In what should surely rank among some of the most grotesque propaganda ever to be churned out by Watchtower’s writing department, Jehovah’s Witnesses are being asked to think of their disfellowshipped family members, not just as being dead, but as having been killed by Jehovah. As such they are not to be mourned.
“What a test of faith it was for Aaron and his family not to mourn their dead relatives!” says the latest November 15th Watchtower magazine on page 14, describing the slaughter of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu through fire from heaven. “Are you personally proving yourself holy with regard to not associating with family members or others who have been disfellowshipped?”
The bizarre connection with Nadab and Abihu follows on from a similar article in 2011 in which the biblical account was invoked to guilt-trip Witness parents into avoiding “unnecessary association” with any disfellowshipped son or daughter.
“Think of how [Aaron] must have felt when his sons Nadab and Abihu offered illegitimate fire to Jehovah and He struck them dead. Of course, that ended any association those men could have had with their parents… The message is clear. Our love for Jehovah must be stronger than our love for unfaithful family members.” (w11 7/15 p.32)
It should go without saying that in order to invoke the direct slaughter of miscreants by God in justifying the total shunning of any who leave a religion, you first need to provide unequivocal proof that the religion in question is solely endorsed by God – a claim that virtually all religions make.
Watchtower has yet to write anything that comes close to offering tangible evidence of divine backing. It merely asks Witnesses to believe that Jesus made an invisible sojourn to Earth between 1914 and 1919, and used this period to ‘cleanse’ and select an organization he is apparently still ‘cleansing’ to this day – the Watch Tower Society.
The total vacuum of evidence to support Watchtower’s claims of divine direction make any attempted parallels with bible accounts of divine execution and excommunication both absurd and obscene.
If only Watchtower could rediscover some of the logic and reasonableness that led it to conclude in a 1947 Awake! article that the practice of disfellowshipping (or “excommunication”) is an instrument of “ecclesiastical power and secular tyranny” that is “altogether foreign to biblical teachings.”
The 1947 article can be downloaded on these links: Page 1 | Page 2
Instead, Witnesses are bombarded with manipulative dogma (centered around a flawed understanding of 1 Cor. 5:11) aimed at dismantling families for the sake of Watchtower’s interests. Even the sending of emails to disfellowshipped ones is prohibited according to another recent magazine.
“Do not look for excuses to associate with a disfellowshipped family member, for example, through e-mail.” (w13 1/15 p.16 par. 19)
Though it may be easy for Watchtower’s cloistered Governing Body and its army of writers to spew forth this outrageous material, the effects on ordinary people who simply want to leave a religion they have discovered to be false are all too tangible, as this question in our latest 2014 Global Survey shows.
As reassuring as it is that 23% of disfellowshipped/disassociated ones answering the above question say they are NOT shunned by family members, that number is not likely to rise given the steady stream of coercion flowing from Brooklyn.
I personally believe there will come a time when all religious organizations who seek tax exempt or charitable status will be answerable to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes an individual’s innate right to “change his religion or belief.”
But as Watchtower presses forward with its efforts to deprive people of this basic right through its immoral shunning policies with an almost sadistic fervor, such a time cannot come soon enough.
Further reading…
- Patheos.com: “Jehovah’s Witness Publication Urges Faithful to Treat Disfellowshipped Loved Ones as if God Killed Them“
- If shunning loved ones is scriptural, why does Watchtower publicly deny the practice?
- “Shun your disfellowshipped loved ones!”: Shocking district convention talk hits YouTube
- JWsurvey articles on shunning
John,
Another fine article my friend. So we are “dead men walking” now, are we? It is articles like this one that make me loathe the GB and the writing department.
Especially as the “Shepherding the Flock of God” secret elders’ book states quite clearly that associating with disfellowshipped family members will not result in any punishment more serious than the removal of some privileges!! Of course, the poor JWs don’t get to read this book!!!
