Articles 
| Why Jehovah's Witnesses Shun People : Is Disfellowshipping A Christian Practice? |
| Written by Besty |
| Tuesday, 31 March 2009 07:23 |
 Jehovah's Witnesses have a reputation for cult-like behaviour in the way they treat former members of the group. Is this reputation deserved and if so, how do they justify their disfellowshipping and extreme shunning of members who decide to leave? Do Jehovah's Witnesses actively promote family breakdown?
One characteristic of many high control groups is to strictly enforce a shunning policy requiring members to avoid and ignore anyone who leaves or gets expelled. Recent American esoteric movements that claim to have a special channel with God granting them exclusive “truth", such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Moonies and Scientologists are particularly prevalent in their use of this practice. Members are required to completely sever association with or ‘shun’ ex-members, even their own immediate family and relatives, perhaps even their own minor children. Failing to comply is in itself a shunning offense. The consequences of this policy are far-reaching - shattering family relationships and leaving the victims emotionally, spiritually and sometimes materially devastated. Suicides or attempted suicides are not uncommon.
How do these groups justify carrying out this policy? If they are nominally a Christian group, do they have Scriptural support?
This article will specifically address the Jehovah’s Witness application of shunning.
I have been expelled from this group for the most heinous crime - confiding to my brother and sister-in-law some reasons for conscientious disagreement with certain beliefs and practices - and am currently being shunned to an extreme degree by my brother and to a lesser degree by my mother . Therefore I have special insight into this practice and the attempted justification for it.
The BasicsThree simple but fundamental concepts must be understood:
The first two beliefs empower the Watchtower Society to hand down interpretations of Scripture, extended definitions and applications much like the Roman Catholic Magesterium, as opposed to the Protestant sola scriptura. Full and complete uniformity of belief as dispensed by the Watchtower Society, including detailed advice on trivial matters, is a central tenet of being a Jehovah’s Witness:
Our coming to know "the truth" - the entire body of Christian teachings that has become part of the Bible - and adhering to it are essential for our salvation. - Watchtower December 15 2008, pg 28 Note that the unique doctrines of Jehovahs Witnesses as expounded in the Watchtower magazine published from Brooklyn have now been elevated to equal status with the Holy Bible. "Adhere to what we publish or die" is the simple message.
To form a socially seperated community extensive coverage in their literature reminds members that their marriage partner and friends should be Jehovah’s Witnesses:
"While some contact with worldly people is unavoidable - at work, at school, and otherwise-we must be vigilant so as to keep from being sucked back into the death-dealing atmosphere of this world…. Let the world go along in its way, reaping its bad fruitage in the form of broken homes, illegitimate births, sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS, and countless other emotional and physical woes." - Watchtower 1987 September 15 pp.12-14 Only by understanding these concepts can you come to understand why the normal love of family and friends can be broken apart by disfellowshipping - the word given to the church discipline prior to shunning, and the reasons the Watchtower Society has for pursuing this practice.
To be formally shunned you must be either disfellowshipped ie kicked out, expelled, or you can choose to disassociate yourself from the group. In either case an identical announcement will be read out to your local congregation, simply stating that:
‘XXXX is no longer known as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.’ With those eleven words every Jehovah’s Witness on the planet is forbidden from speaking to you for the rest of your natural life.
Except under very specific circumstances this includes your immediate family, lifelong friends, Jehovah’s Witness employers etc. Note that an identical announcement means the congregation has no way of knowing whether you left of your own accord for conscientious reasons or were removed due to serious ongoing sin and lack of repentance. In practice, the rumour mill seeded by congregation elders fills the knowledge vacuum and groupthink takes over.
Being informally shunned is also possible. If you become inactive as a Jehovah’s Witness without being expelled or disassociating yourself then current members may chose to shun you in any case, deeming you ‘bad association’.
The ScripturesThe Scriptures the Watchtower Society use to support their policy are as follows:
"Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man.... Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." (1 Cor.5:11, 13) New World Translation and
“Now we are giving YOU orders, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition YOU received from us…. But if anyone is not obedient to our word through this letter, keep this one marked, stop associating with him, that he may become ashamed. And yet do not be considering him as an enemy, but continue admonishing him as a brother.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 (NWT) and
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.--2 John 11 (NWT) Disfellowship - A Hybrid and Loaded WordFor context about 1% of Jehovah’s Witnesses are disfellowshipped every year; about 70,000 per annum. Two out of three are never reinstated. Along with those that have simply stopped attending the group meetings, likely there are millions of disfellowshipped and disassociated ex-Jehovah's Witnesses in the community. Being disfellowshipped frequently results in emotional side effects. Those that continue to believe Watchtower doctrine are told that, whilst disfellowshipped, they are condemned to everlasting destruction. Those who become unbelievers, with no intention of returning to the Watchtower Society, realize they are unlikely to freely associate with Witness family and friends for the remainder of their lives.
