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Is "Disfellowship":
a) the time when a JW left Christianity and became a JW?
b) the time when a JW left being a JW and went back to Christianity?
c) the time when a JW voluntarily left being a JW?
d) the time when a JW got kicked out from the JWs, sort of like excommunication?
d) depends on the context
e) some other meaning (please briefly explain)

"Disfellowship" is a new word to me, I think I heard it for the first time when a JW religion defender told me that they were disfellowshipped back in the 1980s. So I presumed that it meant "a) the time when a JW left Christianity and became a JW" and whenever I heard the word again (which was surprising), that definition seemed to fit. However, in my mind, can't help but think it means getting kicked out or leaving for some reason, so I thought I would ask. Definitions of "a" and "b" seem to fit what I know of the JWs. Definition "d" is what I keep on thinking it might mean.

2007-03-02 15:49:01 · 7 answers · asked by Shawn D 3 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

Sorry Papa Bear, I did not want to reveal your identity because I still had not figured out if it means you left Christianity for the JWs, hence "disfellowshiping" yourself from Christ, or if they kicked you out or shunned you, or whatever. Still not too sure on that yet, remember, you never explained.

As for me living my own life my own way, that is what I believe to be evil and something that I will always totally reject. Jehovah Jesus Christ is all to me.

Can anyone be a little clearer as to the official JW position on "disfellowshipping"? Is it an informal thing, is that why no one is clear? How does this relate to Jesus eating with sinners I wonder.

2007-03-02 23:03:28 · update #1

7 answers

Firstly, readers must be reminded that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians, and the religion is a Christian religion. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion. Please stop the insulting innuendo to the contrary.


The term "disfellowshipping" is approximated by "excommunication", although Jehovah's Witnesses do not use the latter term. A formal procedure is involved wherein a committee of congregation elders meet with a person who has committed serious sin; the sinner may appeal to an entirely new committee of elders from neighboring congregations. When the final decision is made, a one-sentence announcement is made at the former Witness's home congregation such as "So-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses."

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 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

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://watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970101/article_01.htm

2007-03-03 16:24:04 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2 0

Disfellowship

2016-10-22 02:36:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I suspect that I'm the one you are referring to about being disfellowshipped back in the 80s. As for your views, the word that comes to be is distorted. As for what disfellowshipping means, you already know that, as well as the fact that it was the Apostle Paul who promoted the idea of keeping the congregations clean and above reproach, but since you reject it, than you must reject the teachings of the Apostle Paul, and since he taught about Jesus, than you must reject the Messiah. Or, is it that you pick and choose what what teachings you wish to follow or not. Fortunately, the witnesses don't do that. They follow it all.

Yes, this does require limiting association with individuals who place themselves above the teachings of Christ or think they don't need to follow all of them, only the convenient parts.

Yes, they are Christians, but of the sense that the follow all the teachings of Christ. These days, everyone calls themselves a Christian, regardless of what they do in their lives, even murderers and molesters. They seem to find a way to believe it is okay to live their lives as they want and still feel they are a Christian. You lve you life your way and think the same. Maybe you're right. Maybe.

2007-03-02 22:31:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

Based on the principles of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Greek Scriptures by command and precedent authorize expulsion, or disfellowshipping, from the Christian congregation. By exercising this God-given authority, the congregation keeps itself clean and in good standing before God. The apostle Paul, with the authority vested in him, ordered the expulsion of an incestuous fornicator who had taken his father's wife. (1Co 5:5, 11, 13) He also exercised disfellowshipping authority against Hymenaeus and Alexander. (1Ti 1:19, 20) Diotrephes, however, was apparently trying to exercise disfellowshipping action wrongly.-3Jo 9, 10.

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. (1Co 5:9-13; 6:9, 10; Tit 3:10, 11; Re 21:8) Mercifully, one promoting a sect is warned a first and a second time before such disfellowshipping action is taken against him. In the Christian congregation, the principle enunciated in the Law applies, namely, that two or three witnesses must establish evidence against the accused one. (1Ti 5:19) Those who have been convicted of a practice of sin are reproved Scripturally before the "onlookers," for example, those who testified concerning the sinful conduct, so that they too may all have a healthy fear of such sin.-1Ti 5:20

The Christian congregation is also admonished by Scripture to stop socializing with those who are disorderly and not walking correctly but who are not deemed deserving of complete expulsion. Paul wrote the Thessalonian congregation concerning such: "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."-2Th 3:6, 11, 13-15.

However, regarding any who were Christians but later repudiated the Christian congregation or were expelled from it, the apostle Paul commanded: "Quit mixing in company with" such a one; and the apostle John wrote: "Never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him."-1Co 5:11; 2Jo 9, 10.

Those who have been expelled may be received back into the congregation if they manifest sincere repentance. (2Co 2:5-8) This also is a protection to the congregation, preventing it from being overreached by Satan in swinging from condoning wrongdoing to the other extreme, becoming harsh and unforgiving.-2Co 2:10, 11.

2007-03-02 16:07:17 · answer #4 · answered by volunteer teacher 6 · 2 0

I am disfellowshipped. It measn that I sinned without repentance. It also means that JW's cannot talk to me. I am shunned, a pestilence. I am not eligible to see paradise on earth after armageddon. I am the lowest of the low because I have rejected Jehovah.Eternal darkness awaits me...this is what they believe.

2007-03-02 15:56:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

MY NAME IS DR JUDGE EDDIE R WILEY,BEING DISFELLOWSHIPPED ISNT JEHOVAH GODS WAY.WE ARE NOT CHRISTIANS,BECAUSE JESUS ISNT ARE GOD.YET WE DO TEACH THAT WE ARE CHRISTIANS.I APPOLIGIZE TO MY FELLOW FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE CLASS FOR REVEALING THE TRUTH.JEHOVAHITES WILL BE ARE NEW NAME BECAUSE WE ARE FOLLOW A MAN THAT NEVER CALLED JEHOVAH BY NAME.WE AS THE GOVERNING BODY ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY JEHOVAH GOD TO TEACH THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD.I NOT ADDING DIVISION AMONG US.JUST LIKE JUDGE RUTHERFORD I AM PUTTING JEHOVAH GOD PARAMOUNT.I KNOW THE ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO FEEL SOME TYPE OF WAY HOWEVER,MANY WHO ARE BAPTIZED AN FAITHFUL WILL NOT ENJOY THE NEW WORLD ORDER IF IM NOT REINSTATED AN THE NEEDED ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE NOW.PLEASE STOP BOGUS BEGGING TO JEHOVAH GOD JUST TO KEEP FACE.WE AS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE WILL LOSE ARE PLACE IN THE NEW WORLD IF WE DONT LISTEN TO JEHOVAH FOR LAST TIME.

YOUR LAST OF THE 144,000

2015-06-24 08:07:04 · answer #6 · answered by eddie 1 · 0 1

I have three friends who are ex jw's! two are whores and the other a lesbian! i think it's a cult more than a religion. damn people going to my house bugging us, then asking us for money.

2007-03-02 15:58:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1 5

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