Jehovah's Witnesses and the Act of Shunning

Talking to my fellow Anglicans/Episcopalians in my parish and from around the world, I've noticed that many are either utterly confused by or don't understand what many Jehovah's Witnesses teach and what many who left or are disfellowshipped go through.  It is my hope that this blog and this post help those Christians who don't understand many Jehovah's Witness teachings to come to a basic knowledge of what they teach.

First of all, shunning and disfellowshipping happen when a baptized Jehovah's Witness breaks the rules set forth by the governing body.  Breaking these rules can be as simple as disagreeing with their doctrine (major or minor) or by breaking "moral codes" such as sex outside of marriage.  If the congregations elders (men in charge of each congregation) become aware of this activity by a JW, then they are to meet with the elders to discuss the issues.  If the elders find the JW is not repentant or still has disagreement, then they are often times disfellowshipped.  This disfellowshipping lasts until the JW is repentant and reinstated back into the fold.  During this time of disfelowshipping, no JW is to have any contact with the separated brother, including all family and friends.  It is common to find parents that won't have anything to do with their separated sons and daughters and vice versa.

In my family, both my mom and dad are disfellowshipped and they are both shunned by my JW Aunt and Uncle and their own niece. My grandmother is also a JW, but she doesn't pay much attention to these rules and talks to her daughter in secret. At a recent wedding shower, my Aunt and Uncle pretended like my mom and dad did not exist.  It is so very difficult for my own mother to have no relationship with her own brother.  However, since my sisters and I were never baptized, they do not shun us, that is how wonky JW theology really is! My story is just one of thousands around the world regarding JWs and shunning and mine is far from being the most extreme.

How did Jehovah's Witnesses arrive at such a gross doctrine and perversion of Holy Scripture?

The theology of shunning stands mainly on the use of one piece of scripture alone, found in 1 Corinthians chp. 5:

1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, while God judges those outside? Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves."

First of all, it should be stated that it is true in some circumstances that limiting the amount of socializing one does with a person who can have a negative impact on their own spiritual health or well-being can be a necessary reality.  However, nowhere does it state in scripture that one must totally shun an individual and have absolutely nothing to do with them, especially when it comes to family.  In fact, Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians that we should be encouraging to those who have walked away from the faith.

To read more about shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php

To read more about the sad reality of shunning: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/shunning-experiences.php

We Need an Anglican Spiritual Revival in the Episcopal Church

With this blog post I'm more or less thinking out loud, so please bear with me a little!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about church legalism and dogma.  Dwelling too much on these things can lead one into a sort of "dryness" when it comes to the spiritual aspect of being a Christian and being an Episcopalian.  Now, don't get wrong, I think that a certain amount of legalism and dogma are certainly necessary and, unlike others, I don't necessarily see these things as being reasons why more people don't occupy a pew on Sunday.  As a traditionalist, yet welcoming Anglican, I definitely think that Anglicanism, in general, could do more to enforce the historic creeds as the standard of Christian faith.  That said, this blog isn't about that, but about how we sometimes can focus too much on legalism and dogma and lose sight of the spiritual aspects of Christianity and, in particular, Anglicanism.

So, what do I mean by an Anglican spiritual revival and how can we accomplish such a task?  Well, I'm no expert and I'm no theoligian, but we do have a plethora of resources and possibilites that are at our disposal as Episcopalians. 

First of all, as Episcopalians, we can know God through the Sacraments.  We can most intimately know God through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  As Episcopalians, do we really examine ourselves and our consciences before we partake in the Blessed Sacrament or has it become routine and something we don't think much about?  If we don't take the Eucharist seriously or place much importance on it, how can we expect others to? Do we really reflect on what the Eucharist means and what it is after reception and throughout the week? 

The Sacrament of Confession.  Do many of our churches even offer private confession anymore or on a somewhat regular basis?  Some do, but I would say most do not.  I'm not saying that people should be urged to confess their sins to a priest, but many are surprised by the spiritual benefits that come by confessing their sins to a priest.

The Sacrament of Healing. Thankfully, the Sacrament of Healing has seen a revival in the Episcopal Church and is being offered more regularly by more and more parishes.  We must never forget that WE ARE a Sacramental church and that it is that that separates us and makes us different than today's run of the mill Christianity.

Secondly, what has happened to Morning and Evening prayer?  To me, the Daily Office is one of the best ways to grow our spirituality and come closer to God. How many churches even bother with the Daily Office anymore?  To be sure, the Daily Office can be done at home, but there is something about a small group of Christians getting together in the morning or evening for prayer that is really special.  How do we revive this lost practice?

The Anglican Rosary, Marian Rosary, and Rosary groups.  I have found the centering prayers of both the Anglican and Marian Rosaries to be a tremendous help in growing spiritually. How many Anglicans bother with the Rosary and how many churches have Anglican Rosary groups?  If not, why not start one yourself if it interests you and see where it goes?

Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Episcopal Church Women, and the Daughters of the King. Many parishes have active chapters of both Episcopal Church Women and Daughters of the King, but it seems that the Brotherhood of St. Andrew is somewhat rare.  The Brotherhood is a group dedicated to prayer, evangelism, and studying the Bible.  Maybe starting a Brotherhood chapter in your parish would help to get more men involved in the parish?

As Anglicans, we have a lot of tools at our disposal that have fallen by the way side or are forgotten.  Ask yourself, what can you do to bring about an Anglican spiritual revival in your parish? Maybe God is calling you to start a prayer group or to get involved in the Daily Office?  If a spiritual revival doesn't happen in the Episcopal Church, we will continue our slide into irrelevance?

Please share your stories of your spiritual journey or any other ideas that might bring about a spiritual revival in the Episcopal Church.