All through my life, now in my 40's, I've seen DF people get completely shunned by family and friends, but an ex elder showed me the STFOG book that says it's just spiritual contact that stops. So what's the crack? I'm mega confused, as I want to go P.O.M.O or ideally DA but don't want to loose family.
Does Disfellowshipping only prohibit spiritual contact with a DF family member or friend?
by Isambard Crater 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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smiddy3
Jehovah`s Witnesses speak out of both sides of their mouth depending on what they want to influence their hearers about.
On the one hand it`s only about spiritual matters and even that they have two sets of standards and practices but in practice among the rank and file if you are DF you will be shunned full time ,if you are D.A. you will be shunned full time .
No contact or association on any level unless it is extreme family business that cannot be avoided otherwise have no contact with that individual under any other circumstance.
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Freedom rocks
Sorry isambard crater
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Normalfulla
If you are faded... You can expect mostly soft to hard core shunning. Depending on the type of conditional friends you have
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OnTheWayOut
The literature will say both things, that you should not have spiritual contact with a person and also that you should not even say hello to them.
"… a simple "Hello" to someone can be the first step that develops into a conversation and maybe even a friendship. Would we want to take that first step with a disfellowshiped person?" Watchtower 1981 Sep 15 p.25They will show the one thing to government officials and curious people who think they are a cult, that they allow normal family relations and only refrain from spirtual discussions, therefore their work should not be banned and they should not be viewed as an extremist group. Then they will remind members of the other thing- any contact can lead to being misled by Satan's wiles.
Current literature still says shunning is necessary:
"Despite our pain of heart, we must avoid normal contact with a disfellowshipped family member by telephone, text messages, letters, e-mails, or social media." Watchtower 2017 Oct p.16 -
Freedom rocks
The recent shunning video is a great one to prove they shun family members. They can't get away from that one if it's used
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Diogenesister
Basically it's got worse plain a d simple. More culty.In the 70s and early 80s in the UK we were taught no spiritual contact for family members and so no one I knew completely shunned family. So I don't remember anything in the Watchtower that specifically mentions shunning family...others, yes, of course.
Can anyone else from the UK chime in?
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stan livedeath
i'm in the UK
i think the shunning depends to an extent on how the dub uses it. many are control freaks..and use shunning to cut off close family members as a form of control. my family does.
on the other hand--my mom and dad never shunned me---my dad said to me he couldnt find any biblical instruction to have no contact with his son. but we avoided any discussion of watchtower crap.
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Diogenesister
Yes Stan I was thinking specifically about DF kids. The few I knew their mum and dad did talk to them but as I say that was a long-ish time back. Also they were good sorts.
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slimboyfat
There is enough ambiguity in WT instructions to inflict maximum uncertainty and stress on people being shunned, because it can be interpreted anywhere between simply not discussing the Bible to completely no contact. The fact that there is ambiguity means that where family choose to draw the line causes added pain. I have come to think this isn’t a bug of the system but a feature, because it is especially destructive to relationships to think that the level of shunning is due to the discretion of the person doing the shunning and how they feel about the person they are shunning.