Jehovah's Witnesses - What are your grounds for disfellowshipping?

Question

and how is a former member of your Christian congregation to be treated once the announcement has been made?

Answer 1

Unrepentant sinful practices.

EDIT: To SINCERE askers, you'd do well to get the info straight from the "horse's" mouth, and not from a "goat" telling you what the "horse" said.

Answer 2

First, the reasons for disfellowshipping unrepentant sinners is solidly based on the Bible, specifically the passage from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthan congregation in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13:

"In my letter I wrote you to qui mixing in company with fornicators, not meaning entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy person and extortioners or idolators. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. 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 idolator or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."

So clearly, those who engaging in such blatantly sinful practices as fornication, idolatry, drunkeness, and so forth were not to be tolerated and kept close to the congregation.....they were to be removed. But their removal is for the purpose of keeping the rest of the congregation (the ones who are living obediently according to God's standards) clean from the influence of the one who chooses not to live that way. One who gets disfellowshipped is not to be greeted, conversed with, or invited into our homes for association. Hopefully this individual will come to see the error of their ways and repent from their sinful course. Once they have shown "acts that befit repentance" (as mentioned in Acts 26:20) over a sufficient period of time, they may be welcomed back within the congregation again with open arms.

Answer 3

Adding to Vot's response. Fornication,adolatry,adultery,spiritism, loose Conduct, Drunkedness, and things like these..etc etc etc.

Forgiveness is a Gift from God, but repentance Must be shown, if one persists in continuing in such a practice than this is Grounds for disfellowshipping. Not taking this action would " tell" the congregation that such behavior is Ok.

Answer 4

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 5

Vot Anarж and achtung_heiss have answered this better that I could.
Two thumbs up!

Answer 6

Simply believing that......

........JESUS IS GOD.... as He said in...." John 8:54-to-59 and Exodus 3:13-14-15!"

Oh yes.... JW"S.... are Only "Pseudo Christian!"

Thanks for Asking ! RR

Answer 7

Is it like you even care?

Answer 8

I researched it for you, get a load of it.

Answer 9

they're christians?! nah.