eyeslice,
I had the same thoughts about the whole judging system set up buy the WBTS for it's elders to follow. First of all, I don't believe the practise of disfellowshipping fellow sinners is taught by Christ. If anything, Jesus was given ALL AUTHORITY of the heavens and the earth and told us not to judge one another. he even said that not even the Father judges. The Father gave the job of judging us to his SON. Therefore, my opinion of the flock book is that the JWs human leaders printed the book to instruct it's elders on how the society wants elders to judge others by trying to read their hearts to judge wether the sinner is repentant or not. If the judging committe judges the sinner as not repentant, they condem them to disfellowshippment and are to be treated as the antichrist. I think that is a sin in itself because Jesus said not to condem each other either. One more major point to add is that the prodigal son illustration proves that the reinstedmeant process isn't scriptual either. Di the son have to write letters pleaing for forgiveness/ reinstatement to be approved? NO. He was RIGHT AWAY forgiven by his father and taken into his arms and there was even a feast in welcoming him back. He was welcomed back with open arms even though they KNEW what he was doing with his inheritance while he was gone!
If a JW gets disfellowshipped, they can attend meetings but they aren't welcomed back. They are completely ignored as if they don't exist, until the elders give their permission for everyone to go back to showing love and mercy to the sinner by approving the written reinstatement pleas. For a disfellowshipped JW to attend meetings and put themselves through the humiliation of that kind of cruel treatment, in my opinion, that in itself should show the elders and his or her so called "friends" that they are repentent for whatever sin they commited. Why is there paperwork to be approved by elders first? Where is that procedure or "arrangement from Jehovah" as the JWs human leaders have termed it, found in scriptures?
The whole list of what is considered to be "sins" in the flock book is amazing in itself. Seems to me that pedophiles are treated better than cigarrette smokers or adulterers.
I have a question for you that I'd like to ask as soon as I word it right. It does involve something I read in the elders manual, but I'm not sure I'm understanding it right. I'll ask it in a new post so that I don't steer this thread off topic.
peace,
somebody