by quinah 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The rule is a person can be disfellowshipped for anything at any time. All it takes is the will of the elders to make it happen. Do not delude yourself into thinking otherwise.
Fortunately 99% of the time, most elders don't care enough to go after someone though. But if they are determined to come after someone, the reason for the DF is ultimately irrelevent.
I don't think there is in official rule, but just recently my JW sister told me that since I have been inactive for 7 years that I have already disassociated myself from the org.
very interested to see liquidskys comment only another 2.5 yrs to go then and I may be classed as disassociated! I also agree with nicolaou that in some sense it would allow me just to " get on with my life" without having to constantly look over my shoulder. I cant believe how underhanded the elders can be in trying to trick you or catch u off guard and say u no longer feel like a JW. One things for sure, no one is getting in here for a visit ever!
my JW sister told me that since I have been inactive for 7 years that I have already disassociated myself from the org.
Utter bullcrap is coming from your JW sister. How do they get away with saying stuff like that?
I have an uncle who has been inactive 40 years. He's not shunned by my devout JW parents or by his JW mother (who is still a regular pioneer).
Now of course people within the JW organization always can feel free to shun whomever they want. Their culture seems to encourage it.
But there is no official timeclock that states after xx years of inactivity that you're DA'd. Otherwise my uncle would have been shunned at least 30 years ago.
Yah, my brother told me that I was no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses because I no longer went in the field ministry and attended meetings.
Here are some quotes from the WTS:
While they flipflop some, the most recent comment shows that being inactive is not grounds for DA'ing or DF'ing.
NO
*w57 2/15 114 - **Being one of Jehovah's witnesses means more than saying, 'I am one of Jehovah's witnesses.' Are you witnessing? Regularly? All physically able have the responsibility to preach publicly and from house to house, as did Jesus, and in addition take advantage of all opportunities to witness to friends, neighbors, etc., while the physically infirm are privileged to witness to visitors, write letters, make telephone calls, and in other ways share in giving the mighty witness. Without exception each witness of Jehovah is aware of his obligations in this regard, as set out in Ezekiel 3:17-21. If one does not witness, he is not one of Jehovah's witnesses. To call ourselves witnesses of Jehovah and then to refrain from witnessing, which is ministering, would be taking Jehovah's name in a vain or worthless way. Never may that happen, and it will not so long as a proper view of the ministry is maintained.
NO
*w59 12/1 722 -
**All who are counted as Jehovah's witnesses are active preachers of the good news meeting the Biblical standard of morals, since an inactive Christian or one not meeting the standard is not a Christian at all. He is not a witness for Jehovah.
NO
*w67 1/1 11-12 - **If you call yourself a Christian, you should be doing what Jesus did or the disciples did. The early Christian congregation showed zeal for God and his kingdom and walked in Jesus' footsteps.
YES
*w68 2/15 118 - **One brief experience: A sister, inactive for three years, related to the overseer that 'it is going to be difficult to come back into the truth. I have been away so long. How can I even think of going out in the service or to the meetings?' She had been caring for her critically ill mother for so long until her death that she, herself, had become spiritually weak and inactive. She was encouraged to feel that she had never really been out of the truth but fulfilling a feature of her ministry so vital to good Christian conduct and love, and that Jehovah had not forgotten her works of love. She was told that brothers in prison could not share in meetings or field service but they weren't out of the truth.
*km 11/70 1 - **And, are there inactive ones in your congregation or even in your own family? Cool treatment is not the therapy. What a thrill if they begin to love again through your kind example and encouragement
NO
*w71 1/1 11 - **Do you beg off from what God's written Word says, and still call yourself a Christian?
*km 2/82 7 - **Learning that Jehovah did still care, the inactive sister began to weep. She had stopped associating due to many family problems and discouragement, wrongly assuming she had been disfellowshipped because of her long absence. This 'lost sheep' came to appreciate Jehovah's mercy and that he was still interested in her. She soon found her way back to active service with the congregation.
*w82 5/1 26-7 - **Two elders made a call on an inactive couple who in the past had been exceptionally zealous Witnesses. No sooner had the conversation begun than the inactive husband defensively remarked that he knew he should be out in the field service teaching others. "Right now I don't think you should," was the surprising reply of Russell, one of the elders. "If you had a member of your family sick, would you tell him to go out and mow the lawn? Well, we're not going to tell you to 'mow the lawn' either. We want you to get well..
NO
*w84 6/1 22 - **Even though you may have specific times set aside to share in certain features of the witnessing work, a dedicated servant of Jehovah should be praising him in word and deed at all times. Are you doing this? Jesus' early followers were spoken of as belonging to "The Way." (Acts 9:1, 2) So they were not serving God only a few hours a month. Their service was a way of life! Are we like the first-century Christians if we are irregular Kingdom publishers who rarely engage in witnessing activity? Can we rightly call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses if we say little or nothing to others about our hope?
