Jehovahs witnesses. How do you see someone who walks away.?
I already know how you view someone who is disfellowshipped. What about someone who was never baptized as a witness and just walked away from being one? No big production made out of doing it. Just faded off. Are they seen the same way as far as shunning? Or are they just another worldly person who you can acknowledge or talk to? As far as the way you deal with a family member who has been disfellowshipped. How can you just turn your back on a family member? Even if that person was truly in need of help and came to you. Do you just do nothing? Outside of the alleged religious reasons you give for doing this. How can you treat your own flesh and blood like that when they have done nothing wrong that would get them arrested or jailed. Just because you say it was wrong. How loving is that to act like they don't exist? Steph, jump in here anytime.
How is dividing families over a morality issue a good thing?
?2014-07-18T16:52:07Z
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I am one of those who walked away. Some people shun me, some JWs acknowledge me but on the most part I am treated with disrespect and contempt, even by my own family. In fact two of my brothers won't speak to me. I am the only one out of my 4 JW siblings that help my elderly parents & behave more Christian like in this respect. However this means nothing to a JW because to them, it's all about having the name as a JW. This has also been proven in my own personal circumstances where I have made comment to JWs (the ones that spoke to me) that I am disappointed with my brothers not helping and that I think it's non Christian like. Now they don't speak to me. They're not concerned with morals or caring for their fellow JWs as much as they are concerned with protecting their name and defending their own. Another example of this is how they defend their own by covering up offences of child abuse.
Never baptized, walked away. Shunned by most of my really big JW family for almost 20 years because of it. That's how they treat people that walk away. It probably isn't all JWs that would do this, but I know a lot of them would. Having a friendship with someone that walks away is discouraged because they might taint you now that they're "worldly". Or they might tell you about all the wonderful research they've done. Or get smart and actually read what a real Bible says and tell you how your doctrine is terribly wrong.
I didn't do that with most of my family, just a small handful and only recently. A couple of them are ones that already know it's a false religion. All of my family that shuns me only does so because I won't be a Jehovah's Witness. They know nothing about how I feel about the religion.
It's funny because the society says that people shouldn't have to choose between their beliefs and family. What a crock that is when you consider how many families have been completely destroyed because of exactly that. Hypocrites.
People have there own time to come to Jehovah. Once they make that dedication and baptism they thoroughly understand what they are doing. As for family they are always family. We don't involve them in our worship or even speak of Jehovah with them. We always love our family. We set the best example for them we can. Of course there are some who are not well balanced but as others we all do what we feel is best for our family.
Many have "walked" right back to what they know to be true. Even after 25 plus years.
It is all biblical, and just like in Christ's time, not everyone wanted to follow him.
It is not all about "US" as people, but it is all about God's Name and the vindication of his Name that counts.
Can You See the Invisible God? http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20140701/seeing-the-invisible-god/
Adding: My daughter was never baptized and she walked away. There were many tears on my part. I was the one who always went to her. We are talking to each other but things have suffered a lot for it. It is unfortunate, but this is all due to our imperfect flesh and as "banana" said Bad Association. Some things are not going to be right until the New System, that that too is no ones fault. It is reality!
The way JW's view someone who "walks away" is as someone who we need to keep in contact with and encourage them to come back. Of course it is up to them whether they want to or not.
My close friend's husband was an elder who just walked away. No reason given. Just walked away. I've invited their family to our home several times as have other and he refuses to come. None of us did anything to him and we are all the ones he's been friends with for over 30 years. However, he feels comfortable walking away from the religion and having no contact with anyone he was close to for 30 years.
I have a good friend who also walked away. I never hear from her unless I write her first.
There is a young girl that my daughter was friends with. She never got baptized and just drifted away. She married, left her husband for another man and is living with him in a neighboring state. We have no contact with her because we don't even know how to get in touch with her even though I was the one that helped raise her and actually potty trained her.
Just a few OTHER stories to consider.
Only those who are disfellowshipped are shunned. However, someone who has left and is living an immoral or depraved life would not be someone we would want to associate closely with. However, we would not shun them but wouldn't reach out to be close friends. We could try and encourage them to come back and many have but close friends? No. They would be considered "bad association that spoils useful habits." Is that waht YOU are?