Witness Disfellowshipment

Zathrus · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:00 am Post subject: Witness Disfellowshipment

Witnesses see themselves as trying to recreate the book of Acts church. Witness members on this forum have admitted they understand the 1st century church to have been controlling of its members, and see this as justification for the Witness organization being controlling and manipulating as well.

I must give the Witnesses credit for being honest about being controlling. As to whether the early church actually was, that is a matter of debate. I for one suspect that independent thought and freedom to receive and believe revelation from God were not prohibitted in the early church, as they are in the Witness organization today. But that is another topic.

One reason that the Witnesses believe themselves to be such a model of the 1st century book-of-Acts church is the fact they disfellowship "unrepentent wrongdoers". The following is something I read the other day on a website giving information on a variety of religious groups:

holly102869 · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:22 am Post subject:

Zathrus,

It is like you read my mind. I was just going to post something similar to this about disfellowship. I am curious to why JW's judge their own people in this manner. To be disfellowshiped. Did Jesus do that or just the opposite? Did Jesus not love even his enemies?

This is the hardest thing to understand. This should be the big tip off to you guys that are JW's. Open your eyes and see the truth that God doesn't want you to bow before anyone or anything under the sun. You are bowing to the leaders that tell you how to act. You think your judgement day is close but you live in a communist society that tells you to judge.
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Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

Thanks Zathrus, the act of disfellowshipping is so unchristian. I do not see love amongst this cult when it acts in this way.

This cult splits up families, i am sure witnesses here have seen examples of parents not speaking to children and vice versa because of their policy on disfellowshipping.

TBax · King Kong Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 2131

Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

JW's also use this scripture in support of their disfellowshipping stance...

1 Cor 5:9 In my letter I wrote YOU to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, YOU would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is , not even eating with such a man. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, 13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves.”

Notice it didn't say do not speak to or acknowledge them.

Notice also that it didn't mention all the invented rules that The Watctower Bible and Tract Society use when applying to disfellowship. Neither does it mention someone who disassociates him/herself.

The scripture only mentions ... "a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner"

In applying this scripture to their disfellowshipping rule, they yet again twist a verse to fit into the Watchtower Bible and Tract Societies and not Jesus' regulations.

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1271 Location: US

I am a disfellowshipped JW. I did not do immoral or illegal acts to get disfellowshipped. My family asked to be disfellowshipped/disassociated about 1979.

There were several things that happened within the church along with a couple of outside factors that influenced our decision. I have spoken about a couple of very painful issues that occurred within the church in other posts and I am choosing not to re-hash them again in this thread but I would like to emphasize that there were doctrinal issues as well that came in to play when our family decided to secede from the organization.

I thought at one point that I may want to go back. I did start attending meetings again. Some people I had known for years came up to me at this time and told me they were glad to see me there and asked how I was doing. I was pulled aside by the elders and told that I could not speak to anyone there because of my disfellowshipped status. Some of the 'brethren' there were pulled aside also and rebuked for speaking to me.

I continued going but I missed a meeting. The so-called 'brothers/elders' got up in front of the congregation during my abscence and told the congregation from the altar/podium that they could not speak to me at all. I found this out at the last meeting I ever attended there.

My mother became a JW in good standing again and was told by the elders that she cannot associate with me. My brothers were never baptized so they were only 'disassociated' from the organization. My mother was allowed to see them but not me. She told me that I was not to come to her house to visit, she would not come to visit me and that if we saw each other in public or at a family reunion for example that we could exchange pleasantries (in other words, say hello) but we could not associate with one another. I told her if that's the way she feels, don't even bother saying hello. My siblings got wind of this and told my mother that if she doesn't associate with me, they would have nothing to do with her. A few months later, she said she changed her mind, said she loved me and she just couldn't do that. I have always believed that she changed her mind because of my siblings and not because of her love for me.

How's that for God-fearing Christians?

Luv
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MoJo · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:25 pm Post subject:

My brother was disfellowshipped when he was just nineteen years old and living at home. He made the mistake of confessing to the elders something he did wrong and they disfellowshipped him without ever speaking to my parents. My parents only found out to their shock on the meeting night that they announced it.

The offence was inappropriate behavior with a witness girl. Not intercourse, but heavy petting and he told them about it. Part of the problem is allowing people who are really too young to become dedicated.

That was the end of our relationship with the witnesses, but it caused years of grief, so I suggest to all witnesses that they never confess their wrongdoings.

Actually, I really believe that there were underlying motives and that they looked for an occassion against my parents.

Sad

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Zathrus · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:09 am Post subject:

TBax · King Kong Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 2131

1 Tim 5:22 Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others; preserve yourself chaste.

2 John 1:9 Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to YOU and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into YOUR homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

Disfellowshipping is discipline to the wrong doer, and an act that keeps the congregation clean.

Heb 12:11 True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but grievous; yet afterward to those who have been trained by it it yields peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness.

You can accept it or deny it. The choice is yours. You are alway welcome back if you can accept the discipline. Cool

luvnlife, if you had enough knowledge to be dedicated and baptized, you should have known they weren't to talk to you. If you want to be offended, you will find a way to be offended. Sad

Even Jesus offended people, but not those who truly followed him. They looked for reasons to stay. Now that I know you are disfellowshipped I will no longer talk to you either. Sad

Ryck · Lion King Joined: 05 Dec 2002 Posts: 1094

Ryck · Lion King Joined: 05 Dec 2002 Posts: 1094

Ryck · Lion King Joined: 05 Dec 2002 Posts: 1094

Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

JW's also use 2 John 1:9-11 as a reason for not giving a greeting or acknowledgment to a disfellowshipped person....

"Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to YOU and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into YOUR homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works. "

However if you look just two verses beforehand in v7 and put 9-11 in context....

"For many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist."

I'll let the reader make their own mind up as to who John was applyin 9-11 to.

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7005 Location: USA

Interesting thread.

I counseled a JW lady a couple of years ago who was disfellowshipped after leaving her husband. He was a drug user/dealer, adulterer, and abuser.

After a few years of suffering his behavior she decided it was best for her and her child's lives to leave him. The elders apparently thought this was inappropriate and disfellowshipped her. He's still with the JW's although he did get a 'talking to' from the elders regarding his behavior, which as of this date has not changed.
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