This is getting really obscene now. To refer to human beings as being practically killed by God already makes a mockery of their claim to be Christians. The recent articles have been even more hate filled than ever! I think that the ex Witness community has won some major victories and these scumbags are getting scared.
I’m sorry that the WTBTS has weaponised your family. They are trying to do so with my dear old Mum too, but they haven’t won yet.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
I am being shunned too by ex family members. also from my friends of over 25 years in the congregation. one witness sister came into my shop while the others walked on. I said to her ” you know i am being shunned” she said ” dont worry i will always talk to you”. she doesnt not want to talk to me. if she was caught talking to me she would be in trouble. I actually felt sorry for her as i knew her a long time. if she wasnt having doubts she wouldnt have spoken. and this is the position some are in. following man twisting the scriptures of the ” where shall we go” that peter asked JESUS!! they think they have no where to go except in the org. what a shame x
On 30 July 2014, an Elder called NDAGIJIMANA Jean Baptiste died in a car accident. He, together with a District overseer, had taken me to police in a fight against an apostate. I am sure if it was me who died, all Jehovah’ Witnesses in my country would celebrate my death more than Jesus’ one! Just because I am an “apostate” who has refused to bow before them as they have taken my son hostage! This is cruel cult!!!
So extremely well put Cedars; “I personally believe there will come a time when all religious organizations who seek tax exempt or charitable status will be answerable to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes an individual’s innate right to “change his religion or belief.” ~Thank you!
I agree with you on the charitable status of religious organizations being answerable to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights coming in the very near future. Looks like that is already starting to be questioned in the UK.
Let me see if I have this straight. Our families are being “instructed” to think of their disfellowshipped family members, not just as being dead, but as having been killed by Jehovah. They can’t even mourn us.
The big problem I see with that is WE ARE NOT DEAD.
The Watchtower must surely hate us disfellowshipped ones, we must scare them something fierce.
It almost makes me want to go back to my families KH just to prove that I am not dead, sitting on the front row so they will be sure not to miss my presence. I could even smile and speak to all the former friends, though none will speak to me. I am sure that would make all of them uncomfortable. I could even take my “In Search of Christian Freedom” and sit there and read it during the meeting. My own silent protest.
I’d have to take a barf bag…just in case. I could even wear ear plugs so I could read undisturbed!
I haven’t been inside a KH for several years. Does anyone know whether they can bar me from entering a KH as long as I don’t disturb the peace?
I have said I would never go back to the KH, but the more the Governing Body tries to kill me off and make me dead, the more inclined I am to prove them wrong.
I might be able to tolerate one Sunday a month.
I have been shunned by all family members one who is my sister who doesn’t go herself. I have not been disfellowshipped I disassociated myself and questioned the religion so instantly my mother stopped talking to me. It still hurts after 11 years as me and my mother were very close. I hate this religion that would rather take the religion over your own family. I had hip surgery about 7 months ago and my father who is now back in the religion the first thing he asked was I hope you didn’t take blood. He didn’t care about anything else other then that. my mother didn’t or hasn’t even asked how im doing or her grandkids. Its a sad religion.
shunned ones, I am so sad for you, I give you a virtual hug.
I agree,
this DF practice is absolultely bazzar.such a stupid trivial act to do. I dont get how one can logically claim to be CHRIST like person, and do this deed! Jesus would have NEVER treated people in this way.
I once tried to explain to my mother, that if a person is doing something so contrary to God, that person is not going to be at the Khall to begin with! people who go to church seek Gods favor, not the favor of men, and its God who will decide if they are deserving of his attention.
its our job to display love to one another by helping each other,and being a true freind. something I have never personally experienced from any JW’s.
I need actual hard core evidence if Im going to defend myself in the future, so,
my next book to try to read? Jehovah’s Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes, and Prophetic Speculation. What Does the Record Show? reviews sounded pretty positive. anyone know where i can get a pdf or it? its expensive. at least for me.
