The hurtful practice of disfellowshipping (or shunning) engaged in by Jehovah’s Witnesses has been defended by apologists as a loving and righteous arrangement approved by God Himself.
It is interesting to note that many times when arguing against the Trinity doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses will relish the argument that the word “Trinity” is not to be found anywhere in the Bible. Well, the word “disfellowshipping” isn’t in the Bible either, but that doesn’t stop Witnesses from enthusiastically implementing this practice.
Apologists will often misquote from among the few Bible verses that are intended to suggest merely limiting association with those considered harmful to one’s spirituality. (1 Cor 5:11) Such scriptures never imply that wayward Christians should be altogether abandoned and never spoken to. Christ said that those who do not listen to the congregation should be considered as tax collectors, with whom he was known for sharing meals. (Matt 18:17; Mark 2:15-17) And Paul’s words at 2 Thessalonians clearly state that those who are “not obedient” should continue to be entreated as brothers. (2 Thess 3:15)
Ruling through fear
The Jehovah’s Witness faith is led by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, a small group of highly controlling men who rule through fear and punishment. I would know, because I was a volunteer at their World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York (Bethel) during the 1980s. I lived with these leaders and got to see the fruits of their “tree” first hand. – Matt. 7:17-20
In my book, Journey To God’s House, I describe a very controlling and punishing type of religion. Having been a Witness almost from birth, I didn’t know any better as to how to respond to this type of control. One story I tell is that of a powerful brother at Bethel who saw fit to complain about the underwear I chose to wear, which he noticed because we changed in the same locker room.
Rather than entreating me respectfully about it, he tried to control me by hurling hurtful epithets my way. That’s right – a so-called “mature older man” resorted to name-calling with a young idealistic volunteer over nothing more than my wearing of colored briefs.
In retrospect, what business was it of his what kind of underwear I was wearing anyway? After I stood up to my overseer for calling me names in front of my friends, I was convinced I would get kicked out of Bethel – such is the way Jehovah’s Witness leaders think. They can threaten you, insult you and ultimately eject you at any time if you don’t toe the line.
The disfellowshipping practice is one of Watchtower’s best ways of controlling the “flock.” Shunning has gotten so out of hand that it can be wielded for any number of reasons. (For a list of reasons, click here) All you need to do is say you don’t really believe the year 1914 has any significance in Bible prophecy, or accept a blood transfusion to save your child’s life. Do any such thing, and you should brace yourself for brutal reprisals.
Bad association – shunning on a whim
But what is not often discussed is the paranoia surrounding “bad association.” This can be more insidious than disfellowshipping in my opinion, because at least with disfellowshipping you have a kangaroo court of elders charged with doing the deed. Marking someone as bad association is something any individual JW can do on their own.
In my final story in Journey To God’s House I relate how simply leaving Bethel was enough for me to get “marked” by everyone at Bethel I had ever known. Because I didn’t have a satisfactory excuse for leaving, and simply wanted to go home and start a family and have a normal life, I was marked as a spiritual loser to be avoided. It was as though I had a disease that was contagious.
In the end, however, I believe these practices have done more harm than good to the faith. People are seeing the religion for what it really is. I left the Witnesses myself due to the unloving conditions I endured over the years. Thanks to the influence of extreme mind control it took me many years to figure it all out.
But now that my eyes are wide open, I can see that in the end it is I who “marked” them.
Brock Talon is the author of Journey To God’s House – available from Amazon on this link.
I wrote a letter to the brothers telling them quite blatantly that I do not want to part of their cult. I have lost my 13 year old son to my elder husband. I have only seen him once in 9 weeks. I can’t see him on Saturday because of his ‘preaching activity’ or Sunday because of the meeting.
Interesting … I am being shunned. However, last week the presiding overseer walked past me with his wife, they did not say hello, 5 mintues later she came back and said. “Renata, in all good conscience I can’t walk past you and not say hello.”
I said … “Well, Jesus wouldn’t do it, would he?”
She said … “No.”
Then she said something interesting …”Renata, You hve not been disfellowshipped.” I found out I am not kicked out at all. Why not? They all know on my fb page that I am an activist. Strange?
The JW in the library who works there shunned me. I complained to the head person in charge. She must say hello during working hours & she was smacked over the knuckles for violating their rules. I also went to the Presiding Overseer & reported her conduct & he agreed that during working hours they must say hello.
Pathetic!!!!
Shunning is cruel, unkind & evil.
