Is STUDYING political science a disfellowshipping offense?

by somebodylovesme 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  somebodylovesme

  My inactive husband and I are weighing the pros and cons of eventually moving back to his hometown, where his Witness family is. We LOVE his family... they are the best people I have ever known, despite being JWs. My husband was raised a Witness, was baptised at the age of 11 (Which is RIDICULOUS in my opinion), and starting distancing himself when he turned 18. He has been completely inactive for about a year and a half, married me (a worldly girl, ooooh) and is now in grad school for political science. He is not politically active per se ... just academically interested.

  Now, I have reservations about ever living too close to his hometown again, simply because I don't want him to get DF'ed. He has never done anything else that would merit DF'ing... we were the picture of morality before marriage, he's always been pretty well-behaved, and he doesn't have any "lifestyle" practices that the Witnesses could call into question, except not attending meetings, of course. But being inactive isn't really a disfellowshipping offense, is it?

  Could studying political science be a disfellowshipping offense? He doesn't think it would be, I think it could be construed that way. We wouldn't be looking at moving back there for another four years or so (until we are both done with grad school), but it is something that has been on my mind.

  Thanks for listening!

  SLM
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  Euphemism

  If the elders are really determined to df you, they'll find a way. But according to the textbook rules, no, I don't see how merely studying poli sci would be a judicial offense. It would probably cause a person to be considred 'unexemplary' and not eligible for privileges, but I don't suppose your husband's concerned about that, is he?
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  somebodylovesme

  lol, no, he's not... I'm sure he's already a bad associate, of course. I think part of his safety is that the elders always LOVED him and wished their own children were so good. Very small community and small congregation, and he was everyone's favorite. I think they have turned a bit of a blind eye to him... no one tried to talk to him during the year and a half he was inactive and was living with his parents!!
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  amac

  Do you two celebrate holidays? If so, even if he is moral, he will get DFed for that. The only way they'll DF him for studying poli sci is if they are local elders who are out to get him.
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  somebodylovesme

  amac - good point. hmmmm very subtly, but no one knows. (oooooooo) We have agreed that when we have children (many years from now!) we will do very low-key celebrations. If we lived in that town, we would probably refrain from doing much. My family lives in a different part of the state, and we do spend some holiday times with them - a fact his family pretends not to notice, of course. :) It's just a COINCIDENCE we'll be at my parents' house on Christmas... riiiiight.

  But point well taken. As long as we are living outside the organization, I'm sure rules are being broken... I just hope so much he never gets DF'ed. :(

  SLM
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  DanTheMan

  Whatever your husband studies is none of their damn business, but unfortunately for him there are many elders who think that anybody who has ever been even loosely associated with that god-awful religion at any time is still under their authority.
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  Earnest

  Marrying you (a worldly girl, ooooh) was a far greater "sin" than any course he might take at college so I would have no concerns about that. He can study whatever he wishes (although philosophy courses are discouraged) and provided he doesn't participate in politics there should be no problem. He is more likely to come to their (adverse) attention if he starts asking the awkward questions that are the staple diet of this forum.

  Earnest
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  Panda

  Political Science is just a way of saying political history. Usually PS includes loads of economics as they are affected by governments, wars, famines, diseases --- pretty much anything can affect the economy, but politics is the biggy.

  If you celebrate holidays your husband can just say that you (worldly woman) are his spouse and there's nothing he can do to stop you. And someone mentioned that if they want to df him they'll find a reason.