Folks,
They use a scripture in Corintheans to justify this disgusting attitude. Who was that letter written to? The Corinthian congregation. It was not written to families in Corinth. Therefore, Paul was talking about shunning people at the congregation level, not the family level. Now, I don’t agree with shunning ANYONE, but at least this would remove the horror of family members shunning each other.
Make no mistake, this is deliberate abuse. It is motivated by the desire to keep hold of absolute power over eight million (and falling) people.
I offer my sincere sympathy to all of you who are shunned by their family and friends. All my old Witness buddies are now ex Witnesses, and I have met up with them once. No apology for grassing me up and their morals made me look like a Saint! Luckily, my dear old Mum has decided that she will not shun me, and the Elders have just accepted that. How much longer they will have this attitude I do not know, especially as they know that I am visiting and commenting on this site. We shall see.
The GB have declared war on us. We didn’t start this war, but we shall not shrink from it.
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
PS John, I have just sent you an email and I sure would appreciate your help.
The organization is coming down hard on the disfellowshipped because they (org) is fearful of those ones actually doing some research on the JWs and knows they will share their findings with ones still in it. So they stress no contact so the faithful can’t find out what a lying hypocritical organization they belong to.
Hi,
I am looking for a recent article (WT, OKM or other), where it is said that a JW who is asking his congregation to be disassociated (by making known a firm decision to be known no longer as one of JWs) will be considered as a disfellowshipped member by the congregation, exactly the same way as a JW who has been excommunicated (for fornication, or other reason) as now no difference in the announcement by the elders will be made to the congregation.
Thanks for your kind help.
There is one positive aspect to this cruelty and some commenters have already mentioned it.
The WT bosses are worried. They know that knowledge is their enemy. They know they can only keep their unpaid mag pushers in line by keeping them in ignorance. They know their cruel nonsense will be exposed for what it is with a minimum of research.
They will, however, fail. Having failed to keep their members from surfing the Satanic internet, they are now pushing their own website. They must know that ex JW ‘apostate’ stuff is far greater in volume, blogwise, youtube wise or whatever than their entire output.
They are also exposed with their street mag stands. Several ex JWs have mentioned how they have done some anti Witnessing with these sitting ducks. Sure, standing in the street may be less stressful than parrotting a TMS sermon on the doorstep, but being assailed by ex JWs who know the truth about JW TRUTH may become wearing.
Add to that the illegality of the 2 witness rule, the threat to their charitable status, the ongoing bad publicity from the string of pedophile cases, what can the bosses do?
All they can do is ratchet up their own isolation, their suspicion of Satan’s world and wave the stick of Armageddon execution and the carrot of Paradise Earth ever more frantically.
They will fail. The ex JW movement is growing in volume and refining in tactics. JWdom has stalled in growth and has only one tool in its cupboard, which, as this blog entry shows, is being deployed ever more wildly.
The End is Nigh! For the Watchtower Society, if for nobody else, on the horizon lies Armageddon!
par. 5 ) A heartrending experience Aaron’s family is recorded in Lev 10:1-11. They must have felt devestated…… What a test of faith it was for Aaron and his family not to mourn their dead relatives!
Definition of devestate : To destroy:ruin (2) to overwhelm
Is the WT now swaying the hearts of the “flock” by suggesting no one should feel sadly for their relatives who die or leave their org? They love to pull anything out of their bible so they can use their “prod stick”.
I’ve been disfellowshipped since 2004, and since then some members of my family think that I am dead. Shunning is a horrendous practice. I hope some day JW’s learn how much pain have they caused to people like me because of their policies. Greetings form Venezuela Cedars!
I too have personal experience with relatives and friends shunning me for un-justifiable reasons.
Simply speaking truth and being unwilling to recant was enough for my un-scriptural disfellowshipping’
People who actually love truth will eventually separate themselves from harsh and twisted un-scriptural doctrines. People who only make a pretense of loving truth will continue to wallow in self delusion promoted by power hungry ravenous men such as the W.T. G.B.
