Anyone remember when someone was reinstated after the announcement they congregation would shake hands and hug? Then they announced a new rule that this was inappropriate to clap or hug, shake hands, that the newly reinstated was only doing what they should bla bla bla.
Shaking hands when reinstated
by Tobyjones262 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Tobyjones262
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blondie
When the prodigal son returned the father threw a party.
Luke 15:11-31
Luke
15 11 Then he said: “A certain man had two sons.+ 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the part of the property that falls to my share.’+ Then he divided his means of living+ to them. 13 Later, after not many days, the younger son gathered all things together and traveled abroad into a distant country, and there squandered his property by living a debauched life.+ 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred throughout that country, and he started to be in need. 15 He even went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to herd swine.+ 16 And he used to desire to be filled with the carob pods which the swine were eating, and no one would give him [anything].+
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many hired men of my father are abounding with bread, while I am perishing here from famine! 18 I will rise and journey+ to my father and say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.*+ 19 I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he rose and went to his father. While he was yet a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and fell upon his neck and tenderly kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.*+ I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Make me as one of your hired men.’*+ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! bring out a robe, the best one, and clothe+ him with it, and put a ring+ on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened+ young bull, slaughter* it and let us eat and enjoy ourselves, 24 because this my son was dead and came to life+ again; he was lost and was found.’ And they started to enjoy themselves.
25 “Now his older son+ was in the field; and as he came and got near the house he heard a music concert and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants to him and inquired what these things meant. 27 He said to him, ‘Your brother+ has come, and your father+ slaughtered the fattened young bull, because he got him back in good health.’ 28 But he became wrathful and was unwilling to go in. Then his father came out and began to entreat him.+ 29 In reply he said to his father, ‘Here it is so many years I have slaved for you and never once did I transgress your commandment, and yet to me you never once gave a kid for me to enjoy myself with my friends.+ 30 But as soon as this your son+ who ate up your means of living with harlots+ arrived, you slaughtered the fattened young bull for him.’+ 31 Then he said to him, ‘Child, you have always been with me, and all the things that are mine are yours;+ 32 but we just had to enjoy ourselves and rejoice, because this your brother was dead and came to life, and he was lost and was found.'
But instead the WTS says this:
No parties suggested here or hugs. Instead WTS sounds like the older brother which the WTS says represents the religious leaders of Jesus' time; not seeing themselves as the older brother.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2016363#h=10:0-13:353
When someone is reinstated in the congregation, we have good reason to rejoice. The person will have to keep on maintaining his integrity to God, but he had to be repentant in order to be reinstated, and we are glad that he repented. Accordingly, there may well be spontaneous, dignified applause when the elders make an announcement of a reinstatement.
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tartan4588
They do that now, the clap and everyone comes up and welcomes u back, its very nice
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Simon
It is strange how you can be treated as the walking dead and then with the flick of a switch, you're their new best friend again.
I feel sorry for anyone who choses to put themself through that instead of telling them to go shove their phoney friendship.
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Tobyjones262
I have been out since 95 6 so I did not know they were doing it again. Back in the 80s it was dead silence when they announced that someone was reinstated. I am sure it is different in KH to KH. But I remember a talk on not clapping or congratulation to a reinstated one.
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slimboyfat
I think what they said was that, if the reason the person was DFed has caused ongoing distress to other members of the congregation, it might be “inappropriate” to clap and hug the person being reinstated.
Which in one way sounds considerate. But at the same time smacks of typical Watchtower micromanagement of behaviour to an obsessive and infantilising degree. Why don’t they trust people to use their common sense in such situations, without needing to issue instructions how to behave? It also promotes another level of judgment and division, which all Watchtower policy foments and promotes, underlining how unhealthy and manipulative the whole process of shunning and DFing is.
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zeb
It seems from my long life that any affection or bodily contact by a simple hug is forbidden whatever the reason.
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ToesUp
WT and their BS rules. Don't miss this cult or it's "loving" members one bit.
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neat blue dog
there may well be spontaneous, dignified applause
Spontaneous? That's a laugh. A JW reads this as:
"Before we weren't allowed to clap. Now we are allowed to clap."
There is no gray area, because a good JW isn't capable of contemplating gray areas.
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john.prestor
Their dignified thing cracks me up, always gotta be dignified, meaning stodgy, stiff, and self-conscious. God forbid we get excited someone (in their minds) might get to survive Armageddon again