“Disfellowship” and its derivatives do not appear in the Bible. The Watchtower Society has taken several Scriptures and hybridized a belief. They have wrapped a complex series of concepts into one word. If an active Jehovah’s Witness hears ‘xxxx has been disfellowshipped’ those four or five words communicate the following thoughts:
xxxx has done something really bad, probably salacious, as the Witnesses are frequently reminded the vast majority of disfellowshippings are for some sort of sexual sin All neatly wrapped up in one word – disfellowshipped. The subject of ‘loaded language’ and how it is employed by high control groups deserves more extensive research. The Watchtower Society decrees disfellowshiping for situations never discussed in the Bible such as smoking, gambling, taking a prohibited blood fraction or donating to the blood supply. Further, the refusal to shun one so disfellowshipped is in itself grounds for disfellowshipping and is thus extended as a second generation punishment to prevent family members associating with disfellowshipped relatives. Unbaptized minor children of disfellowshipped ones are usually caught up in the crossfire - my pre-school boys are being shunned by my brother and his wife, and effectively shunned by my mother - an occasional postcard from her to them is allowable to her conscience.
The punishment applies forever, or until the Watchtower Society formally reinstates the person. It is considered irrelevant whether the person no longer practices the 'wrongdoing' they were disfellowshipped for. In the case of conscientious disagreement a pardon or apology is not granted should the Watchtower Society subsequently change its view on the matter to that which you were expelled for holding. Repentance is indicated by full attendance at Watchtower Society meetings for an indeterminate period of months or maybe years in extreme cases, all the while being methodically shunned by other group members. In this sense it is a deterrent control mechanism on existing members and a punitive measure against the shunned one.
The Watchtower Society application of disfellowshipping is one of the more extreme even for fringe Christianity and emulates behavioral characteristics common amongst high control groups. Perhaps only the Amish impose this punishment with more destructive effects, due to their physically isolated closed community.
The Watchtower 1981 September 15 p.22 explains the hybrid concept:
""disfellowshipping" is what Jehovah’s Witnesses appropriately call the expelling and subsequent shunning of such an unrepentant wrongdoer. ... a simple "Hello" to someone can be the first step that develops into a conversation and maybe even a friendship. Would we want to take that first step with a disfellowshipped person?" Note the lack of explanation as to why disfellowshipping is 'appropriate' word - sidepoint -the Watchtower Society argue extensively against the Trinity concept as the word 'trinity' does not appear in Scripture, yet have no qualms about using the word disfellowship.
Back in the less forgiving 1950’s the tone of the instruction was somewhat less cordial. This Watchtower was devoted to delivering clear guidelines on updated Watchtower disfellowship policy, clarifying what was to become an ever increasing list of offenses:
“Well, the reason for disfellowshipping is that some persons get into this congregation of God that do not love Christ. … Those who are acquainted with the situation in the congregation should never say ‘Hello’ or ‘Goodbye’ to him. He is not welcome in our midst, we avoid him. … Such an individual has no place in the clean organization or congregation of God. He should go back to the wicked group that he once came from and die with that wicked group with Satan’s organization.” - Watchtower 1952 March 1 pp.131,134 Bizarrely disfellowshipping as a punishment even extends beyond death. So when I die in a disfellowshipped state, which I will, former friends and Jehovah's Witness family already have written instruction on why they shouldn't attend my funeral.
"We never want to give the impression to outsiders that a disfellowshiped person was acceptable in the congregation when in truth and in fact he was not acceptable but had been disfellowshiped from it." Questions from Readers - Watchtower 1961 p.544 Between Mormon's baptizing dead people and Jehovah's Witnesses shunning them, it sure is confusing being a dead ex-cult member.
Who Did Jesus Shun?Naturally, Jesus introduced the Christian standard on how wrongdoers should be treated, saying:
“Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17 (NWT) The instruction was to bring up the matter of sin first between the two individuals alone. Then, if the sinner would repent, there was no need to carry the matter further. If the sinner was not repentant, then one or two others should be sought for witnesses. If the sinner remained unrepentant, only then, as a last resort, should it be brought before the entire congregation, not privately with the "elders", as the Watchtower Society has redefined Jesus' words to mean.
If, after all that, the person still would not listen, he should then be treated the same as Gentiles and tax collectors. In other words, Christians were to treat former members just like anyone else who was not a member of the congregation. To be treated like a "man of the nations" (which is to say, a Gentile or foreigner) was far from being shunned. Jewish people worked with, associated with, transacted business with, and preached to Gentiles. As for "tax collectors," Jesus ate and associated with them. Matthew was a tax collector. Tax collectors were not popular, but they were not shunned. Jesus did not say to never utter a word to an unrepentant wrong doer but to treat them “as a tax collector”. He himself spoke to and ate with tax collectors:
Next, while passing along from there, Jesus caught sight of a man named Matthew seated at the tax office, and he said to him: "Be my follower." Thereupon he did rise up and follow him. Later, while he was reclining at the table in the house, look! many tax collectors and sinners came and began reclining with Jesus and his disciples. But on seeing this the Pharisees began to say to his disciples: "Why is it that your teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?" Hearing [them], he said: "Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do. Go, then, and learn what this means, 'I want mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners." --Matt.9:9-13 (NWT) The way Jesus treated people should be the prime example for Christians. Why Jehovah's Witnesses identify themselves with a 13th Century mis-translation of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton rather than as Christians (Acts 1:8 Matthew 24:9, Acts 4:12) is beyond the scope of this Knol, but clearly the example of Jesus Christ is not foremost in the minds of an organization that can perpetuate the cruel policy of disfellowshipping.
