I would assume that some or a good number of us here as normal humans in this society - consider " lawless " actions to include murder , robbery, extortion, rape, child abuse, war , terrorism, etc.  The WT society has their OWN definition of what's considered " lawless ". Anything that's considered a disfellowshipping offense in the Jehovah's Witnesses is now considered " lawless ". 

   In the Feb. 15th WT once again the WT society uses a word " lawless " and proceeds to beat rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses over the head with it through guilt and fear tactics to convince JW's NOT to associate with allegedly " lawless " DFed ones. On pg. 31 paragraph 15 it states, "  Do we share Jesus' view of those who have become set in their LAWLESS course ?  We need to give thought to these questions : ' Would I choose to associate regularly with someone who has been disfellowshipped or who has dissassociated himself from the Christian congregation ? What if that one is a close relative who no longer lives at home ? '  Such a situation can be a real test of our love of righteousness and of our loyalty to God. "  So initially here - WT society is laying the groundwork saying NOT to socialize with DFed or DAed ones as they are " lawless ".

  Next- they make it more personal. It continues in the next paragraph, " Consider the experience of a sister whose adult son at one time had love for Jehovah . Later in life, however, he unrepentantly chose to practice LAWLESSNESS .    Hence, he was disfellowshipped from the congregation. Our sister loved Jehovah, but she also loved her son and found it extremely difficult to apply the scriptural command to avoid associating with him. An elder helped her to realize that Jehovah understood the pain she felt. The brother invited her to think about the pain Jehovah must have experienced when some of his ANGELIC SONS rebelled.   The elder reasoned with her that even though Jehovah knows how painful such a circumstance can be, he REQUIRES that unrepentant sinners be disfellowshipped. She took the reminders to heart and loyally upheld the disfellowshipping arrangement. " O.K. It's important to note here that this elder used mind control tactics to INFLUENCE the mother to not associate with her DFed son. By comparing a DFed person to an " angelic son of God ( or demon ) " that rebelled - the elder is using FEAR and GUILT to impress upon the mother the alleged seriousness of NOT associating with her DFed son. It's an insidious , manipulative way to control the JW mother. Sick, in my opinion.

   In finality the next paragraph drives the point home to other JW's. It states, " By cutting off contact with the disfellowshipped or dissassociated one, you are showing that you hate the attitudes and actions that led to that outcome. However, you are also showing that you love the wrongdoer enough to do what is best for him or her .   Huh ? Your loyalty to Jehovah ( i.e. WT society )  may increase the likelihood that the disciplined one will repent and return to Jehovah. "  Translation : If you kick a person enough when he or she is down and they lose ALL their friends - they will have no OTHER alternative than to return to Jehovah's Witnesses and tow the line under WT society control !

   So I find in this that the WT society is doing what ALL cults do by requiring members to NOT have contact with former members of their cult by use of fear and guilt tactics . Bottom line is the WT society doesn't want JW's being influenced by TRUTHFUL information that DFed or DAed people may bring to them. so they scare rank and file JW's $hitless thinking these DFed ones are " lawless " or " evil". In reality JW's or DFed or DAed ones should probably shun WT governing body members who allow lawlessness INSIDE their organization by failing to DF child molesters or turn them into police as child abuse is considered a " lawless " offense in our normal society. But NOT inside the Witnesses. The things the WT society considers priorities are very unacceptable and skewed.

  Nuff said. As always I look forward to your takes and observations on this mind controlling information assaulting Jehovah's Witnesses today. Thanks. Peace out to all, Mr. Flipper

What you said below is soo true. They are getting crazier every day:

   So I find in this that the WT society is doing what ALL cults do by requiring members to NOT have contact with former members of their cult by use of fear and guilt tactics . Bottom line is the WT society doesn't want JW's being influenced by TRUTHFUL information that DFed or DAed people may bring to them. so they scare rank and file JW's $hitless thinking these DFed ones are " lawless " or " evil". In reality JW's or DFed or DAed ones should probably shun WT governing body members who allow lawlessness INSIDE their organization by failing to DF child molesters or turn them into police as child abuse is considered a " lawless " offense in our normal society. But NOT inside the Witnesses. The things the WT society considers priorities are very unacceptable and skewed.

