sound even more self-righteous than yankee jw's when they drawl out the words.

And the most famous thing I've heard from my JW family "Waaeellll, we alLOWed our son & his family to visit us........but we DIDn't eat with them." The 32 yr old son was df'd when 19 (married for a decade with 2 kids now.)

His mother is safe from him because she shuns his entire family now......just cries by herself over it.

waiting

Edited by - waiting on 31 January 2003 18:10:49

shera

Don't scare me like that...one reason I DA myself was to be shunned..(sorry to those who were hurt from being shunned ) I knew this was one way to get rid of em.

onacruse

meta:

2 Thess 3:14, 15 (NIV):
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

NIV ftn (bold added):

The Greek for this phrase is an unusual double compound, meaning "mixed up together with" [used elsewhere in the NT only in 1 Cor 5:9, 11---of a similar withdrawal of close fellowship]. It indicates a disassociation that will bring the person back to a right attitude.

So then, "association" with those that are still considered brothers and sisters, but who have been marked, is of the same scope and nature as "association" with those that are disfellowshipped (as per 1 Corinthians)! But 2 Thessalonians specifically says "do not regard [them] as an enemy."

Communication is the life-blood of humanity. No wonder that a mind-controlling cult like the WTS deliberately perverts the simple Scriptural advice of "be mindful of your conversations" into the Pharisaical "be mindless and have no conversations."

Craig

Logically, the DA'd should not be shunned!

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