That is a very interesting and profound story. Thank you for sharing, Renata. I will definitely keep this in mind.
Anyone who falls short of attending all meetings and doing 10 hours of field service every month is suspect, a potential bad associate. As I recall, the JW calendar some years ago recommended two Saturdays a month for service. Now it’s every Saturday. All preaching, no play. The zealots rule.
Marking and DFing are both damaging. I have experienced both. I am still Df’d after more than a year and am about to put my 5th letter in to get RI’d.
At this point now it’s too late, it doesn’t matter anymore. I have lost the loved ones I have lost, and remain close to the loved ones that have never shunned me.
We will stop attending meetings soon no matter the outcome.
70wks….
Nice article. Loved the book.
The only thing that should be shunned is shunning itself. It’s against every basic human right.
Enjoyed the post, and loved the book. My wife still fights with cognitive dissonance, but there were many bits that I could still share without stepping on toes. Thank you.
My mother is 80yrs old and lives in a nursing home. She has been shunned by her children, except for me, for 40 plus years. We just found out a little over a month ago she was never baptized as a witness. But get this…, her kids still shun her! It drives me absolutely mad that they do this to her. I have been the only one that has done everything and been there for her. It’s so hurtful to sit by and watch her hurt all these years. She’s not in the best of health, and I have nobody to lean on when it comes to my witness family. I’m not a witness, and they barely associate with me. So cruel!
I was just reading a link from cedars tweet feed about shunning, yet wat to post my comment here regarding that article by Rick Gonzales, if I may.
He says:
“Because that’s what the Watch Tower Society tells him to do.”
Sir, this is simply what your father ALLOWS these little men, to DO. Would he allow them to beat him over his head or his childrens heads? Yet, he allows these men to GOVERN his very life experience, as he continues to age.
I’m not meaning to be harsh, only truthful in my opinion here. If he could truly govern himself, he would not be even in that photo.
When I see these little jw men, whether they are in a corner like your father or whether they are in the corners of the WTBTS slimey walls, it is his choice whom he ALLOWS to GOVERN, his BODY.
And if anyone would like to cut and paste this to Rick, on that site, please do so.[ http://jwsurvey.org/apostates/disfellowshipping-and-shunning-a-not-so-loving-arrangement#comment-5525 ]
Sincerely, ~skally~
Skally, your comment completely cuts mind control out of the equation. Saying that those who shun are consciously allowing the Governing Body to commandeer their minds is way too simplistic. I would recommend visiting freedomofmind.com if you need a crash course on how mind control works.
no editing sux btw:p
“If he could truly govern himself”, in which I mean, isn’t this why you all NEED a governing body of men to govern your man/body yourself? You cannot fuction/govern yourselves outside of an organized body of other men.
Just consider this dynamic and do not negate it so fast.
Thank you.
sigh, i meant to post this linkage:
http://aawa.co/blog/shameful-shunning-in-a-thousand-words/
Indeed it does do cut it out of the equaSHUN sir. Your mind is your mind. Not mine or anyone else. It is what YOU ALLOW to control it. And whom you ALLOW to GOVERN the control.
I see it in this simplistic fashion cedars. I don’t see what others seem to see. I see right through it All to the core of the insane ideology. Many others only see the surface of it All. Yet, when you see that by ALLOWING any other group of men to GOVERN YOUR LIFE, YOUR BIRTHRIGHT TO LIVE IT AS YOU CHOOSE, then you are choosing to have your own micontrolled by them. Just as those who cannot live outside the prison system because they cannot function or govern therir own lives. And hardcore military people need that governed structure to even survive, because trying to control their own minds thought is just simply, to much to deal with, so they need to Be Governed.
For me, it is an easy math lesson. Fits the equation perfectly.
Thank you cedars. By the way, any idea what happened to a post I made to konrad earlier this morning, in relation to the judy post I made?
~skally~
Skally, forgive me if I’m beginning to nag, but I have another observation to make about your posts – and that is your habit of putting parts of sentences in CAPS. It’s very irritating to read, because it sounds like I’m being shouted at, which I don’t appreciate. Besides, if you need to shout to drive home your argument, then maybe your argument isn’t as robust as you think it is.
Nobody is questioning the fact that one’s mind is one’s own, and nobody else’s. But that doesn’t negate the fact that the human mind can be easily controlled provided the trusted channel of information is commandeered. If you don’t believe me, do some research on what’s going on in North Korea, and compare it with Nazi Germany. Not everything is as black and white as you seem to want to believe.
