Question about disfellowshipping Jehovah's Witnesses and other denominations who practice shunning and penance

Question

How, after reading Romans and having God point out how sinful we all are can you pass judgement on others?
Ro. 1:28-31 God points out that we are ll undesirving of his Grace, in that we all are guilty of some of these sins.

Ro.2:1 "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condem yourself: fir you who judge practice the same things. "

Matt: I do not shun anyone in the sense that thye practice it...I will being the gospel and talk to anyone. You are short sighted and have no concept of who I am or what kind of Christian I am...But your answer gave me a giggle.

QA queen...You are mistaken...It is punative...and at times undesirved, and certianly unchristian..Tell me When the last time you had a disfellowshipped person at the back of the Kingdom Hall, coming faithfully to meetings, being shunned by all..
Have your ever gone up to that person and said" I am so Happy to see you rejoin the flock...It is really good to see you here, come sit by me and we can worship together" Never happens and never will, because you and I both know, that if you did such a thing, the Elders would wisk you into the back room for a counseling session on the rules.
You are not even to speak a greating to such a person.
Gods words on judgement are more powerful than your denial that is is done..sorry it is time for you to examine your conscience on this.

Hannah J Paul...I have a friend who was dating a married man..She is my Christian Sister and a good social friend...I took her to lunch and admonished her very sternly to quit this relationship...I then took her to her pastor and brought out the situatuin...and he admonished her to stop seeing this married man....My position as her Christian sister and being faithful to the scriptural guidelines is to stop assosciating with her socially. In church, she is still my sister, being lovingly guided by the elders. If I see her in church..I go up to her and let her know that I am glad to see her there, and we can worship with each other...If she were to ask me to socialize outside of the church, I would have to decline. This is how it is supposed to be handled...This is how Christian Churches handle these situations. Thank you for your answer.

Looks like the LDS have this one right...

I think QA Queen has taken her reply and left the room

Answer 1

How could the Jehovah's Witnesses religion quell all the negative outrage?

Simple---repeal your Draconian family wrecking shunning protocol (disfellowshiping) it is the watchtower's family wrecking weapon that is hated,..."serve us or we will break up your family".

Learn more on the destructive practices of the watchtower society http://www.freeminds.org

Answer 2

Didnt Jesus himself consume with the sinners and the taxman and wash his ft with them? became into Judas disfellowshipped? that's no longer biblical - Its Watchtowercal!! Edit: UL continuously gets thumbed down by ability of the JWs, she is prob seen the main important "apostate" right here. She's an ex JW that speaks from her heart and doesnt in my opinion attack any JW yet they actually dislike her. Shes' authentic: Why do human beings ask a question then block people who're in aposition to respond to? JWs dont like the actual actuality. they are programmed to ignore approximately and shun anybody who won't accept as true with them or wreck their club regulations.

Answer 3

In the LDS faith we do practice disfellowshipping or excommunication, but it is not shunning.

Let me explain, When I was disfellowshipped from the LDS church I was asked not to partake of the sacrament, prayer in classes or at church functions. I'm also not allowed to talk in class unless called upon directly.

This however isn't shunning, I'm encouraged to attend church meetings, participate when asked, pay my tithing and fast offerings. I still have hometeachers come to me. I talk with my Bishop and keep him updated. Even when someone is excommunicated they are shunned. They are encouraged to do those things which they know are right, this is a time for repentance.

Answer 4

You might want to read from 1st Corinthians 5 starting at verse 5.

"9 In my letter I wrote YOU to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, YOU would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing YOU to 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.11 But now I am writing YOU to 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. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, 13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves.”

Scriptural requirement to keep the congregation clean DOES require judging those inside the congregation.

Answer 5

Well first of all Galatians 6: 1 says Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted but if a brother will not get right with god you must break fellowship with them. We need to be equally yokoed together and Amos 3:3 says if we cannot agree we cannot walk together.

