Watchtower Society Fails In Unconditional Love

pale.emperor

Was watching an episode of The Young Pope yesterday (really enjoyed the series), at at the end there it dealt with the theme of "unconditional love". It made me think of the love i have for people i know.

I looked up the Wikipedia intro of unconditional love and it reads:

Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations or love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing unconditional love, but most will agree that it is that type of love which has no bounds and is unchanging. It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is more frequently used to describe love between lovers. By contrast, unconditional love is frequently used to describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in highly committed relationships. An example of this is a parent's love for their child; no matter a test score, a life changing decision, an argument, or a strong belief, the amount of love that remains between this bond is seen as unchanging and unconditional. Unconditional love is garnered and shared by those who love themselves first.

Contrast this with what the Watchtower teaches: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20150415/disfellowshipping-a-loving-provision/

Family members can show love for the congregation and the erring one by respecting the disfellowshipping decision. “He was still my son,” explains Julian, “but his lifestyle had put up a barrier between us.”

All in the congregation can show principled love by avoiding contact and conversation with the disfellowshipped person. (1 Cor. 5:11; 2 John 10, 11) They thus reinforce the discipline that Jehovah has given him through the elders. Furthermore, they can give extra love and support to the family of the disfellowshipped one, who suffer considerably and who should not be made to feel that they too are excluded from association with fellow believers.—Rom. 12:13, 15.

“Disfellowshipping is an arrangement that we need, one that helps us live according to Jehovah’s standards,” Julian concludes. “In the long run, despite the pain, it brings good results. Had I been tolerant of my son’s bad conduct, he would never have recovered.”

Doesn't it make you sick?

snowbird

It is diabolical.

At first glance, your thread title looks like Watchtower Falls In Unconditional Love.

If only ...

Sylvia

Nicholaus Kopernicus

Yes pale.emperor, truly nauseating. That the GBoJW try to market themselves as the foremost exemplars of brotherly love is quite paradoxical to put it mildly. I've come to realise that the WT organisation is more like a barren wilderness when it comes to love. Consider for example...

The prideful elevation of the GBoJW
The compounding of the malexperience of child abuse victims
The intolerance of the JW organisation despite itself benefitting from such tolerance
The sale of properties built by local volunteer labour without the consultation which they hypocritically recommend for others (Prov 15:22)
Practice of ageism re dismissal of CO's and bethelites despite their feigning deference to the Bible's teaching re 'silver hair'
Disfellowshipping for slightest disagreement despite claim such only used re serious sin in which repentence is absent

Of course, this is just the briefest of signs of the WT society's lovelessness. Their function is deplorable and deserving of the most severe censure.

Pete Zahut

Is there really such a thing as unconditional Love? Don't we all place unspoken conditions on our friends and family?

I love my older Brother but if he hurt one of my kids or was generally causing trouble in my life, I'd stop associating with him under the condition that once he changed his ways, he'd be welcome again.

I understand the JW shunning concept to a point but what I disagree with is the enforcement that takes place in the private lives of individuals at the hand of those representing the Watchtower Society. It's one thing for a congregation to say to an individual, " You've been living a lifestyle that isn't in accord with our beliefs so we're going to stop using you in the meetings and calling on you to comment ". It's another thing to publically make an announcement about that individual and expect everyone he knows and his entire family to cut him out of their lives and punish them as well if they don't choose to.

If my friends at work found out I was embezzling from the company, I'd likely be fired and they'd not want anything more to do with me. It would be a different case if the company not only fired me but disciplined any of the other employees who still talked to me if they chose to. This likely would be illegal and a person could do something about it. Within the JW congregation, they infringe on the individuals personal rights outside their doors and there's very little or anything a person can do to stop it.

Finkelstein

Abandonment is not love

sir82

To be fair, I don't think they market themselves as offering "unconditional love".

They let you know, pretty much right from the get-go, that you've got to be "worthy" of gaining "undeserved kindness" (still can't quite parse the syntax of that).

For example, one of their old study brochures was titled "What Does God Require of Us?". That was a first-line offer in the field serve-us for many years.

Also agree with Pete - all love has some sort of condition. Of course some conditions are far more stringent than others.

Rainbow_Troll

Unconditional love is one of those platitudes that people give lots of lip service to, but secretly disdain. Love without any conditions is too easy to take for granted, which is why it is so rarely returned and those who profess it are held in such contempt by their beloved. It's really more like a chronic disease than an emotion.