Hassans site? He’s been around for years. Just another man governing other men, that is all I see there sir.
…and that’s just a silly comment.
Tomorrow I will be attending the funeral of a very good friend . She was disfellowshipped a couple of years ago ,and has been shunned by her large JW family . Last month I observed her nieces and nephews completely ignore her as they passed her on the street (they did not know how ill she was ) now they will attend her funeral full of remorse …What good did their shunning do ? What if they had just loved her …could they have eased her pain ? Well it is too late now isn’t it ….I can only hope this experience will cause some of her family realize how worthless ,heartless and down right evil this practice is …Publicly they will come together and pose as the concerned ,loving family pretending they never did anything wrong ….it sickens me . I will be in attendance, I wonder if they will shun me ?
Do not ALLOW them to shun you. Or control any part of why you are theIt is not their business. Stand up right next to them, tall and for respect for YOUR friend. Pay no concern to them. Pay your respects and say them loud and proud woman! If you feel compelled to say something, anythen do not ALLOW them to stop you from doing so. [I’d start by declaring they stop such foolish rudenedss while I’m here, because I will not tolerate isuch behavior from adults.
It is up to you what happens here Ms. Lee. You’ve been at this game a long time now. Remember, she was your friend and youare a significant person in her life, so demonstrate such with pride.
I wish you well.
~skally~
Silly, perhaps only to you dir, only to you. I see no others proclsiming such.
Why are they silly comments? Do you know of any history between me and Hassan?
He does not impress me, as most men do not . That fact was well established years ago as I started reading the FLOCK BOOK and learning just how these jw men operate; how most men operate. Cedars, can have my opinions about any man I choose. Silly to you, or not is of no merit.
Now, what of the survey I proposed? Can you address that and not how you view my opinions on other men of this messed up world I’m lost in, and the only way out is to just stop breathing their air and go tosleep forever? Will you do such a survey so we can get an idea of how far the perversion goes in the jc hearings? Did you read what I went through at mine?? Do you care that they preyed on my vulnerabilities and my DISABILITIES, when asking why and what and who and for how long anhow long was it in your mouth and did you swallow-type pedophilic questions. My god dear man, do you understand how deep this issue goes?
These torture sessions that minors are forced by their parents to sit through and answer sick private questions, while becoming aroused is a NEEDEDDISCUSSION sir.
Let’s get to it, shall we? You all want to fight this WHORE THE GREAT WTBTS, well, you best comprehend fully what the dynamic issues that are and haven’t been even touched on…NO PUN INTENDED! Sure, the physical abut what of these insane meetings where these elders are getting off on the answers?
Okay, I need to step away a moment. It is like banging my head on a thousand walls stacupon each other when trying to convey the deeper dynamics of the HUNDREDS OF PERVERTS WHO ARE INSIDE KINGDOM HALLS AND WITH YIOUR CHILDREN. You all really just do not get it, in its full magnitude. Will you ever? How long do these kids have to wait on ……..
~skally~
Don’t you get it? They don’t have to actually be touching your child to molest their spirit and soul. WHY must they ask such detailed, intrusive sexual questions of vulnerable minors? And how many perverts are in these hearings?
Will you please do such a survey among the community through your site?
Hello all,
I have a question for the jw’s and x-jw’s here, because I have not found a clear/reliable answer, so far.
Can jw’s freely and openly associate with non-jw’s in an intimate and personal manner?
I had a jw employee of more than 20 years, until recently. Over the years, I invited her and her family over at my home, on many occasions. They seemed to genuinely be appreciative of my invitations, even shared alcoholic beverages at our gatherings. Knowing their position on holidays and such, my invitations were never centered around holidays or birthdays.
In the same time period, my employee NEVER ONCE offered an invitation to her home to me. I am curious as to this being some doctrine-related prohibition, or simply a coincidence.
I recently asked her directly, if jw’s are allowed to have any “real” non-jw friends, and her response to me was “of course we are allowed”. There was somewhat an indignant tone in her voice when she responded, and I was not convinced she was being truthful with me.
Shortly after me telling her, that I draw a HUGE line of distinction between jehovah’s witnesses (the people), and the doctrine that controls them, she quit her job.
If any of you are willing to share your perspectives on this topic, I would greatly appreciate it.
Hello Free Thinker
I sympathize with your story. It’s all too predictable when read by a JW, or former JW.
