(FAQ WT site) Do you shun former members? (page 3)

I think that's where we all trip up - we don't read the WTBTS doublespeak like they write it. We read it as to understanding normal words and ideas. And they talk circles around us.

Exactly! Thank you for understanding what I was doing. The way to defeat your opponent is to understand your enemy. It's not enough to make an argument, you also have to have in mind what your opponent's counter-argument will be, and then answer that ahead of time!

When you do that, you completely disarm your opponent. You catch them by surprise, and you gain the upper hand.

If we run to the media crying, "Lies, lies!", we will be shooting ourselves in the foot. The media is used to PR doublespeak and legalese. Instead, we should say to them, "The WTS says X, and what they mean by X is Y, and the reality is Z." That is much more effective than saying, "They're just a bunch of liars."

closer2fine

Thanks Somebody!!!

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. --Steven Wright

Enlighted UK

What EXACTLY do they mean by FORMER MEMBER and NON-INVOLVED MEMBER?

NON-INVOLVED MEMBER - the person is in-active, but the cong still hold record cards and the person is counted in numbers?

FORMER MEMBER - If someone just stopped attending everything, after a certain length of time (??) the cong would destroy record cards and the person would no longer count in the numbers?

The titles would need defining before anyone could say the WT are liars. (By the way I do believe they ARE liars) Otherwise the WT will just ALTER the definition to save face.

When i was an active member - I would shun FORMER MEMBERS, that is DA or DF. Those were were NON-INVOLVED (ie irregular at meetings) were not good associates, but there was nothing to stop you associating with them.

Enlighted UK

D wiltshire

With reguards to:

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Do you shun former members?
Those who simply cease to be involved in the faith are not shunned.
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What the Org is saying here I think is:

If you leave don't say any thing negative about us and we will leave you alone.
If you reveal any damaging information about us we will come after you and put a label on you, and then you will be shunned.

esther

D Wiltshire, you said that you thought the org was saying

If you leave don't say any thing negative about us and we will leave you alone. If you reveal any damaging information about us we will come after you and put a label on you, and then you will be shunned.

I presume that you mean anyone who is not DF'd, here. However, the fact is that if anyone DA's themselves, they are shunned, even if they don't give out any information to anyone.

Also, if anyone becomes inactive, the elders are supposed to 'help them spiritually'. So if an inactive one tries to explain why they are don't go to meetings etc, they are already counted as guilty of revealing damaging information, even though it is only to the elders.

Lying in fact, if not technically

esther

patio34

Seeker and Waiting,

Good points on the legalism in the WT FAQ.

I couldn't help but think of Clinton's infamous "it depends on what your definition of 'is' is."

To speak with the WTS one would have to have a definition of every term they use. E.g., 'sever family ties': biological or social? Former members: df'd, da'd, inactive?

Actually, didn't they write that themselves? So, it was crafted to avoid telling the whole truth.

Pat

(FAQ WT site) Do you shun former members?

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