Since I myself have been disfellowshipped by the Jehovah’s Witnesses one might consider this a very touchy subject for me. Without a doubt it has been the single most devastating experience of my life and one that I will likely have to deal with indefinitely. Not a pleasant thing to have to consider…
What does it mean to be disfellowshipped?

To be disfellowshipped from the Jehovah’s Witnesses essentially means that the Organization/Society/Church renounces your status as a baptized member and minister within their congregation. They explain that they do not want unbelievers or unrepentant wrong-doers defaming the name of Jehovah or their religion. Being disfellowshipped also means that you are cut-off as it were from God’s Holy Spirit (Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in a Trinity but rather believe that the Holy Spirit is the active force by which God accomplishes a variety of purposes). As such it is similar in a way to an excommunication from the Catholic Church.

But that is not where it ends. Jehovah’s Witness members are instructed to “Shun” disfellowshipped persons and goes even further to describe this as a “punishment” that the society inflicts on individuals who either commit wrongdoing in the eyes of the congregation or those individuals who willingly chose to leave for various other reasons. The Official Watchtower Website lists only two results when one queries the term “disfellowshipping” (as of the date of this writing). The first is titled: Discipline That Can Yeild Peaceable Fruit. Within this article it clearly shows that members are directed to avoid even speaking with a disfellowshipped person and what’s more, to shun them even if they are a family member not living within your household.

Shockingly the article goes onto quote scripture from the Old Testiment. An exact quotation follows:

“Why is such a firm stand appropriate even today? Well, reflect on the severe cutting off mandated in God’s Law to Israel. In various serious matters, willful violators were executed. (Leviticus 20:10; Numbers 15:30, 31) When that happened, others, even relatives, could no longer speak with the dead lawbreaker. (Leviticus 19:1-4; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 17:1-7) Though loyal Israelites back then were normal humans with emotions like ours, they knew that God is just and loving and that his Law protected their moral and spiritual cleanness. So they could accept that his arrangement to cut off wrongdoers was fundamentally a good and right thing.—Job 34:10-12.”

Thankfully, Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer take to executing non-believers, but they do say this of modern day circumstances:

“We can be just as sure that God’s arrangement that Christians refuse to fellowship with someone who has been expelled for unrepentant sin is a wise protection for us. “Clear away the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, according as you are free from ferment.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) By also avoiding persons who have deliberately disassociated themselves, Christians are protected from possible critical, unappreciative, or even apostate views.
— Hebrews 12:15, 16.”

Now that last comment brings up an entirely new theme, and one that I will vigorously discuss in an upcoming post. Are JWs so afraid of what a non-believer may say that they would ban all contact even if that person were a family member?! This in my opinion comes to the core of the Jehovah’s Witness’ rational for disfellowshipping and subsequent shunning. The simple act of disfellowshipping itself means that the wrong-doer or non-believer cannot claim to be under the JW banner, thus creating a bad PR spin on the organization. That combined with a reasonable caution when it comes to associating with a dangerous, corrupt or very sinful person are also logical reasons for anyone to avoid contact with such a person. However, it is the disciplinary action, of not even saying hello to a disfellowshipped person, to tear families apart that is so unfounded and persecutory. Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to control all influencing factors in a member’s life. If a family member has rejected the faith, there is no one more dangerous to this control. Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to prohibit even the smallest amount of contact out of fear that they may lose their member because of, how was it put? “possible critical, unappreciative or even apostate views.”

That’s all for tonight, I’m all fired up. But I’ll be back again soon with more on disfellowshipping… stay tuned!