The Scriptures - 1 Corinthians 5:11,13Further information on how to treat wrongdoers within the congregation comes from Paul and is the main support the Watchtower Society uses to enforce shunning, given that the teachings and behaviour of Christ do not provide for such a practice. At Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 5, Paul described limiting association with Christians that practice wrongdoing, but did not describe disfellowshipping and extreme shunning as practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses. The scripture does not say to totally shun a brother who is a wrongdoer, rather it says to ‘quit mixing in company’ with such a person and ‘not eat with’ such a man and hence refers to socializing as friends. Here Paul specifically outlined practices for which to cease ‘mixing’ with a brother, remarkably similar to the advice given when marking a brother.
The Watchtower Society has explained this refers to socializing as friends:
"God's Word states that we should 'not even eat with such a man.' (1 Cor. 5:11) Hence, we also avoid social fellowship with an expelled person. This would rule out joining him in a picnic, party, ball game, or trip to the mall or theater or sitting down to a meal with him either in the home or at a restaurant." - Kingdom Ministry 2002 August p.3 1 Corinthians is also specific as to who these words apply to. This advice is in regards to a person "called a brother" who is a wrongdoer. No indication is given that they should be avoided when they are no longer recognized as a Jehovah's Witness. Nor does it say to shun a person who has stopped their wrongdoing.
It can also be noted that Paul did not insist that everyone participate in the shunning. Later he wrote that the "majority" participate in the rebuke, showing that some in the congregation may choose not to rebuke the person.
"Now if anyone has caused sadnessM, he has saddened, not me, but all of YOU to an extent-not to be too harsh in what I say. This rebuke given by the majority is sufficient for such a man…" 2 Corinthians 2:5-6 (NWT) The New World Translation reference M shows Paul was here referring to the situation discussed at 1 Corinthians 5, and is therefore in agreement with mainstream Christian scholars. Paul gave similar advice on a number of occasions to 'mark' and 'avoid' wrongdoers. This does not mean that the person must be totally ignored, never uttered a greeting, avoiding eye contact, crossing the street to get away from, all common experiences of disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witnesses.
Paul's words here suggests a personal decison by each congregation member based on familairity with the circumstances. It does not suggest an edict handed down based on behind closed doors sessions that the individual congregants had no knowledge of. The Watchtower Society place their organisational procedures in place of the individual Christian conscience. In effect the Jehovah's Witness subcontract or outsource their conscience to the Watchtower Society. How else can you explain group-based extreme shunning of an individual when most of that group have no idea why they are carrying out this strange and unusual punishment?
In a final touch of irony, I am named after the Apostle Paul - evidently my mother and father were so taken with his writings they named their second son after him - now my mother and brother use those same writings as justification to shun me and my family for the rest of all our natural lives.
The Second Scripture - 2 Thessalonians 3 or 'Marking' - You're Not Disfellowshipped...yet!In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Paul showed a balanced approach to idleness, advising not to socialize with such ones, but to still ‘admonish [them] as a brother’. 2 Thessalonians 3 is clear that those lazy ones should be 'marked', not the invented hybrid term ‘disfellowshipped’, and certainly not extended in the 21st Century to any form of wrongdoing specified by a publishing company based in Brooklyn, NY.
Paul did not say to disfellowship and shun such people, but rather instructed the congregation to ‘mark’ or ‘take note of’ such a person. In a similar vein the following scriptures do not instruct complete shunning of the person, but rather to take note so as not to be influenced by their wrong ways.
"Now I exhort YOU, brothers, to keep your eye on (the word 'mark' is used in many translations) those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that YOU have learned, and avoid them." Titus 3:10 "As for a man that promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition; knowing that such a man has been turned out of the way and is sinning, he being self-condemned." Romans 16:17 (NWT) However, the Watchtower Society divides punishment of wrongdoers into two categories, those deserving of “marking” and those deserving of “disfellowshipping”. Marking is applied to mild wrongdoing and is defined as:
“not yet gross sin for which they might be disfellowshipped” - Watchtower 1992 1st Feb p.31 When a person is ‘marked’ they are not publicly named, although frequently the grapevine of the closed community fills the void, and they are allowed to continue contact with others. Only those who specifically know of the persons wrongdoing are alerted to “stop associating” with the person socially, but may however still speak to them at sanctioned meetings. On the other hand, a disfellowshipped person is publicly named and must be shunned by all Witnesses in almost all circumstances. As mentioned already the Bible never uses the term “disfellowshipping” and therefore does not make a distinction from “marking”.
Examining the Bible makes it apparent that whilst Christian writers prescribed 'marking' a wrongdoer, they did not provide for the Watchtower practice of “disfellowshipping” – that being a self-defined hybrid of “quit mixing” + “withdraw from those marked” + “not saying a greeting to the antichrist”
In addition, the same Greek phrase - synanamignysthai - for "stop associating" is used in both 2 Thessalonians 3:14 and 1 Corinthians 5:11. Why do the Watchtower Society use one scripture to 'mark' a wrondoer' and the other scripture to 'disfellowship' a wrongdoer when the same Greek word is used in both verses?