In the end the distinction will be clear to all. . . .
John ben Wilhelm
it’s the GB putting fear into JW because they are in fear of any that may expose them, basically this shunning has to do more with their own survival more than anything else.
Ok, here we go again. I am being a little bit overboard but I am sure my point will be made. So at one point a person could be DF for taking an organ transplant in the organization eyes(So in else dead in God’s eyes according to the org) But oh wait a minute a few years later, this is not longer a sin in the organizations eyes (Good thing the org did not take anyone out and stone them). They fail to mention things in these articles such as a times we have had to change our thinking on what was a sin and later oh no it is not a sin(Last I look God is the only one who determines sin). The scary the org say God is the only one who can read hearts and yet still, they will say DF people who leave and etc should be seen as dead. Last I look God does not need anyone to help him determine how a person should be viewed. Instead of trying to take the place of God when determining peoples fate, DF, left or whatever – take their own advice – wait on Jehovah and see what he determines to do with such individuals.
does anyone have a logical answer to how they go from par 4 to par 5 in that article that makes sense?
its like two totally dfferent subjects, as if they cut a par out from one magazine and pasted it in that article.
what the heck? i cant even look at it anymore i got a headache.
Did Jesus Himself ever shun anyone??? Why does this religion insist on putting themselves ahead of Christ?
I have had many years of experiencing how fellow Witnesses view the disfellowshipped ones who are not family members. Many have disdain for anyone who is not an immediate family member. An arrogant attitude. When it comes to family members, either they act disgusted or cry when that person is disfellowshipped and remains disfellowshipped and doesn’t want to come back in. If they are “disgusted” with a family member, they are showing that they don’t have any empathy for that person who has fallen out. If it’s their child, then that child has embarrassed them and all the blame falls onto the child.
Or else, they were the most loving of parents and are devastated because the parents are convinced that that child is going to be killed at Armageddon unless that child come back into the “truth” but they aren’t at liberty to “witness” to them anymore and that’s extremely difficult on that type of parent. These loving parents take it very seriously and think if they talk to their child, then that child will never feel the terrible effects of the shunning and then that child will never come back and thus will die at Armageddon and they will blame themselves for their child’s death.
For the parents or others in the congregations who aren’t related to the disfellowshipped one and feel disgust and anger for the shunned ones, they would already would be classified as having a psychopathic personality in that they have diminished empathy for anyone else besides themselves. But for the loving parents or friends of the lost, disfellowshipped ones, they are experiencing genuine sadness and grief, thinking that their loved one will be killed at Armageddon. It’s those that the Watchtower is targeting with that advice not to “mourn” their death. They have already turned all the other Witnesses into psychopaths by convincing them that all those killed at Armageddon will deserve it because it’s Jehovah who has made that decision but when it comes to their own family members and close friends that will die, they are genuinely depressed over the thought. You can imagine the tug-of-war that goes on in their minds when they are preaching about Armageddon and it’s their own loved ones that they are talking about getting killed then. The Society wants those people to lose all feeling they have for even their own children. It’s much like when the armies dull the senses of those about to take up arms and go to war. They have them practice killing with video games over and over again, making them hate the person that they are about to kill. It’s the same if you worked in a packing house for the killing of animals to put on our kitchen tables. At first, it must be very difficult to kill an innocent animal, but after doing it over and over again, they can do it and sleep well at night. The Watchtower has it’s own interests in mind when it brainwashes it’s followers to view as dead anybody who is disfellowshipped. They could care less how painful it is for anybody. In fact, I’d say the more suicides it causes, the happier they would be because they’d conclude that it’s working the way they want it to.
This is just horrible and more evil manipulation to make sure my mum and dad never speak to me again :-(
You nailed it!
I decided to leave in 2001.
I was disfellowshipped in 2003, when I met someone else and my ex divorced me.
My ex and my daughter have not spoken to me since.
Yet, my ex still accepts alimony from me, something the courts dictated at the time of the divorce.