Your loyalty to Jehovah ( i.e. WT society ) may increase the likelihood that the disciplined one will repent and return to Jehovah. " Translation : If you kick a person enough when he or she is down and they lose ALL their friends - they will have no OTHER alternative than to return to Jehovah's Witnesses and tow the line under WT society control!

Ya......a certain former poster comes to mind..............

By cutting off contact with the disfellowshipped or dissassociated one, you are showing that you hate the attitudes and actions that led to that outcome.

Except, of course, that because of the Watch Tower Society's secretive "star-chamber" judicial policies, you may not even know what 'attitudes and actions led to that outcome'...

How disheartening. This stuff has got to stop. I hope that lawsuits are begun around the world. Many have got to stand up to them. To put that kind of pressure on familys just makes me sick. I know that is one Watchtower study I will not attend. I would not be able to sit there and listen to the hurt and pain handed out . I am getting sicker of it by the day. They are so afraid that they will lose people and the sad thing is that we and they know that it has nothing to do with spiritual reasons only to protect the cult. They have no right to tear familys apart that is purely unchristian, that is not the love that Jesus spoke of. That is hate!

I could go on but I will stop because it will just make me madder. stuck in

One of the characteristics of a cult is that they redefine words. The WT has the audacity to call it the "pure language".

Is smoking lawless?

Is celebrating birthdays, mothers day, fathers day, Christmas, etc, lawless?

Is taking a blood transfusion lawless?

These are disfellowshipping offenses.

Didn't Jesus himself associate with a Samaritan woman and a tax collector, both considered "lawless" by contemporary Jewish standards?

In finality the next paragraph drives the point home to other JW's. It states, " By cutting off contact with the disfellowshipped or dissassociated one, you are showing that you hate the attitudes and actions that led to that outcome.

You have to differentiate between hating the person and hating what he has done. To do that you must TALK to him to explain what it is you disapprove. By shunning you show that you hate the person. Often time there is a problem which needs professional help which the elders are neither qualified to give or recognize. My husband was an elder and he often lamented that he didn't know how to help the brothers and sisters. He has told several to seek outside professional help.

Such articles make my (non-transfused) blood boil! They really have no business telling us to have no contact with df family members. They are overstepping their own principle of headship.

Reopened Mind

'WT Society says DFed Ones are Lawless- Just Like Demons'

Or, in my case, satan.  Hence, my alias.  Satan encourages inquiry and science.

S

u n b e l i e v a b l e

Yup, they view them as demons.  There are many DF/DA ones that become apostate and an elder told me that me looking at apostate teachings was like talking to the demons.

wow what an interesting post Mr. Flipper.

It is amazing how they skew the definition of lawless to fit their own mold,,,,, thanks for posting this ! 

  TASTING FREEDOM-  Isn't it incredible the things the WT society finds acceptable ( like breaking up family's and not reporting child abuse ) - yet they find UNACCEPTABLE people saving their lives by blood transfusions ? It's incredible.

  MARY- It is very sad that people like Gumby had to sacrifice things they believed within them to appease people who have kicked them when down. I understand why some have to do it - yet it doesn't make it any easier to do.

  BENNYK- Exactly. In the secret " star chambers " as you said- we NEVER know what really goes on that makes elders DF people. One person may get off, another may get DFed. It's usually contingent on how good they kiss up to the elders.

  IM STUCK IN- I agree. It's getting to the boiling point in my opinion also. WT society is desperate to keep their " end game " going so they become MORE controlling to dominate JW's intruding into their personal lives- including WHO they associate with. I agree- let the lawsuits begin.

  REOPENED MIND -  WT society certainly DOES change the meanings of words indeed. Look at what they did to the word " generation " - they virtually created a NEW definition for it ! They are doing the same thing to " lawless " here in this article. These articles make my blood boil too. WT society has NO right telling people to associate or not with DFed relatives. Thats good your husband recommended JW's to get professional counseling. He sounded like he was a caring elder.

