There has been a lot of turmoil for me the last few weeks. Some of my family members know that I don't believe the Jehovah's witnesses have absolute "truth". They also know that I have done things in my life that I could be disfellowshipped for. "Disfellowshipping" is a term witnesses use when they shun a former believer because they supposedly have done some kind of "wrongdoing".
Following is the vast list of offences the Watchtower has created for which a Jehovah's Witness can be disfellowshipped or disassociated.
Adultery (sexual intercourse with a person other than your marriage mate)
Apostasy -
- Rebellion against Jehovah's organization
- Promoting sects
Associating with disfellowshipped people
Blood and blood transfusions
Drug use
Drunkenness
Dishonest business practices
Employment violating Christian principles -
- Working for any religious organization
- Working in a gambling institution
- Selling tobacco
- Contract work at a military establishment
False Worship -
- Attending another church
- Following mourning customs that involve false worship
Fornication
- Bestiality
- Incestuous marriage
- Artificial insemination and surrogate motherhood.
- "True Christians, therefore, avoid surrogate motherhood as well as any procedures that involve the use of donated sperm, eggs, or embryos"
- "Artificial insemination of a married woman by a donor other than her husband makes her guilty of adultery"
- sexual abuse of children
Fraud
Gambling or related employment
Gluttony
Greediness
Homosexuality
Idolatry
Loose conduct ( The Watchtower defines "loose conduct" as including "disrespect to elders". This
enables this term to be used to disfellowship for a wide range of offences not elsewhere covered, and as such is used to cover all manner of sins, such as refusal to cease fellowship with disfellowshipped people, or even being contemptuous in a judicial meeting where no other sin can be proven)
Lying
Non neutral activities (involvement in politics and the military)
Military service
Obscene speech
Political involvement
Porneia. Includes oral and anal sex between married couples, mutual masturbation between persons
not married to each other, homosexuality, lesbianism, fornication, adultery, incest, and bestiality.
Slander
Smoking or selling tobacco
Spiritism (includes yoga)
Stealing, thievery
Subversive activity
Uncleanness
- Sexually perverse practices within marriage, such as oral and anal sex
- Heavy petting and breast fondling
- Touching of sexual parts
- Practice of viewing abhorrent Pornography
Violation of secular law
Violence, extreme physical abuse, fits of anger (includes boxing)
Willful non support of family, endangerment of mates spirituality
Worldly celebrations such as Christmas
This is quite the list! On their website (which was created mostly for the public to learn more about Witness) the Watchtower Society make this claim:
But at their district conventions this year, the Witnesses were taught this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yLdwe_6JsU
Is this Christian like behavior? You decide.
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