I find it puzzling that my ex and my daughter (in her 30’s) are to view me as being killed by Jehovah, yet still accept my money every month (without a single word of thanks, by the way, for over 10 years).
Double standards, or what?
Mark, why not stop paying it? When they raise a ruckus, tell them that it’s not possible for you to pay any more alimony because you were struck down by Jehovah and you are now no longer in the fleshly form, and furthermore, quite contrary to what they think, you are communicating with them from heaven, where you are ruling with Satan – not in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur where ironically Jehovah is now suffering for the cruelty that he has inflicted on many people over the last six thousand years!
Mark, why not stop paying it? When they raise a ruckus, tell them that it’s not possible for you to pay any more alimony because you were struck down by Jehovah and you are now no longer in the fleshly form, and furthermore, quite contrary to what they think, you are communicating with them from heaven where you are ruling with Satan – not in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur where ironically Jehovah is now suffering for the cruelty that he has inflicted on many people over the last six thousand years!
It’s an encouraging sign, they’re obviously worried,
not about the distress caused to families. but the
threat to their hold over the people who provide their
revenue.
They lack any compassion, and are completely
immoral. They act like some of the Bible characters,
( Joshua, stoned, not only Achan the thief , but his
innocent sons, and daughters also.) Josh,7/19-26.
It’s barbaric, an atrocity, and cannot be justified by
any kind of reasoning. By man or God.
Would the W,T, Org, go further than shunning, and
stone us, if they could get away with it.?
W,T, 15/Nov,/1952. “Being limited by the laws of
worldly nations, and God’s law through Jesus , we
can take action only to a certain extent against
apostates, even though they be members of our own
family.” The inference is clear, Remove the law and
nothing would stop them using more drastic measures
against us.
My family treat me as if I do not exist so it is as bad as can be. However I think the Brooklyn Dodgers latest “light” is directed at the rank and file JW. It is a “Look what will happen to you if you do not stay a robot” scenario and it is another attempt to stop the Exodus from this inhumane cult. Thank you John for another well crafted article.
One way to never mourn a loved one is to deny that you ever shunned them, like my mom did in my recent video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9aNj8bIXDA
I think a lot of families have twisted the truth in order to preserve their conscience. Denial runs deep because the truth is too painful to acknowledge. Do they even still have blood running through their veins? I’m inclined to believe they’ve all been “assimilated” into Watchtower clones.
The WT seems to be intent on having a self-fulfilling prophecy when the U.N. has a go at it for violating human rights. The only difference between the WT idea and REALITY is that Jehovah won’t come to the WT’s rescue.
Hi,
Regarding my previous post, where I was asking if a JW who disassociates himself will be viewed the same way as a JW who has been excommunicated for immoral conduct, I have now found by myself the answer in the book “Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will”.
According to the pages 155-156 of this book the person who disassociates himself is viewed by the GB, elders, and others, exactly in the same way as a person who is disfellowshipped for immoral conduct. And accordingly the JW organization is asking the full congregation to apply to this person 1 Corinthians 5:11, even if the disassociated has decided to leave the JW organization due to his conscience.
Something does not quite fit to apply 1 Corinthians 5:11, to a person just wanting to leave the organization for a question a conscience, because there is no proof of an immoral conduct on the part of this person.
Applying to such a person 1 Corinthians 5:11 (” But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” KJV) is in full contradiction with the following two articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights :
Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Thanks for reading.
This sick and twisted cult!!! They (GB) have gone from delusional to outright sociopathic crazy behavior. A crazy evil person will get crazier when their evil plans start to unravel. In my opinion, the internet information and education has them on the run. This practice is not only a way to get revenge on those who leave, but also to threaten those still inside by essentially saying, ‘this will happen to you as well if you leave.’
With articles like this, I’m sure if they could physically execute people without retribution, they would!