  SATANUS- Good point. Inquiring about science and life is a good thing !

  WILL POWER- Unbelievable - exactly my sentiments.

  MR FREEZE- Wow. An elder told you reading apostates teachings was like talking to the demons ? Intense !   Problem is- the demons are in Bethel ! LOL 1 Peace out, Mr. Flipper

**groan**

NLW's wife

Is it my imagination or do they seem to take this course every year around this time? They seem to gear up for the month of April and the reject Jesus memorial and time of sanctimonious self righteousness? Like in Nov they have a campaign to give all your worldly belongings to the wt in your will? Wait 'till summer and before the dc's and they all become complacent for awhile. It all seems to come and go in cycles that jw's themselves are unable to see. At least to me it appears that way, a long repetitive series of cycles. A series of seasons of complacement and zeal interspersed with short bursts of  'I don't give a shit' only to be replaced with a renewed short lived zeal.

I guess being lawless depends entirely on who a person thinks makes the laws!

Who do I think makes the law?

Jesus Christ!

Here is a law or command from Jesus Christ:

" He said: "Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them.

Did you see the law?

Do not go after them.

Obey Jesus Christ!

.

Consider the experience of a sister whose adult son at one time had love for Jehovah . Later in life, however, he unrepentantly chose to practice LAWLESSNESS .    Hence, he was disfellowshipped from the congregation. Our sister loved Jehovah, but she also loved her son and found it extremely difficult to apply the scriptural command to avoid associating with him. An elder helped her to realize that Jehovah understood the pain she felt. The brother invited her to think about the pain Jehovah must have experienced

Quoted from Mr. Flipper's thread

Mr. Flipper,

Iam very doubtful about the exisitance of  that 'sister and her son'. Those watchtower stories are fictious and unbelieable. The fact that an elder is used in this allegedly fictious story, is to maintain strick control of the ranks and files JWs and  always listen to the those misguided men. Jehovah's pain be it or not, IMHO, has nothing to do with our suffering. On the contrary, its the watchtower policies that contributed to the great emotional suffering of its members. Many thanks for sharing.

Scott77

Shunning someone, especially your own child, is so unnatural and unloving. It works at keeping people in for the wrong reasons. My husband is petrified of losing his whole family, he almost has a nervous breakdown thinking about what will happen to him if they find out. That's no way to live your life, it's sick.

I see more and more members just ignoring this and being discreet about associating with family members by applying the "family business" loophole to any situation. With that, all that is at risk is titles -- elders/MS/pioneers may be found to not qualify. If they keep tossing them out, no one (truly qualified) will be there to serve. (Jehovah can use the rocks!)

flipper:  I have 2 words for you......................Excellent Topic!

Thank you.  Just pulled my Feb. 15, 2011 Watchtower out to read in more detail. 

The screws are tightening even more on the rank and file who unfortunately cannot or do not have the desire to think for themselves.  They will eat this drival with renewed vigor I'm sure and will thank the GB for sending food at the proper time.    My aunt is going through a tough time at the moment.  Her 2 sons are staunch JW's and have threatend to go to the elders and "tell on her" (she's been questioning, researching and visiting other churches)  It's so pathetic really, that they have to go to such lengths to keep speaking freely.

Returning to that faith would be the dog returning to it's vomit.

These statements by the WTS grieve me so much.  I am sick of the double talk that the society uses where it states that family members are not shunned but restricts family members to mean spouses and minor children.  This is not about punishing the DF'd person in order to get them to return it is all about damage control. Someone who is aware of the corruption will not want to go back but by preventing interaction  others will not be encouraged to see the light focusing instead on towing the corporate line. 

I am fortunate that my father was never a JW so can visit my parents although how my mother will react following this sort of article is unclear. I know my sister will be hard line and I know that she will cut me out of her life because of stupid articles like this. There is no evidence of a softening attitude by the society rather their fear of losing control is reflected by harsh rules like this one. They punish those in more then those who are free since those on the outside are free to love unconditionally, those in have to deny their natural feelings and torture themselves in a hopeless cause.