NO
*w86 12/1 11 - **It is not enough to call oneself a Christian witness of Jehovah. To have the mind of Christ, we must regularly fill our minds with understanding of Jesus' life and example. That means we need a regular and genuine study of the Scriptures along with Bible study aids that help to clarify meaning and context.
YES
*w93 7/15 27 - **Inactivity in the ministry or in attending Christian meetings does not mean that the sheep is no longer part of the flock. He remains part of "all the flock" for whom the elders must "render an account" to Jehovah.
*w93 4/1 30 - **In contrast, overseers in the Christian congregation remember that all of God's sheep are precious in his eyes, and they deal rewardingly with each one of them. They care not just for the 99 who are healthy but also for the one who is weak or emotionally disturbed.-Matthew 18:12-14; Acts 20:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 15; 1 Peter 5:7.
YES
*km 6/96 1 - ** Most who are inactive have not abandoned the truth; they have simply stopped preaching because of discouragement, personal problems, materialism, or other anxieties of life. (Luke 21:34-36)
***
km 2/01 p. 4 Make Known Jehovah’s Name and Dealings ***Although most inactive ones have not abandoned the truth, they may have stopped preaching because of discouragement, personal problems, or other anxieties of life.
So earlier this year, for the 3 months leading up to the annual Memorial, there was a campaign (as announced in the Kingdom Ministry and told to the elders in their KM school) to go "visit" all inactive ones with a view to reactivating them. However, there was a more sinister purpose to these visits. Often the direction was to see if the inactive one still considered themselves a JW. If they said no, that would be taken as evidence of opposition to the organization (and probably apostasy), and then such inactive ones would be announced as DF'd
Absolutely correct! The instructions were given at the last elders' Kingdom Ministry School with follow-up by letter to BOE.
However, there could be a flipside to this. Maybe some "honest-hearted" rulers are having second thoughts?
Cheers, Ozzie
Send them a brief letter stating that if they make any announcement about your status at ANY meeting, your next letter to them will be in the form a subpoena. To go to court. For defamation of character and so forth.
They will zip their lips, I promise. There is nothing that Elders fear more than court cases, because Big Momma won't generally help the Elders out in that instance.
Good luck!
Blondie... great quotes! It explains alot to me about how my mother treats my sister. My sister has been inactive for about 4 years now. My mother (a devoted JW for over 30 years) seems to run hot and cold with her. Over the years she has "marked" her in the congregation and says that she has nothing in common nor have anything to do or discuss with my sister...and then some time will pass by and Mom will start "dropping by", wanting to have a regular chit chat and act like nothings wrong. A few months back, I was once again pleading with my mother to speak and associate with my sister...bringing up different topics (UN scandal, child molestation) in between. Of course, in usual fashion, she defended the Society hands down and told me she had nothing what so ever to discuss with my sister (again). Then about the middle of March, she started showing up again at my sister's house and the whole month of April she was just as kind as could be...I was a bit puzzled until my sister reminded me of "its Memorial time" She does this every year; with the invite and dinner. Its such a sick cycle; a rollercoaster ride of emotions for my sis. But now I understand why my Mom acts this way; she's keeps getting "new and different light" from them and flip-flops back and forth like fish out of water. But, things are coming to a head...
BTW...the reason my mother still talks to me is that I was never baptized as a witness. My mother says that I never had Jah's faith & love in my heart; and that I am just another "worldly person" to her but I am her daughter too. Nice, eh?
Can't ya just feel the love flowing?!
BTW...love your WT and book study reviews...keeps me up on what "spiritual food" mom's getting and where her mentality is. Her actions go right with it.
***the mole*** the new elders handbook and the km do have guidlines for this issue...as a former ms it was my role and the elders to make visits, in making those visits the elder or elders would look around to see if any objects or reading material was around to see if you have gone to another church or apostate. also they want to know if a person is smoking or has a live in person and if they do it is then requested to have that person admit thier sin or be df'd.. i often advise those who still have family in the org to slowly fade away, the reason is those elders will call family and advise to shun you. If you have no ties to the Organization it is best to go out in a bang. In my case I had a number five talk and lectured my hall instead of using the suggested topic they gave us, so i lost all my privilages. Im doing the slow fade away but they keep coming to my home but my experience is not to discuss anything with them, admit anything to them and keep them outside even if the weather is bad. Make up excuses if you have to and not answer the door and they will eventualy stop. An inactive person is still counted as a member to make the overall growth #'s of members look good on paper compared to other religions. They rather have you fade away so you still can be counted than decrease the numbers....***the mole***
Two elders made a call on an inactive couple who in the past had been exceptionally zealous Witnesses. No sooner had the conversation begun than the inactive husband defensively remarked that he knew he should be out in the field service teaching others. "Right now I don't think you should," was the surprising reply of Russell, one of the elders. "If you had a member of your family sick, would you tell him to go out and mow the lawn? Well, we're not going to tell you to 'mow the lawn' either. We want you to get well..
Awwww, that just gives me the warm fuzzies! Kind of like the stuff I see under the garbage can after it's leaked . . . .
Welcome to the forum, Quinah!!!!
Nina
