Jehovah's Witnesses..What are reasons one can be disfellowshipped?

Question

Are they if one breaks the 10 commandments and does not repent..? Or do you disfellowship for reasons that the Bible has not commanded not to do..The Bible tells us what not to do in the commandments..Do you disfellowship for other reasons as well? If so..what gives you or your elders the right to judge someone so harshly? Being shunned is considered one of the most cruel punishments ever..How does one love his brother one minute..and the next not speak a word to him? That is not true Christian love..That is being judgemental..

Answer 1

Let me know if there is anyone who can fufill all of the 10 Commandments. The Law is meant to reflect our imperfections so that we will see the need for a Saviour. Those who claimed that they are fufilling it are lowering God's standard of the Law. God sees our inner heart. Not our outward actions. Look at our Lord Jesus Christ. He eats & dines with social outcasts like prostitutes & tax collectors so that there is no condemnation. Looks like the elders which you mentioned are no different from the Pharisees.

Answer 2

Conduct not befitting a christian.
It's not usually the sin it's your attitude.
Cutting the person is a sign of love
1 it protects the others from any corrupting attitudes of the person
2 It Leaves the person in no doubt of the gravity of their ways
3 The door is always open to return it the problem is fixed and a repentant attitude shown.
4 why do you punish your chrildren ?? Is it because you want them to learn right from wrong or what is unsafe ?? Would not punishment be a sign of love.

I have been disfellowshiped for over 25 years and the JWs done the right thing

Answer 3

Extortion is listed in the Christian Greek Scriptures along with fornication, adultery, idolatry, greediness, thievery, drunkenness, reviling, and homosexuality as things that will prevent the one who makes a practice of them from entering the Kingdom of God. The apostle Paul, writing to the congregation at Corinth, said that formerly some of them had done such things, but were now washed clean. Therefore, although they could not avoid some contact with these kinds of persons in the world, they must quit associating with any of such ones claiming to be a “brother,” and they must remove them from the congregation. 1Co 5:9-11; 6:9-11.

So disfellowhipping wrongdoers is not a judgmental thing. It is sanctioned by the Bible. To say that disfellowshipping is not true love shows a lack of Bible understanding on the subject.

Answer 4

"Based on the principles of the Hebrew (and) 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. (1 Cor. 5:5, 11, 13) He also exercised disfellowshipping authority against Hymenaeus and Alexander. (1Tim. 1:19, 20)

"Some of the offenses that could merit disfellowshipping from the Christian congregation are fornication, adultery, homosexuality, greed, extortion, thievery, lying, drunkenness, reviling, spiritism, murder, idiolatry, apostasy, and the causing of divisions in the congregation. (1Cor. 5:9-13; 6:9,10; Tit. 3:10,11; Rev. 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. (1 Tim. 5:19)

"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 be ashamed. And yet do not be considering him 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 Peter 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. (2 Co 2:5-8) This is a protection to the congregation, preventing it from becoming harsh and unforgiving. -2 Co 2:10,11." -INSIGHT, VOL.1, p. 787-788 "Expelling"

Answer 5

Disfellowshipping is a loving thing as it is discipline from Jehovah.
If the person who is commiting the act (for example fornication) is allowed to carry on then this would not only be unloving to the rest of the congregation as it could have a bad effect but it would also be unloving to the actual person involved. It's not about being perfect because obviously none of us are perfect. The fact is, God has standards & expectations about his people. He doesn't expect perfection from us but he does expect us not to flaunt his laws.

Why do we correct & discipline our children?
Is it not because we love them?
It's the same with disfellowshipping, which is done as a LAST resort if the person is unrepentant. If the unrepentant one was allowed to carry on without correction then their everlasting future life would be in jeopardy. Many have been corrected in this way & they are gladly welcomed back with open arms. They are then back on the narrow road to life as opposed to the broad & spacious road that they would be on if undisciplined.

If I was on the wrong path by my actions I would surely want to be corrected as my everlasting life would be at stake.
Hebrews 12:11

Many religions are in the predicament that they are in now (with some prominant members & even leaders flaunting God's laws) because they do not follow what the scriptures tell us about discipline.
1 Corinthians 5:11-13

Anyone who is out there & disfellowshipped should work their way back to Jehovah & come under his protecting 'arm' without delay.
They will be welcomed back lovingly.

Thank you for the opportunity to explain this subject

:)

Answer 6

There are many steps taken before it reaches that last resort point. It is only when all those many steps fail and they are unrepentant that they must be disfellowshipped.

The whole point is to regain a person into good relationship with God. Failing that, to keep the congregation clean so others are not mislead, or cause new ones to stumble in their faith.

The Bible sets the tone in 1 Cor. 5:9-13. It says to quit mixing in company with them and remove them from your midst. 1 Timothy 1:20 says effectively hand them over to Satan as that may prompt an attitude adjustment.

To not do this would be to condemn others who stumbled because of allowing such people to stay.

Answer 7

when i grew up in that church they only disfellowshipped those who sinned with no remorse. they felt that they have an image to uphold and it would be hypocritical to allow these people to continue to be jehovahs witnesses. they can only disfellowship you if you were baptised. my sister was disfellowshipped because she was baptised and then started sleeping around. they wont kick you out for other things that they believe in, like you know how they dont believe in blood transfusions? they wont kick you out if you get one.

the main belief is that they kick you out because they love you. you know the story of the prodical son? i think they base it on that. he leaves into the world and then realizes what he has done, then he comes back and they greet him with open arms. so its not being judgemental like that. i noticed a lot of people who were disfellowshipped because they were sinning were often very sad afterward. so it motivated them to get their act together. then they usually came back and were happy as a clam. no longer sinning either.

i am not a jehovahs witness. i have never been baptized. but this is what i learned as i grew up under a JW parent.

Answer 8

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses only disfellowships an unrepentant baptized adherent who has committed a serious sin, as defined by the Bible. Christians are not required to live by the "Ten Commandments" per se (although several of those commands were reiterated to Christians after the former Jewish Mosaic Law code ended with Christ's impalement).


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

Answer 9

Maybe, just maybe, they should have the right to say who they do and don't want to "fellowship" with. And I've never come across a Christian denomination that used halakah to determine what was or wasn't acceptable.

Answer 10

My wife was disfellowshipped twice, once cuz she was being a whore (i hadnt met her yet) and oh yes, she was being a whore... and another time because she started smoking. She's trying to get back into it, though i don't think she's very serious about it.