Why were you disfellowshipped from Jehovah's Witnesses congregation?
I've read so many stories about young people getting Dfd after getting baptized that it leaves me with a lot of questions. Isn't thar organization like when you want to join a club, for example a non-smokers club. You know you don't have to smoke if you want to join. If you dont like the idea of no smoking, then you just don't sign contract.
In the case of JWs. Why would a young person that do would like eventually fornicate or smoke or whatever who is against the JWs rules, accept getting baptized anyway? Isn't that hypocrital?
Aren't they thaught or notified beforehand that after signing the contract (baptism) they are compromised to never do drugs, never smoke, never fell in fornication, and so?
Or is it that the elders don't reveal these rules before baptism but only after getting baptised? Can someone explain it to me please?
Anonymous2018-06-08T14:57:21Z
I'm a person that was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. And I firmly believe in Jehovah God and Obey in Jesus Christ. I simply cannot abide with the many changes and doctrinal positions that the Watchtower Society has continuously nor the sexual abuse and physical abuse that's being swept under the carpet. This seriously detract from my Ministry ability to Jehovah God into Jesus Christ. So I did what the Jehovah's Witnesses taught me to do what a man says something that does not happen in the name of the Lord.
Don't listen to that man anymore.
I walked out the door politely and closed it I continue to witness for Jehovah God and for Jesus Christ. I still believe that if you need some Bible Council to get you rolling the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses will get you started learning the Bible and about Jehovah and Jesus Christ far better than any other place. After that stand up like a man for Jehovah God in for Jesus Christ and get busy on your own!
JWs are a misguided cult: Beguiled Jehovah Witness believe: That Jesus the Christ of Nazareth, the Messiah is inferior to God, which is contrary to John 1:1-18 and 1 Timothy 3:16 that proves Jesus is God. Man does not have a spirit which is contrary to Gal 3:14. That Jesus is the Archangel Michael, which is contrary to The Word of God (The Tree of Life, Light, Love, Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge). That Jesus second coming happened in 1914. That we are to worship Jehovah only, which is contrary to John 1:1-14. They believe that satan is the invisible ruler of the world; not true God rules over satan. They believe that only 144,000 thousand go to heaven; again not true: John 3:16 tells us otherwise. John 3:13-17 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. They believe that hell is mankind's common grave; not even close: The place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous. The NKJV and KJV use this word to translate Sheol and Hades, the Old and New Testament words, respectively, for the abode of the dead. Hell as a place of punishment translates Gehenna , the Greek form of the Hebrew word that means "the vale of Hinnom"-a valley just south of Jerusalem. In this valley the Canaanites worshiped Baal and the fire-god Molech by sacrificing their children in a fire that burned continuously. Even Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah, were guilty of this terrible, idolatrous practice (2 Chron 28:3; 33:6). The prophet Jeremiah predicted that God would visit such destruction upon Jerusalem that this valley would be known as the "Valley of Slaughter" (Jer 7:31-34; 19:2,6). In his religious reforms, King Josiah put an end to this worship. He defiled the valley in order to make it unfit even for pagan worship (2 Kings 23:10). In the time of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump of Jerusalem. Into it were thrown all the filth and garbage of the city, including the dead bodies of animals and executed criminals. To consume all this, fires burned constantly. Maggots worked in the filth. When the wind blew from that direction over the city, its awfulness was quite evident. At night wild dogs howled and gnashed their teeth as they fought over the garbage. Jesus used this awful scene as a symbol of hell. In effect he said, "Do you want to know what hell is like? Look at the valley of Gehenna." So hell may be described as God's "cosmic garbage dump." All that is unfit for heaven will be thrown into hell. The word Gehenna occurs 12 times in the New Testament. Each time it is translated as "hell." With the exception of James 3:6, it is used only by Jesus (Matt 5:22,29-30; 10:28; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5). In Matt 5:22; 18:9; and Mark 9:47, it is used with "fire" as "hell fire." So the word hell (Gehenna) as a place of punishment is used in the New Testament by Him who is the essence of infinite love. In Mark 9:46 and 48, hell is described as a place where "their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." Repeatedly Jesus spoke of outer darkness and a furnace of fire, where there will be wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth (Matt 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). Obviously this picture is drawn from the valley of Gehenna The Book of