Yeah, it’s me again. Big Jim. Could have been a big shot preacher man in the Lutheran religion. I left the ordination of becoming a Lutheran Pastor to learn more about our heavenly Father. I connected with Jehovah’s Witnesses. One thing I have never done is go back to the Lutheran church and rattle cages. I go back to discuss scriptures with other ministers, though. And that is interesting. Here’s my point. If getting disfellowshipped is so traumatic, and being shunned is so emotionally crippling, and you believe all of this relgion is hogwash, what’s the big deal? All disfellowshipped ones have to do is let the friends and family know they no longer believe the tenets of this religion and ask to be treated as a householder like any other person they meet at the door. Just pretend it never happened. These rejecting DF’ed JW’s have other relatives who have never become part of the congregation, and they are accepted as unbelievers, so why not treat DF’ed the same way? As an unbeliever. There is no need to punish someone who never accepted these doctrines in the first place. Declare your baptism invalid, you didn’t know what you were doing, you never were a part of this, you didn’t know any better, and now you got kicked out. The elders should have said, “Hey, you never believed this stuff anyway, hit the bricks if you can’t sit quietly. You’re welcome at the meetings, but you’re not a member. Maybe you will be one day. But for now, it ain’t happening unless you study more.” So….meet with the elders, they have to cut you that much slack, and tell them you “never knew any better. It’s OK you kicked me out. It doesn’t matter because I was out in left field the whole time. I need to study and learn the truth in a more progressive way. Maybe then you can interview me and see if I measure up. For now, I realize how way out of line I was. I never made a proper dedication, my baptism is therefore invalid. I am a member of the human race, the same people you go to door to door and cut slack for as return visits.” You could add, “How does that grab you?” But don’t do that, they won’t be able to handle that. Play their game, act dumb and innocent, out of touch, and “Gee Whiz, I need some serious shepherding. Are any of you willing to get me on the right track…..finally, since whoever taught me before didn’t cut it in the knowledge department?” Give it a shot. That’ll blow their socks off. You were never a believer in the first place. Your baptism is invalid. They and your families will have to accept you without judgment. This will be a good test of their personal Christianity. Watch who fails now?
Big Jim I think what your saying in short is that we were not given fair and full disclosure about this religion when signing up.
They will never recognize that as true and would rather silence you and gag you from ever being able to speak with still in relatives about the real truth of this organization.
Chatpal, I haven’t read the book you are talking about. I recommend reading Raymond Franz book, Crisis of Conscience which is free to D/L. Just Google it and there are several sites where you can get it for free.
Interrogative?, there is an interesting history in the Watchtower’s changing the disassociating yourself policy.
The story as told by Raymond Franz in his book, Crisis of Conscience, reveals that the GB was very fearful of Raymond Franz after he left his position as a member of the Governing Body due to his conscience.
Ray was on the writing committee and did a lot of research for articles. He had seen first hand how the Governing Body made all their decisions, by majority vote. So much for receiving their information from Jehovah! It was about politics and who could garner the most support for their position.
He also had uncovered much information that was damaging to the credibility and truthfulness of the GB.
The GB had no grounds to disfellowship him, so they had to invent one. They arbitrarily changed their policies and ended up disfellowshipping him on the basis that he ate in public with a disfellowshipped person, namely Ray’s boss.
To all of my brothers and sisters who are in pain because of losing our families, this site is a blessing for us. We get to tell part of our story, which I believe is absolutely necessary to start the healing process. We understand each other and we need each other’s support in order to keep going.
I have recently started telling my (new) friends and (new) family if the opportunity comes up, that I used to be a Jehovah’s Witness and that my own family has disowned me and that they no longer have any contact with me at all.
Some of my friends even know my family. I know that one day, it will get back to my family that I am not hiding anymore. They will have to answer why I am no longer worthy of even talking to.
When asked why I’m disowned, I tell the truth and simply say I sinned and they don’t think I’m worthy. Now I can say that my family treats me like I’m dead and they think that God killed me.
