A friend of mine who is still a witness told me that an elder had approached her and asked if we had celebrated Xmas and that if we did it was a DF offence as is classed as apostasy!
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by Theburstbubble 41 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
A friend of mine who is still a witness told me that an elder had approached her and asked if we had celebrated Xmas and that if we did it was a DF offence as is classed as apostasy!
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Christmas is a religious holiday officially whether you put Jesus into or not.
But birthdays don't fit any category re holiday and is not listed as a df'ing offense in the elder's manual. But the WTS and elders make the rules.
2 years...hardly...out 15 years, no visits for 5 years until last week. Didn't open the door just wave goodbye through the window. As long as the local elders know where you live, a contact attempt could still be possible.
rebel8, that's cray-cray, BIG TIME.
Wasanelder - backatcha, bro. : ))
In the labyrinth of questions aimed at highlighting the shunning policy, Angus Stewart asked Geoffrey Jackson the following…
So, for example, if they [a Jehovah’s Witness] had become inactive or sought to fade without formally disassociating, and the elders came to visit and found them celebrating Christmas or a birthday, they would be found to be in transgression of the rules, would they not?
Jackson’s answer was remarkable…
That is not my understanding. But again, as I said, it is not my field, that goes into policy with regard to those type of things, but from my personal experience, that’s not the case.
Anybody who knows anything about the Witness faith knows that celebrating Christmas or birthdays is expressly prohibited for Witnesses – a “transgression of the rules” as Stewart carefully phrased it. In fact “celebrating false religious holidays” is clearly listed as a form of apostasy in the Shepherd book and deemed judicially actionable by elders.
As with his earlier obfuscation about corporal punishment, Jackson’s ability to contort the truth so readily rather than take pride in teachings and practices that are supposed to be mandated by God will have been a huge wake-up call for any sincere Witnesses who dared to watch.
clarity
Here's the web site.............................
http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/12-things-we-learned-from-geoffrey-jacksons-testimony-at-the-royal-commission/comment-page-1
I would urge you to read the transcript of Jackson's testimony at the Royal Commission and have it ready to share with your elders. You should read the context. But here is what Jackson said, and I quote: " Yes, but if I could mention, Mr Stewart, your first 2 proposition you put forward, that they meet someone who is 3 celebrating Christmas ‐ you know, this person is not 4 associating with other Jehovah's Witnesses, not actively 5 trying to change other people, and so on ‐ a person such as 6 that is not going to be handled judicially, as far as 7 I understand."
They will just say it is not a "real" recording or transcript. It's photo shopped or fake. That's what was said here by a local Eldub.
Good luck,
Doc
The greatest revenge is living a happy & successful life!