Revelation describes hell as "a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev 19:20; 20:10,14-15; 21:8). Into hell will be thrown the beast and the false prophet (Rev 19:20). At the end of the age the devil himself will be thrown into it, along with death and hades and all whose names are not in the Book of Life. "And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev 20:10 b). Because of the symbolic nature of the language, some people question whether hell consists of actual fire. Such reasoning should bring no comfort to the lost. The reality is greater than the symbol. The Bible exhausts human language in describing heaven and hell. The former is more glorious, and the latter more terrible, than language can express. They believe that the soul dies at death of the body; no, the soul is more than just the living essence of the body: The word soul also refers to the inner life of man, the seat of his emotions, and the center of human personality. The first use of the word soul in the Old Testament expresses this meaning: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (soul)" (Gen 2:7). This means more than being given physical life; the biblical writer declares that man became a "living soul," or a person, a human being, one distinct from all other animals. The soul is described as the seat of many emotions and desires: the desire for food (Deut 12:20-21), love (Song 1:7), longing for God (Ps 63:1), rejoicing (Ps 86:4), knowing (Ps 139:14), and memory (Lam 3:20). In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of his soul as being "exceedingly sorrowful" (Matt 26:38). Mary, the mother of Jesus, proclaimed that her soul "magnifies the Lord" (Luke 1:46). John prayed that Gaius would "prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3 John 2). They believe that only God approves those to be saved. They believe that the Earth will never be destroyed or depopulated. Wrong, Rev 21:1-2 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. KJV They believe that Jesus died for only the obedient. Not true for we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. They also believe that Jesus is inferior to God and do not believe in the Trinity. Yet Jesus said: “Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” KJV
I've never been a JW. But I have read about them, watched videos about them, and heard lots of stories from people that were once JWs...
And the way I understand it is, there's a LOT of pressure for people to get baptized! Even young kids.. Kids as young as EIGHT years old, (that's the youngest I've ever heard of, although there could be even worse cases, for all I know), have gone through with it! Because they wanted their parents to be happy. Because their friends were doing it, and they didn't want to be the odd one out. Because, with the way they were raised, it was just the natural thing to do! And no, they were NOT given the fine print that reads: "if you ever come to disagree with Watchtower, you will lose your whole family"! In fact, the VAST majority of them say they had basically no idea what they were getting into! But they're still bound by it, during adult age... Bound by a stupid, uninformed decision they made, mostly from group pressure, at the age of eight!! (Or slightly older, in other cases.)
I've also heard SOME stories of parents that have tried to lightly discourage their kids from getting baptized at such a young age. So it does happen. Probably due to those parents being ALL too painfully aware of what the disfellowshipping arrangement actually means... But it seems like it is FAR more common for parents to actively encourage it, and be proud of their kids for doing it.
Also: people aren't just DFd for breaking the "rules", like you pointed out. They are also DFd if they ever start doubting anything! If they ever start to disagree with parts of JW doctrine! If they go down the rabbit hole, and they find information that changes the way they see their beloved organization... There's no recovering from that! But families can't just peacefully agree to disagree, and not talk about religion. Oh no... Because "apostasy" is seen as basically the worst sin of all! And again, you could lose your family, and all your JW friends, FOREVER!! And at least to me..? That's a lot more serious than getting kicked out of some other group, because you were unable to follow their rules.. That's just an optional activity. While your family? Should be the ones that UNCONDITIONALLY love you and support you! Including through darkness, pain, despair and adversity.. That's why they're FAMILY, and not just fair-weather acquaintances! But this evil, immoral, positively demonic f*cking cult..? Even takes all of THAT away from you! So that you're miserable, and alone, and hopeless.. Many people have committed suicide because of it.
Jea and Sharon and Jeff and the stupid hate gang ran from this recent story but it is so important.
in Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses v Wall. The Court found that church membership decisions can only be reviewed in extremely narrow circumstances: when the decision involves an underlying legal right, such as a property or contractual right, and does not require the court to adjudicate questions of theology.