I don’t know what my Jehovah’s Witness family will say when they find out I’m talking about it openly.
Doing this has given me a new kind of freedom and makes me feel more empowered. It’s not my dirty little secret anymore, it is THEIR dirty little secret.
There comes a time when we have to move on with our lives. We have precious little time left to each of us. I try not to waste a minute of it crying over something that I cannot change. All we really have is today. This moment.
We deserve happiness and we deserve peace of heart. We must move on and live our lives the best we can. For those who still believe, Jesus is our judge and savior. He only asks that we love God and love our neighbor and he promises that he will never leave us.
BIG GROUP HUGGGGGG
“Doing this has given me a new kind of freedom and makes me feel more empowered. It’s not my dirty little secret anymore, it is THEIR dirty little secret.”
So true, imacountrygirl2. When I bought into their belief that I was the one with the problem, I used to attract Witnesses who did shun me. Now I refuse to let them think I’m the one with the problem – if I do come across one in the street, I will go up and shake their hand or hug them (depending on what the relationship used to be like). If they feel uncomfortable with that, well, that’s their problem.
Charles, Thank you so much for your comments! I always feel awkward when I happen to run into Jehovah’s Witnesses that I used to be close to. It’s like a shock every single time. I like your idea about going up to them and treating them normally, that never even entered into my mind! Duh…they are the ones with a problem, not me.
well this is exactly what WTS wants disferlowshipped people to come back. By claiming dif. people are slain or dead by God you would want to show them you are not dead by going back to the KH. This is exactly what they looking for. Under no circunstance i will not give WTS a chance to see my face or to count me among its visitors. I careless about WTS threats as long as I am alive and Good knows i am alive I dont need to show to WTS that I am alive. That is a waist of time to show them That i am alive.
Big Jim, thank you for your heartfelt suggestion. That may work for some.
It won’t work for me because I am a believer and I meant my dedication and baptism, and I still stand by them today.
I don’t want my family back bad enough to sell my soul by violating my conscience. They aren’t worth that. I want to keep my relationship with Jesus. HE accepts me and loves me just the way I am. I am living my life based on love.
Besides, nothing I say to the elders or to my family will make any difference in how they treat me anyway. They wouldn’t listen to me.
Jonathan singapoor, you are right. I don’t need to play their games. That was my inner child mocking the Watchtower.
imacountrygirl2
This proves that you are much more of a Christian and human being than any of those on the GB.
Searcher you are absolutely right! If WTS could slain people who are leaving without retribution they would have done it. Since they cannot do it physycally they doing it mentally/ psychologically. I have read in one of watchtower literature that there is no better way to punish someone who is trying to leave the org other than isolation, which is disfd. So they know exactly what they are doing. JW cult is purely evil.
The part of the article about going to weddings in a church hit home with me. I remember clearly telling my brother that I couldn’t be in his wedding party because it was going to be in a church. I was balling my eyes out. I was 12 and the pressure was put on me by my mom, holding the ‘you want to be baptized’ guilt over my head.
I should apologize to him for my idiocy.
you are so right! People who only make a pretense of loving truth will continue to follow this destructive cult. People who really love the truth won’t take long to find out that WTS is fake destructive religion. But some people who really love the truth are being held against their will in this religion by fear of being disfellowshipped or losing contact with their family and friends. Once you are in sometimes it can be hard to get out. This is what cults do to people. They keep you in “hostage” put fear on you, threathen you of losing your family or the everlasting life you are so inclined to receive. one thing i know for sure WTS cannot give people everlasting life nor paradise on earth it is just an illusion they put in people mind.
Wow for people that say they have the Truth all the time they just keep doing things that says that they are far from the truth….would God shun his mother for any reason? would God be ok with a group breaking a marriage up by one partner shunning the other out just because they choose to not believe….No He would not, so in my eye’s the wt is so fare away from the real Truth that I don’t see anyway they could call there selves Christians.
Much love to you, we’ve all been there and are with you now.