by seattleniceguy 40 Replies latest jw friends
As we walk outside, standing in a circle in exactly the place we need to walk by, are the Witnesses. At this point, I'm thinking this is just too much. So as I walk by, I wave at Meg and mouth, "Hi!" Of course, she appears to be oblivious, but I'm sure she saw me.
Jehovah's Witnesses must be the ONLY people in the planet who stand around and talk to each other in a big circle just like they do in the KH. It's just strange unto me.
Interesting story, SNG.
I tell my non JW friends these stories and their jaws literally drop to the floor!
I wish they would leave me alone, I dont WANT to talk to them. With the exception of those that are family but they dont treat me badly. The rank and file is always trying to talk to me buddy buddy like we are friends. They never said two words to me when I was in and I certainly dont want to talk to them now or be asked how my family is doing. I met one at work the other day and for the longest time I couldnt place where I knew her, I guess she wasnt a regular attender or I would have got it right away. I had to steal a peak at the name tag before I remembered the family. I found the whole thing very awkward I just wanted her to leave me alone.
The rest do the whole head turn walk away thing. My girlfriend is incredulous when she sees it but I tell her I dont care just keep walking these people arent my friends.
chrissy,
Does that mean meg is df’d and still giving you the shun treatment?
No, I meant that I felt (sympathetically) the feeling of seeing a DF'd person as a Witness. I remember that feeling of shock and fear, and now knowing that I cause that in other people is strange. Of course, I certainly don't cause the feeling - the ridiculous indoctrination does - but I suppose I trigger it.
SNG
SNG--I know what you mean. I remember how I used to feel when I was a witless and I would run into disfellowshipped ones--makes me feel bad that I used to ignore them. What really ticks me off is the BS of how if people are shunned it will motivate them to come back--what a crock! Yes when people are rude to me it sooooo motivates me to want to become involved in the JW's again----NOT!
reagan_oconnor--I want a T-shirt like that! LOL
This whole shunning thing is so strange so confusing to the mind, going against a persons experiences and natural feelings at the order of a organized cult.
Once I came upon an elder that I knew in a mens clothing store. This is the elder who for some reason felt required to tell me, that he liked nothing better than a good argument or a fight.
He told me this before I was df'd. NOW he sees me in this store and he has FEAR on his facial expression.
I decide to be a bit childish and turn quickly in his direction as if to cut him off. In a matter of moments he was on the run.
So just for the hell of it I kept it up and he ran out of the building.
I wonder what his story was to others or if he ever mentioned it to others.
Outoftheorg
LOL @ outoftheorg! That's crazy!
love2b, you're totally right about their line about shunning bringing people back into the fold being a crock. But just now, I was thinking about it, and I realized that the only people that would work on would be people have have totally low self-esteem and who are totally indoctrinated anyway. So I guess DFing serves to bring back the people who are the ideal drones anyway. Ugh.
SNG
Let me asked you "shunned ones" something.
Background: I am not DFd or DAd. I very, very rarely run into jws and most the times they pretend they didn't see me. A few times someone has said hello.
Now in my post-jw years I have had conflicts with people that I no longer speak to, or they no longer speak to me. For example, I had a small group of friends who turned out to not be friends, so I don't speak to them. Then I run into them in public, and we intentionally do not speak to each other. There might even be whispering to each other among them.
I get a little uncomfortable because I like to be a polite person and try not to lose my temper. Afterwards it might bring back memories of what they did and why I don't like them. If the conflict was recent, I would have stewed about it for a while. If it wasn't recent, I'd give it a moment's consideration then stop thinking about it.
So my question is....is shunning like that? Is it different somehow? It seems to really bother people, so it must be different than just running into someone with whom you're not on speaking terms. Is it because it's unjustified, hypocritical, or some other reason?
SNG,
I think you handled a very awkward situation perfectly. I haven't run into (no pun intended!) this sorta situation in TO but I ry to be extra polite and "non-threatening" when I bump into old acquaintances on visits back home. Kill'em with courtesy!
W.