Answer 6

I am watching the trial about the 14 year old that got married in the LDS church. I thought JW and LDS had a lot (but not all of course) of the same teachings, including disfellowship and how they are not to question things for fear of being shunned. If you are not watching the trial you might find it interesting as well. I think it might be on Court TV Extra.

Answer 7

Romans 1:28-32 God abandoned them to their foolish thinking. Read verse 32 "They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die,yet they do them anyway."
Romans 1:18-32 deals with God's anger at sin
Romans 2:1-16 deals with God's judgment of sin--referring to what is described in chapter 1.
The church that my husband & I attend will disfellowship but the individuals are not shunned. We are not JW or Morman
In reference to your question read ! Corinthians 5:1-13 especially verse 2
Than read @ Corinthians 2:5-11 deals with what is mentioned in ! Corinthians 5

Answer 8

I can understand the question. After all, some find this to be a barbaric custom - totally unchristian. How does God feel about it? What, if anything, does the Bible have to say? Meet me please at 1 Corinthians 5:1-13:

Paul points out in verse 2 that the Corinthians should have been mourning the fact that in their midst was a fornicator blithely practicing this sin. Yet they were puffed up. In verse 3, Paul mentions that he has already judged the individual. In verse 4, Paul speaks of what ought to be done in the name of their Lord, Jesus Christ.

Verse 5 specifies what must be done: hand the man over to Satan. Why? One reason is found in verse 5: in order that the spirit may be saved. Is it truly that important for the congregation? According to verse 6, yes. For Paul well illustrates that a little leaven ferments the entire lump. The allowance of a little practice of sin in the congregation renders the congregation unclean.

How separate shall we become? Verse 11 says don't even eat with such a one. Are these ones really to be judged? Yes, according to verse 12. Paul says he has nothing to do with judging unbelievers in the world. But there is authority to judge those inside the congregation of God.

So what is to be done? Verse 13 pointedly says: put away from yourselves the wicked person.

Removing practicers of sin from the Christian congregation is well-grounded in scripture and it is undisputed that Paul, as an elder, had the authority to get it done.

Some people say this is a barbaric custom and totally unchristian. What did the Bible say?

Hannah J Paul


EDIT: Clearly this practice upsets you. What you do, of course, is your business. However, your contention that your manner of handling it "is the way it is supposed to be handled" has no basis in fact; it most assuredly has no basis in scripture. You are well aware that the body of older men within the congregation do not stop at disfellowshipping a person but continue to counsel him from God's word the Bible with a view to his repentance though the general congregation is unaware of said counsel. [And of course they are unaware – details are none of their business.] The body of elders continues to speak with him, encourage, exhort, commend, with love and long-suffering, often with tears wanting their brother (or sister) to repent and come back. The congregation, however, has neither authority nor position to do this. How ludicrous to suggest that it is perfectly acceptable to worship with a practicing sinner in the congregation but unacceptable to socialize. Keep the social circle clean but taint the congregation.

I gave you the Bible's position and example in this matter - verse by verse. I quoted it verbatim from the King James Version and posted it for ease of reference. If you disagree with the scriptural method, that is your right. But for you to strongly assert that the way it was handled in scripture is "unchristian" is a rejection of God's holy word. If you wish to reject God's word, by all means – do so. But to label as "unchristian" what is CLEARLY Biblical is so presumptuous as to require no further comment.

You are parted from Christ, whoever you are, if you insist upon rejecting the very Bible you claim to accept.

Answer 9

Without the threat of being treated like scum by an entire congregation of your friends and family, more people would have the courage to leave that organization. The more people that stay, the more money they make.

Answer 10

Those scriptures you quoted deals with judging others, and thats totally irrelevant to disfellowshipping someone. You judge someone, you're basing your judgement on opinions and not facts. But when you disfellowship someone, you're disfellowshipping them based on sinful act they have done.


Like I said before, If disfellowshipping was bad, then Paul wouldn't have done it when he was ahead of the Congregation.