This scripture does not state that this type of person must never be spoken to. As Paul explained at 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, if they are at a meeting it would be reasonable to encourage them. Most certainly a polite greeting is acceptable. Jehovah's Witnesses, while shunning disfellowshipped or disassociated persons, do not prohibit them from attending the congregation meetings at their Kingdom Halls. Yet the congregation was specifically where Paul instructed Christians not be "mixing in company with" disfellowshipped sinners. Jehovah’s Witnesses want it both ways – attend their meetings and get shunned at the same time – how Christian or logical can that be?
The Third And Most Abused Scripture - 2 John 7 -11Though there is clear Scriptural precedence to avoid fellow Christians who are practicing wrongdoing the Watchtower application of disfellowshipping seriously deviates from Bible guidelines. The Watchtower Society greatly extends Biblical guidelines in a number of ways. 2 John 10 says not to ‘greet’ the Antichrist. The Watchtower uses this single scripture to support not saying “hello” to a disfellowshipped person, and naturally there is a very long list of disfellowshipping offences. Watchtower Society policy on the treatment of every disfellowshipped Jehovah’s Witness is based but on a single statement at 2 John 7-11:
“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. Look out for yourselves, that YOU do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that YOU may obtain a full reward. 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. If anyone comes to YOU and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into YOUR homes or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.” 2 John is specifically referring to the Antichrist and should not be applied across the board to all forms of sin, as defined, subject to change from time to time, by the Watchtower Society. Importantly, John’s advice here was not limited to former Christians. It included ‘anyone’ denying Christ. This included Jews that rejected Jesus and people of the nations worshipping other Gods. Yet the Watchtower stance is to apply this only to Jehovah's Witnesses.
Naturally these verses are best understood within the social setting of early Christianity in which they were written. The scripture is not about people who have been expelled from the Christian congregation. When read in context, it is about anyone who "does not bring this teaching" [of the Christ]. It acknowledges the practice of itinerant radicalism, in which charismatic teachers and healers wandered from town to town, from church to church, where they received lodging in exchange for their services. They lived in poverty without any possessions or money of their own. This is the kind of homeless vagabond lifestyle promoted or referred to in Matthew 6:25-34, 8:19-22, 10:5-42 and 23:34 as a particularly higher calling to discipleship.
Such travellers were not members of a given church. They would stay a while for fellowship before moving on. There was room for much conflict - itinerant preachers did not share the same theological and eschatological perspective, and sometimes members in a given church would follow different teachers. Itinerant preachers and healers thus had a significant degree of prestige and authority in the Christian community (cf. the "Seventy" that were sent out as apostles in Luke 10; the church historian Eusebius claimed that these included Barnabas, Cephas, Thaddeus, Matthias, and Joseph Barsabbas Justus). They also may have viewed themselves as followers of a particular teacher or prophet. That was what happened in Corinth, with some members of the church following Paul and others preferring to follow Apollos (1 Corinthians 1-3), as well as what happened in the churches of Galatia when Paul began to lose his influence there to Torah-observant Jewish Christians (1 Cor. 1:6-9, 4:17, 5:7-12, 6:12).
Paul lived just such an itinerant lifestyle for much of his ministry. Early Christian society was split between resident communities where Christians owned property and were subject to the rules of the community (cf. Matthew 18), whereas the wandering itinerants were dependent on these host communities for their hospitality.
The wandering poor were also sometimes discriminated against within the resident churches on account of their abject poverty. This was the perspective of the author of James. He mentions that some individuals were "chosen" i.e a minority within Christian society - to be "poor in the eyes of the world" and "rich in faith" (James 2:5), in other words poverty as a calling. But in some places, they were discriminated against on account of their clothing and personal appearance while wealthy resident Christians were treated with higher respect (James 2:1 - 4). Paul’s focus on faith over works also devalued the importance of an itinerant lifestyle which aimed to achieve righteousness through "works", i.e. by living righteously through poverty.
James 2:14 - 26 however defended the value of works and encouraged resident Christians to perform their own good "works" by receiving itinerants with hospitality, using the example of Rahab who "received the messengers and then sent them out another way" (James 2:25). He thus condemned those who would send the itinerants away without caring for their needs: "If a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food and one of you says to him, 'Go on, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15 - 17) James goes on to guard against commercial itinerism (James 4:13 - 15), wandering from town to town in order to make money.
Important here is the code of hospitality, such that even if itinerants have no real authority they have the right to be treated hospitably unless the visitor violates the stated guidelines, such as by asking for money (compare Matthew 10:9), staying too long, eating while in the spirit, etc., any of which proves that the visitor is a "false prophet" and to be shunned. Interestingly, these aspects of personal conduct seem to matter more than doctrine. The conflict between itinerant missionaries and resident Christians also plays out in 2 and 3 John, where the practice of shunning is mentioned in both letters as a response to itinerant visitors. In the first letter, Presbyter John (a leader from the early sub-apostolic period with significant personal prestige, as Papias and Polycarp relate) instructs the churches under his influence to refuse hospitality to itinerant teachers who teach what he regards to be false doctrine.
