There's nobody persecuting you. A majority of former members are angry because your religion is very authoritarian. Don't believe your church is authoritarian? Tell your Elders you're on this site talking to "opposers" and see if you're not excommunicated for talking to a former member. Folks, that's why they call your religion a cult.
Most of the "persecution" you're facing good old fashioned backlash and critical thought. Don't like backlash and critical thought?
Don't excommunicate members for going against the rule of the society and don't preach bullshit like Jesus coming invisibly in 1914. Until then, expect criticism and backlash.
Also, have any of you taken critical thought in college or high school? Do you realise making attacks on people's reputation or motives for asking a question isn't a way to discredit them, but rather makes you look evasive towards their inquiry?
But I'm sure that'll fall on deaf ears. Let the ad hominem fest continue! :)
2006-07-20 23:02:57 · 5 answers · asked by enigma_frozen 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"They're disfellowshipped for such things as.... drug abuse"
You just showed your true colors about how compassionate and authoritarian your faith is. It's not a healthy to isolate a drug abuser from his friends and family, neither for the drug abuser nor for the drug abuser's family. That only leads to more drug abuse. I've had friends that were drug abusers and the thing that always got them out of their drug abuse was for their family and friends to gather around them and to make a giant support circle for the drug abuser so they won't do drugs, not to isolate them and tell them that they're wrong.
And yet, they accuse me of spreading misinformation about their religion not being authoritarian when they themselves admit it with their own words.
2006-07-22 17:36:34 · update #1
amen
2006-07-20 23:33:28 · answer #1 · answered by thankuberry 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
As a J.W. of 15 years standing I have just attended the first day of a three day convention,covering many subjects. One was the situation we have right now. Simply putting up with a whole lot of mis-information. The advice given by those "authoritarians" that you state are so "HARD" is to politely ignore such mis-information. I am replying here for the benefit of other readers. The only ex-members that are not spoken to are those who have been formally "dis-fellowshipped". And if those ones choose not to identify themselves as such, no blame can be laid on a current member if conversation takes place. Contact can be had with any member who has left [and not dis-fellowshipped] in the hope that they will return. To quote scripture is not to "attack" anyone, even though being shown you might be wrong , via scripture, may feel like an attack. I could give the Biblical explanation for the 1914 date, but will hoild off until a thinking person asks.
2006-07-21 08:04:55 · answer #2 · answered by pugjw9896 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People are dis-fellowshipped for doing serious sins such as fornication, the doing or abusing of drugs, and other things such along those lines. You are giving out false information about JW's like me and others in here that I noticed are also JW's. We are NOT a cult, we are true Christians and do not believe in the Trinity. You're talking like you know what we really and honestly are but I doupt that you have ever allowd one into your home and spoken with one. Your mis-judgment only makes my faith, and I'm sure others, stronger. It says in the Bible to preach God's words. Infact, Jesus is the one that told us to do that. If you have any questions or if you actually have the nerve to bash talk me just E-mail me and I will respond the best I can to prove you wrong or to answer your questons.
2006-07-21 13:20:01 · answer #3 · answered by Don't worry be happy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses practice the Scriptural practice of disfellowshipping 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.
Contrary to the misinformation 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.
For those who are disfellowshipped or disassociated, a primarly 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
Becoming baptized as a Jehovah's Witnesses is not a trivial step. At a minimum, a student must demonstrate months of regular meeting attendance and public ministry, then must himself express the desire to be baptized. The candidate then spends hours answering hundreds of bible questions wherein he expresses both a clear understanding and personal conviction regarding Jehovah's Witness teachings in at least three separate interviews with three different elders. The candidate must vocally agree to be baptized in front of hundreds or thousands of eyewitnesses, and must be publicly immersed in water. This is not a momentary emotional decision by an unreasoning child. Dedication as a Witness required hard work and determination at the time.
Learn more:
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1997/1/1/article_01.htm
2006-07-21 07:39:03 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is your problem??
2006-07-21 11:25:18 · answer #5 · answered by lillie 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