This article is in response to an article written by Massimo Introvigne a Roman Catholic scholar from Turin Italy who defends cults and new religious movements. He has been requested by the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses to defend their religious rights in court. This is his second article written in defense of their practice […]
In 2012, several individuals in New Jersey began a nonprofit organization, NJ Safe & Sound, to advocate for legislation to protect families in cases of undue influence and predatory alienation. Their own personal experiences with predatory alienation led them to their advocacy efforts. As a result of the advocacy efforts of NJ Safe and Sound, […]
The first amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This guarantee is applicable to the states through the fourteenth amendment. Government is thus under dual constraints when it acts in ways that affect religion. Although the text sounds […]
Impact on Family and Friends While not all participants experienced the same level of ostracism from their families, each participant’s family and social ties were deeply affected by their excommunication. The effects of ostracism were not limited to the participants’ family of upbringing, but also affected their own parenting styles, as well as future generations, […]
The following experiences are related in ‘A LOVING PROVISION’ ? HOW FORMER JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES EXPERIENCE SHUNNING PRACTICES. by Julia Gutgsell Master’s thesis Academy year 2016-2017 The current study explores individuals’ experiences of religious ostracism in the form of case studies. Participants in this study are former members of a religious community that practices disfellowshipping and […]
While the right of a particular religious group to have a shunning policy should be protected under the U.S. Constitution, along with those in the group desiring to adhere to that policy, the rights of individuals to disagree should also be protected. An individual should have the right to choose to become a member of […]
True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but it is painful; yet afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11) This verse is not talking about accepting discipline meted out by congregation elders. In the previous chapter Paul lists various pre-Christian servants […]
In a recent morning worship broadcast, governing body helper Leonard Myers gave an example that illustrated the need for Christians to avoid showing misplaced compassion. However, I thought it odd that the example he chooses is from the Mosaic Law. This is a common practice of those on the teaching committee of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The […]
There are perhaps millions of people that sincerely believe they are happy while living in a high control religious system. At the same time there are possibly an equal amount of persons that are unhappy and feel confined. I myself remember a time while serving as an elder in Jehovah’s Witnesses being approached by a […]
…“Remove the wicked person from among yourselves.” (1 Corinthians 5:13) Perhaps second only to the refusal of blood transfusions, the most controversial practice of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that of disfellowshipping with its associated shunning of wrongdoers. Presently, all in the disfellowshipped state, whether repentant or not, as well as those voluntarily disassociating […]