It is important to recognize that these "deceivers" were not resident members of the church but outsiders who would be "coming to you" (erkhetai pros humas) from abroad who seek to be "received into your house" (lambanete eis oikian), i.e. itinerants like those in Matthew 10:12 who seek to be received "into homes" (eis tén oikian) and receive support. This has nothing to do with shunning members of the church itself; it has to do with taking in outsiders who are already known to be teachers of different doctrines, for this would require the church to give lodging, food, and support to the person -- thereby "sharing in his wicked work". In other words, the author here regards "deceivers" as illegitimate itinerants not worthy of the normal hopsitality that wandering teachers and missionaries would receive.
If the scripture at 2 John 10 were observed literally by Jehovah's Witnesses, they would be obliged to never invite anyone other than a Jehovah's Witness in good standing into their home, or ever speak a greeting to anyone other than a Jehovah's Witness.
Likewise the term to never “say a greeting” to him needs to be understood in light of the original language used. The Watchtower claims that John used the term ‘a greeting’ to indicate a simple ‘Hello!’:
“John here used khai´ro, which was a greeting like “good day” or “hello.” (Acts 15:23; Matthew 28:9) He did not use a•spa´zo•mai (as in verse 13), which means “to enfold in the arms, thus to greet, to welcome” and may have implied a very warm greeting, even with an embrace. (Luke 10:4; 11:43; Acts 20:1, 37; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) So the direction at 2 John 11 could well mean not to say even “hello” to such ones.” - Watchtower 1988 May 15 p.27 This article claims the word khairo is used to forbid a simple greeting, instead of aspazomai which means a more affectionate embrace, enfolding in the arms, kiss, greeting or welcome. The writer seems to be confused or dishonest as the very opposite is true. Strong’s states:
chairo {khah'-ee-ro} 1) to rejoice, be glad 2) to rejoice exceedingly 3) to be well, thrive 4) in salutations, hail! 5) at the beginning of letters: to give one greeting, salute 2 John 11 does not indicate a polite greeting is wrong. John here shows that a person is a sharer in the Antichrist’s wicked works if he shows acceptance and agreement with the evildoers cause or teachings, or wishes them favour and success.
The Watchtower Society uses this single scripture in 2 John 11 to dictate that every disfellowshipped or disassociated person should not be politely greeted for the rest of their natural life unless they 'repent'. This is applied regardless of when, where and what the person was disfellowshipped for, including a long list of Watchtower Society rules such as donating to the blood supply - which donation could in theory go on to save the life of a fellow Jehovah's Witness as an approved blood fraction....
Apostates To Be HatedSpecial hatred is reserved for a subset of those disfellowshipped - apostates. Members who disavow faith in Watchtower Society doctrines are branded "apostates." This is a unique definition of apostate. Dictionaries define apostate as one who disavows or leaves a religion, cause or party. The Watchtower Society narrows the definition to disagreeing with centrally approved doctrine – you don’t have to leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses to be an apostate. Thought crime is alive and well in the 60th anniversary of George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984. I was disfellowshipped for apostasy. In my case I had been inactive as a Jehovah’s Witness for many years and had not attended their meetings for several months. However 'justice' has to be seen to be done so they hunted me down and disfellowshipped me. My wife was also disfellowshipped in absentia despite submitting written medical evidence stating her mental and emotional condition was not strong enough to endure such a Star Chamber ordeal.
The Watchtower Society describes for the faithful how they should feel about apostates – bear in mind this is how a wife may be taught to feel about her husband, mother about daughter etc:
Regarding them, the psalmist said: "Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies." (Psalm 139:21, 22) It was because they intensely hated Jehovah that David looked on them with abhorrence. Apostates are included among those who show their hatred of Jehovah by revolting against him. Apostasy is, in reality, a rebellion against Jehovah. Some apostates profess to know and serve God, but they reject teachings or requirements set out in his Word. Others claim to believe the Bible, but they reject Jehovah's organization and actively try to hinder its work. When they deliberately choose such badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of their makeup, then a Christian must hate (in the Biblical sense of the word) those who have inseparably attached themselves to the badness. True Christians share Jehovah's feelings toward such apostates; they are not curious about apostate ideas. On the contrary, they "feel a loathing" toward those who have made themselves God's enemies, but they leave it to Jehovah to execute vengeance.--Job 13:16; Romans 12:19; 2 John 9, 10 - Watchtower October 1, 1993 More recently the Watchtower Society has reaffirmed this viewpoint:
Apostates feigning love are as dangerous to our faith as rocks hidden below water are to ships or swimmers.False teachers may seem to be generous, but they are like waterless clouds in that they are spiritually empty. Such ones are as fruitless as dead trees in late autumn. They face destruction, as do uprooted trees. Wise we are to shun apostates. - Watchtower December 15 2008, pg 29. Ignoring the Yoda-like structure of that final sentence note that Jehovahs Witnesses are taught that apostates - ie. those who have disagreed with the leadership and have either been disfellowshipped or have disassociated themselves - feign love, are dangerous and face destruction like dead trees. This viewpoint is to include family members seeking to stay in touch in the normal way. This from an organisation that is a Registered Charity in many countries with the concomitant taxpayer subsidisation and public benefit requirements.
