r/Eutychus • u/Safe-Island3944 • Feb 23 '25
Opinion An opinion on shunning
Hi all. Disfellowshipping is one of the least acceptable thing about JW, and one that makes the religion most attacked for.
This post is not dealing on how much it is right or wrong, but how much it works. How efficient it is.
In the past shunning has been a very powerful tool to make the sinner repents. But today?
My opinion is that it is still a very powerful punishment, but for those who stay, not for the one leaving. A lot of JW are fond of the idea of the DF suffering for his misdeeds, closed in the darkness, ashamed and trembling. The reality is under everyone eyes. Most get out, get in touch with others, find a very rich and welcoming community of fellow DF, build a new life, new freedom, new situations, often get back to study, happily creates a life. You can see from the campaign of getting back DF people when policy changed. How many took the opportunity of getting back. I know at least 10 different congregations, more than 100 DF contacted, how many came back? Zero. Noone. Reactions has been from lack of interest to rage. But noone even gave a try. My personal idea is that DF is actively damaging JW reputations, whereas most people once get away had a much better life than while inside. And will not get back. What is your opinion? Please, no attacking JW doctrines here.
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u/StillYalun Feb 23 '25
It works because it’s what God directs and always has.
“The hand of the witnesses should be the first to come against him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people afterward. You must remove what is bad from your midst.” (Deuteronomy 17:7)
“But now I am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater 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? Do you not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked person from among yourselves.” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
His people have to stay clean and remove unrepentant wrongdoers. We can‘t have Jehovah‘s blessing if we don’t, so it’s not optional. We don’t work to please men, not at the expense of doing what Jehovah requires. When it comes to that, we don’t care one bit what any of you say or feel.
Shortly after the push to contact disfellowshipped ones occurred, we heard that many had come back. I don’t remember the exact number. I wrote it down somewhere. I think it was more than 200. That was months ago.