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 […]
I previously commented on study article 39 in the October 2021 issue of the Watchtower. The article was entitled: “When a Loved One Leaves Jehovah”. The study article that appeared the very next week, article 40, entitled: “What is True Repentance?” also struck a nerve that moved me once again to respond on what I […]
Study article 39 in the September 2021 issue of the Watchtower purports to be about disfellowshipping, but reading through it gives me the distinct impression that they are really trying to portray persons that disassociate themselves from the organization in the worst possible way, as selfish, cruel monsters that abandon God and their family. The […]
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 […]
As more and more Jehovah’s Witnesses are waking up to the realization that the Watchtower organization is not “the truth”, more are voicing their concerns and explaining their position to friends and family members. Here is an example of a recent post on the ex-jw discussion group of Reddit an online forum, which at the […]