Jehovah's Witnesses: where is the forgiveness, where is the love........?

Question

there is family who are JWs, a man and his wife and children and for some reason the father decides he no longer wants to live his life as a Witness and all of a sudden his children are to have nothing to do with him....where is the forgiveness and the love...family is important

seems like it is hurting the children and the father

i don't understand

the bible talks about forgiveness, didn't Jesus to forgive 77 times...meaning to forgive unendingly?

Answer 1

Forgiveness means letting go of your negative feelings towards someone, but it does not mean you have to expose yourself to the hurt again.

I don't think this family should be separated either. I also don't think forgiveness is going to come for a long time.

Family should stick together as long as there isn't abuse going on. But those are my beliefs and I'm not JW, so it isn't my place to walk all over the decision of this family.

Answer 2

The Bible commands Christians not to keep company or fellowship with a person who has been expelled from the congregation. “Disfellowshiping” is what Jehovah’s Witnesses appropriately call the expelling and subsequent shunning of such an UNREPENTENT wrongdoer. Our refusal to fellowship with an expelled person on any spiritual or social level reflects loyalty to God’s standards and obedience to his command at 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13.

Why is it loving to expel an unrepentant wrongdoer from the congregation? Doing so is an expression of love for Jehovah and his ways. (Psalm 97:10) This action shows love for those pursuing a righteous course because it removes from their midst one who could exercise a bad influence on them. It also protects the purity of the congregation. (1 Corinthians 5:1-13. Furthermore, the wrongdoer’s expulsion may help him to see the seriousness of his wayward course, repent, and make necessary changes and thus be accepted back into the congregation.

However, God certainly realizes that carrying out his righteous laws about cutting off wrongdoers often involves and affects relatives. So, a man who is disfellowshipped or who disassociates himself may still live at home with his Christian wife and faithful children. Respect for God’s judgments and the congregation’s action will move the wife and children to recognize that by his course, he altered the spiritual bond that existed between them. But, since his being disfellowshipped does not end their blood ties or marriage relationship, normal family affections and dealings can continue.

With regard to the family you mention, there may be some internal conflicts or unresolved issues that influence their interactions. No one can speak to their particular situation unless they are personally involved.

Answer 3

Most of you who are not Jehovah's Witnesses that takes the time to read this, will let it go in one eye and out the other, you accuse us of not following Jesus, but in turn what Paul says you completely ignore, will not accept, or do what he tells the Christian Congregation to do. How many other Religions do you know that take action against people that do these things? So how can you have a clean Congregation unless you take action?

Some of the offenses that could merit disfellowshipping from the Christian congregation are fornication, adultery, homosexuality, greed, extortion, thievery, lying, drunkenness, reviling, spiritism, murder, idolatry, apostasy, and the causing of divisions in the congregation.

In the Immediate Household:

Does this mean that Christians living in the same household with a disfellowshipped family member are to avoid talking to, eating with, and associating with that one as they go about their daily activities? The Watchtower of April 15, 1991, in the footnote on page 22, states: “If in a Christian’s household there is a disfellowshipped relative, that one would still be part of the normal, day-to-day household dealings and activities.” Thus, it would be left up to members of the family to decide on the extent to which the disfellowshipped family member would be included when eating or engaging in other household activities. And yet, they would not want to give brothers with whom they associate the impression that everything is the same as it was before the disfellowshipping occurred.

However, The Watchtower of September 15, 1981, page 28, points out regarding the disfellowshipped or disassociated person: “Former spiritual ties have been completely severed. This is true even with respect to his relatives, including those within his immediate family circle. . . . That will mean changes in the spiritual fellowship that may have existed in the home. For example, if the husband is disfellowshiped, his wife and children will not be comfortable with him conducting a family Bible study or leading in Bible reading and prayer. If he wants to say a prayer, such as at mealtime, he has a right to do so in his own home. But they can silently offer their own prayers to God. (Prov. 28:9; Ps. 119:145, 146) What if a disfellowshiped person in the home wants to be present when the family reads the Bible together or has a Bible study? The others might let him be present to listen if he will not try to teach them or share his religious ideas.”

In the apostle John’s writings, we find similar counsel that emphasizes how thoroughly Christians are to avoid such ones: “Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God . . . 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 9-11.