Apostates from the Watchtower Society typically do not hate their own families, and yet this is how Jehovah's Witnesses are taught they feel about them. The direction given in the Watchtower goes strongly against Christian examples when demanding members hate an apostate. Jesus and Paul both said we should not hate but rather love our enemies. This was to apply even when someone is attacking our faith and practice.
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:44-45 (NWT) Contrast that with what the Watchtower Society says:
"We must hate [the disfellowshipped person] in the truest sense, which is to regard with extreme active aversion, to consider [them] as loathsome, odious, filthy, to detest." - Watchtower 1952 October 1 p.599 When discussing that for everlasting life it is necessary to love ‘your neighbor as yourself’, Jesus used the illustration of the Good Samaritan to explain who ones neighbor is. (Luke 10:25-37) The Jews regarded the Samaritans as apostates of the Jewish religion, yet Jesus says our love was to encompass these people as well.
Every single one of a disfellowshipped person’s Witness friends is told to never even exchange a polite "Hello, how are you" with them again, unless they repent and are formally reinstated by the Watchtower Society. Yet such extreme shunning was not even applied to the Apostle John's itinerant Antichrist, and as such is blatantly and dishonestly misused to an extreme degree by the Watchtower Society as a control mechanism..
Example:
The second situation that we need to consider is that involving a disfellowshiped or disassociated relative who is not in the immediate family circle or living at one's home. Such a person is still related by blood or marriage, and so there may be some limited need to care for necessary family matters. Nonetheless, it is not as if he were living in the same home where contact and conversation could not be avoided. We should keep clearly in mind the Bible's inspired direction: "Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person . . . , not even eating with such a man."--1 Cor. 5:11. - Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pg.29 Jehovah's Witnesses do not disfellowship greedy persons. They often do not disfellowship people who regularly get drunk unless their conduct becomes so outrageous and publicly-known as to become known in the local community as a talking point. They do not disfellowship people for many of the things which they themselves class as "idolatry" (for example: materialism, worshipping an organization, etc.).
There is no scripture basis for mandating that Christians must totally shun former members (that is, having no communication or conversation with them). The instruction is to expel them from the congregation and treat them like anyone else who is not a member. Especially, there is no scripture to support shunning of one's own relatives--parents, children and siblings.
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."--1 Tim.5:8 (NIV) When a Jehovah's Witness male qualifies to be an elder in the congregation, he is assigned an uncirculated proprietary book that gives instruction for counseling and disciplinary actions according to the Society's rules. The title of this book is Pay Attention To Yourselves and to All the Flock .
Interestingly, on the bottom of page 103 in that book, it is stated that Jehovah's Witnesses need not be disfellowshipped for associating with disfellowshipped relatives except if the association involves "spiritual association" or if there is an attempt to excuse the former member's objectional behavior. It says:
"Normally, a close relative would not be disfellowshipped for associating with a disfellowshipped person unless there is spiritual association or an effort made to excuse the wrongful course."--"Pay Attention to Yourselves and All The Flock", page 103, last paragraph. Despite this documented exclusion, Jehovah's Witnesses the world over are taught that to please Jehovah God they must shun their siblings, their children, and even their parents who either choose to leave or are disfellowshipped--especially if the crime is variance with Watchtower doctrine for which they are branded "apostates." And it is a fact that many Witnesses have been disfellowshipped for refusing to shun their disfellowshipped relatives.
Baptized In Ignorance - Dedicated To The WatchtowerIn 1985 the second Jehovah’s Witness baptism vow was changed to:
“(2) Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?” - Watchtower 1985 June 1 p.30 At baptism a person commits themselves to the Watchtower Society, the ‘Organization’, despite the word ‘organization’ never appearing in the Bible. It is a uni-directional agreement, frequently involving minor children, that gives the new member no rights and the Watchtower Society no responsibilities.
"Approved association with Jehovah's Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah's Witnesses." Watchtower 1986 April 1 Pg 31 Few realise that they have committed their bedroom lives, work choices and life long relationship with family and friends to the Organization. Terms such as “ecclesiastical government of Jehovah's Witnesses” are never used in the Watchtower publications that are issued to the public, but are used within confidential letters to Branches and bodies of elders.
Would as many people be baptised if they realised it was not only to Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that they were being baptised but to an ecclesiastical government that had the right to introduce any rule at any time? No person that gets baptised has any idea of the full list of things that they could be disfellowshipped for as this list doesn't exist, and many of the reasons are not mentioned in the Bible.
Most of the reasons are scattered through various Watchtower publications, but a newly interested one is rarely shown any of these. Even people affiliated with the Watchtower Society for many years are generally unaware of all the reasons. In regards to disfellowshipping Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All The Flock states on p.100 that elders “should also be sure to proceed in harmony with current information published in The Watchtower and in letters from the Society.”