There is no formal written code prohibiting Jehovah’s Witnesses from having friendships with non-Witnesses. There is, however (as alluded to in this article), frequent counsel on “bad associations” based on 1 Corinthians 15:33, which says “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” To a Jehovah’s Witness, just being an outsider (or “worldly” person) makes you a bad associate, because you do not have the same standards and loyalties that a Witness would have.
Of course, if you challenge a Witness on this, especially an employee of yours, they will deny it all. No Witness will feel comfortable admitting to his or her boss that they consider them a corrupting influence. And if you invite your Witness employee to social functions they might go along and try to enjoy themselves – but more out of duty than out of any genuine desire to further any friendship. To a witness, the only true friendships they can cultivate are among those who share their beliefs and outlook.
I hope that clarifies things for you, even if it’s probably not what you wanted to hear.
Cedars
She said it but knew in her heart and mind it was untrue so the frustration and “indignation” was coming from an internal battle with her own reality struggle which is an ongoing battle that all practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses engage in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Until they come to certain realities that they are absolutely and criminally in violation of Human Rights and other criminal statues being controlled beyond any sense of decency or Humanity, they cannot make any progress towards freedom from this dangerous and deadly cult!
I suspect that she went to her Elders and sought counsel in regard to you and the circumstance and they recommended that she quit her job as you were a “Spiritual threat” to her…
Of course you can govern yourself without human “governors”. All you need is the Bible, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to tell you how – not humans. The NT tells us to govern, therefore, our bodily members…The writer admonishing individual Christians on behavior. That didn’t come from the “governing body” – it came from the Bible. Duh.
I apologize, this answer below and above was for “Free Thinker/Non-JW” and it is NO! They are not! And they can be counseled and disciplined for keeping “worldly associations”
“She said it but knew in her heart and mind it was untrue so the frustration and “indignation” was coming from an internal battle with her own reality struggle which is an ongoing battle that all practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses engage in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Until they come to certain realities that they are absolutely and criminally in violation of Human Rights and other criminal statues being controlled beyond any sense of decency or Humanity, they cannot make any progress towards freedom from this dangerous and deadly cult!
I suspect that she went to her Elders and sought counsel in regard to you and the circumstance and they recommended that she quit her job as you were a “Spiritual threat” to her…”
My heart goes out to you Skally. It reminds me when I was raising my sister, we were all JW’s then and she “got into trouble” with a JW boy from another congregation. The boy confessed and the elders got ahold of me and demanded that I take care of the situation. I did. I had a loving discussion with her privately in my car and told her that I too had sinned many times and that as far as I was concerned it was a dead matter (she had ended it with the boy). That wasn’t good enough for the elders, they subsequently went on a “witch hunt” and started interviewing all her fellow JW friends to see if she had slept with any of them too!!!! I was indignant and told them to stop. She was not even baptized!!! I tried to protect her from them, but she was so humiliated, she ran away from home. It ruined our relationship for years and even though we have since put that behind us, our relationship is still rocky at best. I left the WT a couple years later and am DF’d; best thing that ever happened to me.
I was a JW for 30 years. When your’e in it that long, you will have one horror story after another that you will have to endure – especially for women. I won’t go into them, but, it is truly a nightmare religion and I was raised in it so didn’t know any better. But my reasoning mind couldn’t endure it when I got old enough to reason to the point of needing to leave. Please please please get out of it if you are having doubts. You can’t stay in it for very long without having nagging doubts eventually – you know what I’m talking about: all those reasonable questions you ask the elders or write to the Society about that they refuse or won’t answer and then look at you like you’re a trouble maker. And throw that abomination of a Bible away. The first thing I did when I got away was research the history of the English translation of the early Bibles. I settled on two: William Tyndale’s complete NT and partial OT (he was killed before he could finish) and the 1611 KJV. Stay away from all the New Age bibles. They are as bad as the NWT.
Thank you for your response, Konrad.
I already suspected that jw’s are not allowed to associate freely with the rest of us, but you just confirmed it for me.
I always felt that this one woman, and the other jw’s at work, tried very hard to maintain a positive image of “them” for the rest of us. The only problem with that, is that they could not hide their internal conflicts from me. The pressures to maintain their responsibilities to corporate religion, while trying to balance other areas of their lives, always showed up as stress, conflicted struggles, and unconvincing demonstrations of how wonderful it is to be one of them.
I for one, never once fell for it.
Free Thinker, you have to realize that as a former JW, we were taught that “the worldly” outsiders are bad associations and “the walking dead” in that they are all going to be destroyed at Armageddon. Only JW’s will make it. That is where the internal conflict comes into play. We were all brain washed into thinking of outsiders as non-persons; not real people worthy of respect and equal to us, because we were “special”.