Why is such a firm stand appropriate even today? Well, reflect on the severe cutting off mandated in God’s Law to Israel. In various serious matters, willful violators were executed. (Leviticus 20:10 God certainly realizes that carrying out his righteous laws about cutting off wrongdoers often involves and affects relatives. As mentioned above, when an Israelite wrongdoer was executed, no more family association was possible.

Cutting off from the Christian congregation does not involve immediate death, so family ties continue. Thus, a man who is disfellowshipped or who disassociates himself may still live at home with his Christian wife and faithful children. Respect for God’s judgments and the congregation’s action will move the wife and children to recognize that by his course, he altered the spiritual bond that existed between them. Yet, since his being disfellowshipped does not end their blood ties or marriage relationship, normal family affections and dealings can continue.

Answer 4

I have never heard of children being told to have nothing to do with their parents. People are disfellowshipped from the congregation for doing things that are against the bibles teachings. If he just decided not to be a witness anymore(as in not attending meetings) I doubt he was disfellowshipped. If he did something wrong...(as in adultery) He has probably been disfellowshipped from the congregation. Which means that NON family members are to LIMIT their association with him.(bad association spoils useful habits) Family is still allowed to speak to him. It doesn't mean that they don't love him(family or the congregation) it just means that they don't want his bad habits to rub off onto them. Think of it like this(if you have kids) Would you let your kid hang out with a kid who stole and vandalized property? Probably not...cuz more than likely..you child would also be labeled a thief and a vandal!!! Shouldn't it be that way when it comes to pleasing god?? Would you want to be labeled something(adulterer or thief) because of the people you hang around with???

Answer 5

Contrary to the lies of anti-Witnesses, it is quite possible to become inactive in the JW religion without becoming disfellowshipped. As long as one's lifestyle does not bring reproach upon the congregation, and as long as one does not advocate one's disagreements with the religion, the congregation has no interest in "investigating", exposing, and disfellowshipping an inactive former Jehovah's Witness.

The Scriptural practice of disfellowshipping was not invented by Jehovah's Witnesses, and it does not result from minor sins or for sins that have been repented. Instead, Scriptural disfellowshipping is for unrepentance of such serious sins as fornication, drug abuse, stealing, and apostasy. Baptized Witnesses who join the military or publicly engage in worship with another religion are considered to have disassociated themselves from Jehovah's Witnesses.

For those who are disfellowshipped or disassociated, a primary goal is to shock the person into recognizing the serious of their wrong so that they rejoin the congregation in pure worship. Since the primary bonds that are broken involve friendship and spiritual fellowship, it is well understood that family bonds remain intact. Parents, siblings, and grown children of disfellowshipped and disassociated ones sometimes choose to limit what they may feel is discouraging or "bad association" but that is a personal decision and is not required by their religion.

Former Witnesses who are disfellowshipped or disassociated are typically treated in accord with the Scriptural pattern explained in these Scriptures:

(1 Corinthians 5:11-13) 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.

(Titus 3:10) As for a man that promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition

(Romans 16:17) Now I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.

(2 Thessalonians 3:6) 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.

(2 Thessalonians 3:14) 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.

(2 John 10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him.

(Matthew 18:17) 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


Sadly, in many cases a person who leaves the Witness faith begins to slander the religion. Family members who remain in the faith are uncomfortable hearing such bitterness directed at their religion, and that discomfort tends to limit association with the slandering former Witness.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm

Answer 6

I don't think it's a matter of forgiveness for them. I think it has more to do with worldly influences and whatnot. Family is important, but not as important as worshipping God. Something like that lol!
And I DO know that this guy below me has no idea what he is talking about. They DO believe in Jesus as their savior and they are VERY christian. Don't listen to ignorance lol.

Answer 7

Well they say time is a great healer too. Lets hope that as a family that they do recover, as a family in turmoil is not good to see regardless of the religious beliefs involved.

Answer 8

Forgiveness is found only in Jesus name, the Jehovah's Witnesses are not a Christian faith so they don't subscribe (naturally) to Christian beliefs i.e. Jesus of Nazereth as their saviour.

Answer 9

yep