Only elders have access to Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock and to these letters from the Society. Even elders do not get to know the guidelines for all situations as more difficult situations are discussed in letters specifically to the Bethel Branches. Most people are baptised with no knowledge that these books and letters even exist, let alone know what is contained in them.
If the law of Christianity can be summed up in one word, it is "LOVE." Does not love rescue and recover the sinner? Would Jesus shun the sheep who strayed from the flock?
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners kept drawing near to him to hear him. Consequently both the Pharisees and the scribes kept muttering saying: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then he spoke this illustration to them, saying: "What man of you with a hundred sheep, on losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine behind in the wilderness and go for the lost one until he finds it? And when he has found it he puts it upon his shoulders and rejoices. And when he gets home he calls his friends and his neighbors together, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.' I tell you that thus there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.--Luke 15:1-7 (NWT) Note that the sheep did not have to come back and find the shepherd, the shepherd went after the lost sheep. Under certain circumstances even a parent can be disfellowshipped for associating with their own disfellowshipped children. Parents, grandparents and other close relatives provide emotional support to children and grandchildren - this is normal in family life. Withdrawal of such normal family ties, particularly when infants have been exposed to persons who are later withdrawn from their circle, can be extremely damaging emotionally . It is a recognized psychological phenomena, although not normally found in connection with religious beliefs destroying family ties - more likely in marital breakdown, which is in itself a common side effect of one partner deciding to leave the Jehovah's Witness group.
This practice is evidence that Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine is responsible for splitting up families, a fact now starting to be recognized by many concerned family charities.
Take your pick from any of the life stories here and read for yourself the role of disfellowshipping in destroying normal family relationships.
All of the above also applies to minor children, whom the Watchtower Society actively encourage to get baptized:
This practice of encouraging child baptism and then disfellowshipping them as minors if they step out of line is both a powerful control mechanism and promotes harsh treatment of vulnerable teenagers. Frequently it leads to bizarre anomalies - a teenage smoker may for example be disfellowshipped and never return to the Jehovah's Witness organisation. This would lead to them being shunned for the rest of their natural life, even if they quit smoking (not that that should be relevant) and had an upstanding moral life (as defined by the Watchtower Society). On the other hand the same family may have another child who never gets baptised but then goes on to lead a life filled with debauchery - this child would not be shunned formally - they may be avoided as bad association, but not totally ignored by their immediate family. Normal teenage behavior may lead to a lifetime of shattered family relationships extending to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc.
Abuse of Human RightsThe Watchtower Society have in fact appealed to the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when it suits their purposes in establishing religious freedom in certain countries. That freedom being sought of course for their own recruiting purposes.
Yet what of their adherence to those same principles when someone wants to leave their religion?
Article 16.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. Is the WTS policy of extreme shunning of immediate family helping to promote and protect the natural and fundamental unit of society?
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. The WTS pays lip service to the right to change religion but as a penalty for doing so will employ community exclusion and familial alienation which amounts to psychological torture - hardly within the spirit of Article 18.
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The WTS seeks to limit freedom of expression by current and ex-members alike and as a deterrent or penalty for expressing counterviews will employ community exclusion and familial alienation which amounts to psychological torture - hardly within the spirit of Article 19. Those who seek to hold opinions without interference will quickly be reminded to get back in line.
Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The WTS deploys a deterrent against or penalty for leaving their association ie community exclusion and familial alienation which amounts to psychological torture - hardly within the spirit of Article 20.
Interesting also is the Watchtower Society description of expelling from a closed community:
One who was cast out as wicked, cut off entirely, would be considered worthy of death, though the Jews might not have the authority to execute such a one. Nevertheless, the form of cutting off they did employ was a very powerful weapon in the Jewish community. Jesus foretold that his followers would be expelled from the synagogues. (Joh 16:2) Fear of being expelled, or "unchurched," kept some of the Jews, even the rulers, from confessing Jesus. (Joh 9:22, ftn; 12:42) An example of such action by the synagogue was the case of the healed blind man who spoke favorably of Jesus.—Joh 9:34. - Insight on the Scriptures Volume 1,p.787, Expelling Without a hint irony or apparent self-awareness the Watchtower Society describes the Pharisaical religious leaders of the time deploying 'a very powerful weapon' against the early followers of Christ. Yet 2000 years later they utilize identical techniques to silence opposers to their self-proclaimed unique version of Christianity.
Hundreds of thousands of Witnesses are currently disfellowshipped and estranged from their families and friends. This has a dramatic effect on a person, often at a time when they most need help from others, a prime example being those disfellowshipped for alcoholism. The Watchtower Society claims love is one of its distinguishing factors and that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a loving brotherhood. Total alienation from this brotherhood and being cast into 'the world' builds fear. At first glance this may seem justifiable. A comparison between how the Bible says to treat wrongdoers with how the Watchtower enforces disfellowshipping shows this fundamentalist group has gone beyond the Scriptures, twisting and abusing them to exert control over current and former members. One of Jesus’ greatest commands was to show love to one’s brother and to one’s neighbour (Luke 10:27). The doctrine on disfellowshipping puts irreconcilable question marks over any claim of love that Jehovah’s Witnesses attempt to make.
