My friend was was disfellowshipped for associating with a person who was disfellowshipped for associating with a person who was disfellowshipped for associating with a person who was disfellowshipped for associating with the person who wrote Crisis Of Conscience who was disfellowshipped for eating. Ray had been associating with Peter Gregerson, no problem. Ray was not disfellowshipped for associating . . . he was disfellowshipped for eating.
The Witnesses suffer from food phobia. They even shun for virtual eating.
Disfellowshiped for reading Crisis of Conscience?
by Blueblades 27 Replies latest jw friends
-
garybuss
-
Lostreality
I tend to agree that when you will be D/FED for READING A BOOK, then you should do some serious considering about what the ORG is trying to do.
-
-
Carmel
Someone on Ewatchman a few months ago was "reproved" for reading Eliean Pagel's "The Origin of Satan". Apparently the poor sap was so tired of being hounded by the thought police that he dissassociated himself along with his family. Sounds to me COC would land you in the JW slammer if they had one!
carmel
-
candidlynuts
this always makes me laugh because i remember so many watchtowers so affronted about how the catholic church has always dictated w hat their members could read ( meaning the bible or other publications by other religions)
the wtbs is getting worse than the catholics ever were.
-
kilroy2
As far as I knew, you were only disfellowshiped for one reason and one only, bad attitude. they could call almost anything they wanted bad attitude. including [practiceing of sin] which could be you read a porn mag. and were not sorry enough. it all depended on the elders opinions on your situation. and if one of the shit heads had an ax to grind with you you were s.o.l.
-
FairMind
Of course you can be DF?d for reading COC. The only difference between being reproved either privately or publicly and DF?s is whether or not one is judged to have a repentant attitude. I have read many so called ?apostate? books and will continue to do so. I hope to avoid being DF?s by hiding my library and being very judicious with whom I share the learned information. Many people say ?they can?t do that? when discussing what the elders and/or the WTS can do, but keep in mind you have no rights at all.
FairMind
-
BluesBrother
*** w86 3/15 p. 15 ?Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason? ***
17
A fitting analogy indeed! Like gangrene, apostate reasoning is nothing but quick-spreading spiritual death. And since the members of the congregation are like one body, there is a danger that others may be infected. If the one spreading apostate teachings cannot be restored to spiritual health by loving but firm application of the balm of God?s Word, amputation of this member (disfellowshipping) may be the only alternative for the protection of other members of the body. (Compare Titus 1:10, 11.) Do not be infected by deadly gangrene of a spiritual kind! Keep in good spiritual health by avoiding the contamination of apostate thinking. Heed the sound advice at 2 Peter 3:17, 18: "You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard that you may not be led away with them by the error of the law-defying people and fall from your own steadfastness. No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
18
But how can we protect ourselves from apostasy? How can we keep our hearts from being receptive to apostate reasoning? These questions will be considered in the next article.
***
w86 3/15 p. 13 ?Do Not Be Quickly Shaken From Your Reason? ***9
Tragically, others have gone into complete darkness, even going back to Christendom?s erroneous teachings. The apostle Peter wrote about the tragic outcome for some who first walked in the truth but then turned aside. He said: "Certainly if, after having escaped from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these very things and are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first." Peter said they are like the dog that returns to its vomit and the bathed sow that turns back to wallowing in the mire.?2 Peter 2:20-22.10
When a fellow human tells us, ?Do not read this? or, ?Do not listen to that,? we may be tempted to ignore his advice. But remember, in this case Jehovah is the One who tells us in his Word what to do. And what does he say about apostates? "Avoid them" (Romans 16:17, 18); "quit mixing in company with" them (1 Corinthians 5:11); and "never receive [them] into your homes or say a greeting to [them]" (2 John 9, 10). These are emphatic words, clear directions. If, out of curiosity, we were to read the literature of a known apostate, would that not be the same as inviting this enemy of true worship right into our home to sit down with us and relate his apostate ideas?11
Let us illustrate matters in this way: Suppose your teenage son received some pornographic material in the mail. What would you do? If he was inclined to read it out of curiosity, would you say: ?Yes, son, go ahead and read it. It won?t hurt you. From infancy we?ve taught you that immorality is bad. Besides, you need to know what?s going on in the world in order to see that it?s truly bad?? Would you reason that way? Absolutely not! Rather, you would surely point out the dangers of reading pornographic literature and would require that it be destroyed. Why? Because no matter how strong a person may be in the truth, if he feeds his mind on the perverted ideas found in such literature, his mind and heart will be affected. A lingering wrong desire planted in the recesses of the heart can eventually create a perverted sexual appetite. The result? James says that when wrong desire becomes fertile, it gives birth to sin, and sin leads to death. (James 1:15) So why start the chain reaction?12
Well, if we would act so decisively to protect our children from exposure to pornography, should we not expect that our loving heavenly Father would similarly warn us and protect us from spiritual fornication, including apostasy? He says, Keep away from it!***
w86 3/15 p. 18 Allow No Place for the Devil! ***9
What is often the motive of those who criticize the Society or those taking the lead? Is it not often that some application of Scripture affects them personally? Rather than conform to sound doctrine and direction, they want the organization to change. Let us illustrate this with a few examples:10
A brother insists on some extreme clothing or grooming style. The elders feel that he is not a good example and do not extend to him certain privileges, such as appearing on the platform to give instruction. He becomes resentful, claiming that others are trying to take away his Christian freedom. But what is behind such reasoning? Is it not usually pride, an independent attitude, or a rather childish desire to have one?s own way? While this seemingly is a small thing, a person reasoning in that way could "allow place for the Devil." But love and humility will cause us to dress and groom ourselves in a modest, acceptable way. We should want to do all things for the advancement of the good news and not to be pleasing ourselves.?Romans 15:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 10:23, 24.11
Let us take another example. Occasionally you may hear someone question whether the Scriptural prohibition against eating blood really applies to transfusions. But what is behind that reasoning? Is it fear?fear of possibly losing one?s present life or the life of a loved one? Is hope in the resurrection fading? Faithful Christians do not compromise on God?s law or look for ways to water it down. Abstaining from blood to nourish the body is just as necessary as abstaining from fornication and idolatry, all condemned in the same spirit-directed decree of the apostles and older men at Jerusalem.?Acts 15:19, 20, 28, 29.12
Some who have a critical attitude claim that Jehovah?s organization is too strict about cutting off social contacts with disfellowshipped persons. (2 John 10, 11) But why do such critics feel that way? Do they have a close family tie or mistaken loyalty to a friend that they are putting ahead of loyalty to Jehovah and his standards and requirements? Consider, too, that continuing to accord social fellowship to an expelled person, even one as close as a relative, may lead the erring one to conclude that his course is not so serious, and this to his further harm. However, withholding such association may create in him a craving for what he has lost and a desire to regain it. Jehovah?s way is always best, and it is for our own protection.?Proverbs 3:5.