@Free Thinker/Non-JW,
“The pressures to maintain their responsibilities to corporate religion, while trying to balance other areas of their lives, always showed up as stress, conflicted struggles, and unconvincing demonstrations of how wonderful it is to be one of them”
“I for one, never once fell for it”
Sir, You don’t even know! But I encourage you to look this forum over reading the articles and comments and the associated linked sites, Freeminds.org, JWfacts.com, JWleaks.org and get a much better understanding and refer as many people as possible to do the same because people’s lives are involved and it is that important!
As a JW, my family and I have noticed that MANY JWs enjoy being invited, but they vary rarely reciprocate. Some can’t be hospitable because of circumstances while others are not hospitable. Her actions are not strange. The decision to show hospitality non jws is a personal one. However, it makes no sense to take advantage of someone else’s hospitality. She was being a hypocrite as a witness.
What if you tell them how you feel? Maybe in sympathy cards? Maybe anonymously even? This seems like a ‘teachable moment’. I’m pretty sure they’ll talk with each other about getting cards like that.
“Can jw’s freely and openly associate with non-jw’s in an intimate and personal manner?”-I did, sometimes, but JW’s have to hear a lot about the need to be really careful who we hang out with, whether they are JWs or not, because basically we are being influenced by everybody we are around. JWs take something true and go too far with it. That’s what I’ve seen anyway. I was always trying to go back to the basic bible messages and stick with them and ignore all the craziness going on around me. We get conditioned to expect that too. There are JWs (I was one) who are annoyed with, and can’t buy into believing that ‘worldly people’ are any worse than all the crazy JWs they keep hearing gossip about.
You all are going to teach those of us with 30 or more years or more something? The Society does not tolerate fraternizing with worldly people period! People have been disciplined and disfellowshipped over this issue of worldly associates and especially the matter of dining and recreational outing associations with co-workers and non baptized people not associated through the faith…Heb 10:24, 25 *for just one scripture used. If anyone doesn’t believe it? Go and tell your Elders you are having a social relationship with your boss or co-workers that involves dining and visiting each other’s houses on a regular friendship basis…or even on the Internet!
Although now that I’m out of that cult I can see that just the opposite is true and you would want to spend time with people as much as is possible accepting any invitation warmly as an opportunity to “truly” demonstrate who you really are as a person when offered if you “truly” have something to offer that is…
“As a JW, my family and I have noticed that MANY JWs enjoy being invited, but they vary rarely reciprocate. Some can’t be hospitable because of circumstances while others are not hospitable. Her actions are not strange. The decision to show hospitality non jws is a personal one. However, it makes no sense to take advantage of someone else’s hospitality. She was being a hypocrite as a witness”
and
” “Can jw’s freely and openly associate with non-jw’s in an intimate and personal manner?”-I did, sometimes, but JW’s have to hear a lot about the need to be really careful who we hang out with, whether they are JWs or not, because basically we are being influenced by everybody we are around. JWs take something true and go too far with it. That’s what I’ve seen anyway. I was always trying to go back to the basic bible messages and stick with them and ignore all the craziness going on around me. We get conditioned to expect that too. There are JWs (I was one) who are annoyed with, and can’t buy into believing that ‘worldly people’ are any worse than all the crazy JWs they keep hearing gossip about”
@Free Thinker
If JWs have close friends outside the congregation, they are disobedient.
You associated her quitting with something you said to her, but does that explain why she quit? You don’t give us much to go on.
Then you claim to observe “stress, conflicted struggles, and unconvincing demonstrations” from JW workers. Are you really interested in “perspective,” or was that request merely a smokescreen for making your point?
“was that request merely a smokescreen for making your point?”
I think we can see the smokescreen being raised here and the point was more than sufficiently and in fact abundantly made…give it a rest already!
Konrad who are you talking to/about. What you meant by that last post is not clear. Or was that your intention, to obfuscate.
“Konrad who are you talking to/about. What you meant by that last post is not clear. Or was that your intention, to obfuscate”
I cannot nor should anyone allow you or anyone to attack the motives and integrity of a new poster in Cedars’ absence…He asked a question that was more than sufficiently answered and the matter with respect to that individual is done…if you have a grievance than take it up with Cedars!
He asked for perspective. He may want corroboration from more than one source.
Calling my question an “attack” is a radical extrapolation of few words.
What makes YOU the only reliable observer here?