The Long List You Will Never SeeThe Watchtower has created a litany of offences for which a Jehovah’s Witness can be disfellowshipped or disassociated. The following abbreviations have been used for the publications referenced. Kingdom Ministry (km) Watchtower (w) Jehovah’s Witnesses - Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom (1993) (jv) Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock (ks91-E) Organised to Accomplish Our Ministry (om) Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1 or 2 (it-1 or 2)
• Adultery (sexual intercourse with a person other than your marriage mate), includes; • abandoning wife and eloping with another woman - w79 11/15 31-2, w76 p.728 • planned adultery to break Scriptural marriage ties - w83 3/15 p.29 • remarriage without Scriptural permission - w56 10/1 p.597 • polygamy - jv 176 • dating a person not legally divorced - ks91-E p.135 • Apostasy - w83 4/1 pp.22-4, km 8/80 pp.1, 4. includes; • rebellion against Jehovah’s organization - w63 7/1 • promoting sects - it-2 886 • Associating with disfellowshipped people including; • friends - ks91-E p.103, w81 9/15 pp.25-6, w55 10/1 p.607 • family - ks91-E p.103 • Blood and blood transfusions - w61 1/15 ks91-E p.95, jv p.183-4 • Drug use - ks91-E p.96 • Drunkenness - ks91-E p.95, it-1 656 • Dishonest business practices - w63 7/1, w86 11/15 14 • Employment violating Christian principles - km 9/76 p.6, km 2/74 • working for any religious organization - ks91-E p.95 • working in a gambling institution - ks91-E p.136 • selling tobacco - ks91-E p.96 • contract work at a military establishment • False worship. Includes; • attending another church ks91-E p.94 • following mourning customs that involve false worship - w85 4/15 p.25 • Fornication it-1 863 • bestiality - w83 6/1 p.25 • incestuous marriage - w78 3/15 p.26 • artificial insemination – g74 8/8 p.28 • sexual abuse of children - g93 10/8 p.10Reviling - ks91-E p.94, w96 7/15 pp.17-18; it-1 p.991; it-2 p.802 • Fraud - ks91-E p.94, om pp.142-3 • Gambling or related employment - w80 9/1, ks91-E p.136 • Gluttony - w86 5/1 • Greediness, this in used to include; • gambling ks91-E p.95 • extortion ks91-E p.95, w89 1/15 22, it-1 p.789 • greed in relation to bride-price: w98 9/15 p.25 • Homosexuality - w83 6/1 pp.24-6 • Idolatry - w52 3/1 p.138 • Loose conduct - ks91-E pp.93, 96, w83 3/15 p.31, w73 9/15 p.574, it-2 p.264, ks91-E p.93, w83 3/15 p.31, w73 9/15 pp.574-6, w97 9/1 p.14, it-2 p.246. This includes; • Sexual perversion • Disregard for Jehovah's moral standards • Disrespect, disregard or even contempt for standards, laws and authority, Not restricted to the usual definition of sexual perversion, the Watchtower Society defines "loose conduct" as including "disrespect to elders". This enables this term to be used to disfellowship for a wide range of offences not elsewhere covered, and as such is used to cover all manner of sins, such as refusal to cease fellowship with disfellowshipped people, or even being contemptuous in a judicial meeting where no other sin can be proven. • Lying - ks91-E p.94, g00 2/8 p.21 • Non neutral activities (involvement in politics and the military) - ks91-E p.96 • Military service and non military service including working casual work (certain civilian work has recently been made a conscience matter w96 5/1 p.20) - ks91-E p.96 • Obscene speech - ks91-E p.95 • Parents condoning immorality - w56 p.566 • Political involvement, including voting or holding a political card in Malawi - ks91-E p.96 John 6:15 Therefore Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone. (w99 11/1p.28 made this a conscience matter) • Porneia. “It includes oral and anal sex or mutual masturbation between persons not married to each other, homosexuality, lesbianism, fornication, adultery, incest, and bestiality.” - ks91-E p.93 • Slander - ks91-E p.94, w63 7/1, w89 10/15 p.14, om p.142 • Smoking or selling tobacco - km 2/74, ks91-E p.96 • Spiritism (includes yoga w02 8/1 p.22) - w55 10/1 p.607 • Stealing, thievery - om pp.142-5, ks91-E p.94 • Subversive activity - w95 10/1 p.31 • Uncleanness • sexually ‘perverse’ practices within marriage, such as oral and anal sex - w83 3/15 p.31 • heavy petting and breast fondling - ks91-E p.92 • touching of sexual parts - ks91-E p.91 • Violation of secular law if flagrant attitude - w86 10/1 p.31 • Violence, extreme physical abuse, fits of anger - ks91-E p.96, w75 p.287, g01 11/8 p.12 • Includes Boxing w81 7/1 pp.30-1, ks91-E p.142 • Wilful non support of family, endangerment of mate’s spirituality - w88 11/1 pp.22-3, km 9/73 p.8, ks91-E p.95 • Worldly celebrations such as Christmas - ks91-E p.95 (It appears celebrating birthdays is not a reason to be disfellowshipped Resources And Further ReadingCredits to www.jwfacts.com and Leolaia from JWN for their source material
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