The Bible Research blog has a good article about shunning as practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses, written by someone who has experience with shunning and being shunned. It discusses the consequences of shunning and why it works as a control technique.
Here is a heartbreaking excerpt, "When I was associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses I remember once a disfellowshipped woman with small children had attended a Thursday night Kingdom Hall meeting that ended about 9:45 PM. She was required to sit in the back and she could not speak to or be spoken to by anyone there. When we left the meeting this disfellowshipped woman was still there after 10:00 PM deep in a residential neighborhood with small children and a broken down car. We all did our duty to the Watchtower and shunned her. We did not offer to help her. I never saw her again."
Perhaps it should be pointed out that the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses eventually said its OK to provide emergency assistance to disfellowshipped people in need. Still, there is a great reluctance to risk breaking the rules by having any contact with disfellowshipped ones. It's hard to believe that anyone would repress their natural human compassion to this extent in favor of organisation rules, but such is the result of the fear and mind control in the Jehovah's Witness organisation.
1 comment:
We can be assured our Heavenly Father who gave his Son for the world of mankind, has not left this Mother or her Children.
As sure as the sun will come up each morning his love will shine towards her and her family.
She no doubt has been directed to a place where she can hear the Word of God, be strengthened, comforted and reassured of her Heavenly Fathers love for her and her family
away from the self-righteous who have spurned the wisdom of "you who are without sin, cast the first stone."
The basics of a Christian way of life are not evident in some organizations.
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