“Calling my question an “attack” is a radical extrapolation of few words”
Well, I don’t think it is which is rather clear and I don’t think you are nearly as smart as you like to think you are…I guarantee you aren’t smarter than me…
That individual came innocently to this site to make an inquiry and not be drawn up in internal pseudo religion-cult politics and drama which he doesn’t deserve to be! If you were sincerely adding to the conversation instead of attacking his motives which you are not…
I have no interest to further bandy words so take it up with Cedars, please!
“I guarantee you aren’t smarter than me”
I dunno. How smart are you?
“that individual came innocently to this site to make an inquiry”
Are they your personal friend? If not, you don’t know any more about their motives than I do.
If you don’t like my posts, you’re the one who should be talking to Cedars. I don’t have any questions for him at this time.
I want every one to take careful note of this procedure of Line-Item-Dissection or tearing apart line for line and responding to each on a post that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society operatives are trained to use and most specifically “FH Chandler” on topix. com and certain specific others…Anyone who spent any time on there is already familiar with it…this is taught only at the highest levels of oral engagement training in government and military, intelligence and academics and has to be learned…It’s purpose is to confuse and divide one’s reasoning ability, “Divide and conquer” or ,”A house divided” But one does not simply fall into this artful knowledge and it is not nearly as simple as it appears! When you see this? Or demanding “proof?” and especially both together? You know you are dealing with Watchtower!
Johnny B. Goode says:
On November 3, 2013 at 10:00 pm,
” “I guarantee you aren’t smarter than me”
I dunno. How smart are you?
“that individual came innocently to this site to make an inquiry”
Are they your personal friend? If not, you don’t know any more about their motives than I do.
If you don’t like my posts, you’re the one who should be talking to Cedars. I don’t have any questions for him at this time”
Reading the posts of skally and Johnny b Goode are very informative.
I sympathise with Konrad on this one. I have had cause to question the sanity of skally and the motives of Johnny b Goode.
Both of them post regularly and are awful at responding to relevant questions. Skally bemoans a filthy world and seems to be a man hater, despite the reality that most men and women are decent folks.
Johnny b Goode slams science as if it’s a poison, yet has no come back when he is challenged with scientific evidence.
I read their comments. I take them on board. But neither of them, in my opinion, move these discussions on or offer real solutions to the problems we discuss here.
Hey, Cedars! How much longer are we to be subjected to their often mad and ill conceived comments?
Free Thinker,
I wish to share with you, from publications of the GB which shape their lives, thinking, … and set moral standards for them.
1) “Bear in mind this undeniable truth: You cannot really seek companionship with people whose beliefs are in conflict with Bible teachings and still remain true to your convictions. Acting in harmony with that fact is as important today as it was in Jeremiah’s time. To carry out his commission faithfully and with Jehovah’s blessing, Jeremiah was willing to be different from the majority of his contemporaries. Is that not true in your case too? Jeremiah chose companions who shared his faith and who supported him in carrying out his commission. Yes, every faithful Christian today can learn from Jeremiah about choosing companions wisely!—Prov. 13:20; 22:17.” (jr chap. 5 p. 66 par. 18; http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=jr+chap.+5+p.+66+par.+18)
2)You cannot avoid all contact with people who are not serving God—those at work, at school, or in your neighborhood. (1 Cor. 5:9, 10) You realize, however, that if you choose such ones as friends, you might well compromise your friendship with God. (jr chap. 5 p. 57 par. 4, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=jr+chap.+5+p.+57+par.+4)
JWs would shun anyone who does not bow to them under the power of what they call “Bible Study” which is really “Watchtower Society study”!!
“Reading the posts of skally and Johnny b Goode are very informative”
Excelsior, you said you would not read my posts anymore. Typical atheist self contradiction.
“Johnny b Goode slams science as if it’s a poison, yet has no come back when he is challenged”
Wrong again. I respect real science. But atheists believe in pseudo science. They make a religion out of it. Do you even know what the scientific method is? The evolution nonsense atheists believe in can never be proven by experiment; it fails the scientific method. But atheists love it. It’s the core doctrine of their religion.
That’s it, I’ve had enough of Johnny B. Goode. I won’t have people coming on this website doing Watchtower’s work for them by regurgitating the Governing Body’s denial of evolution. Exiting a cult is confusing enough without being exposed to that type of propaganda. Call me harsh, but I feel we have a responsbility on this site to help lurking Witnesses, not perpetuate Watchtower’s myths. Johnny – B. Gone…