Should JW's punish, disfellowship, or shun members who disagree with certain teachings?

[Anna]

2 minutes ago, Albert Michelson said:

that jehovahs witnesses who cannot in good conscience teach what they personally believe to be false teachings are punished for acting in accord with their conscience.

Just depends how they go about it doesn't it?  If my conscience didn't allow me to teach something I wouldn't either. But that wouldn't get me disfellowshipped.

[Anna]

1 minute ago, Albert Michelson said:

Oh I forgot you're a witness so you see no problem in forcing someone into remaining silent about what they believe. 

Ok I'll rephrase so we're on the same page.  If you reject the organization's teachings and cannot in good conscience continue to support a religion you believe to be false and you thereafter explain to someone else why you were rejected that religion you can be punished .

 

Well, I think it would be better to leave before that happened

[Albert Michelson]

What do you mean leave before that. I'm constantly harassed by witnesses asking why I'm no longer attending meetings and I can't have an honest discussion with them because I know what the  consequences will be. But as I said before you seem to have no issue when it comes to forcing someone to basically take a vow of silence and never express their reasons for leaving. 

 

[Albert Michelson]

[Albert Michelson]

Not trying to insult you by using the word cult that's just how the meme was written 

[Albert Michelson]

[Anna]

14 minutes ago, Albert Michelson said:

Not trying to insult you by using the word cult that's just how the meme was written 

OK.

Yes, I know that article, from the 2009 Awake and I have posted a topic on that for discussion, but I think it got buried under the avalanche of the persecution and ban in Russia that was happening at the time. Perhaps I will re-post it because I feel it is a valid point...

[Anna]

28 minutes ago, Albert Michelson said:

 I can't have an honest discussion with them because I know what the  consequences will be. But as I said before you seem to have no issue when it comes to forcing someone to basically take a vow of silence and never express their reasons for leaving. 

 

Sometimes we got to do what we got to do, either way.....

[Albert Michelson]

I agree,  The only issue is that you are in support of an organization that regularly violates human rights and actively persecutes people  Who cannot continue to worship in a way they see as unfit. 

 You just mentioned the persecution Jehovah's Witnesses are facing in Russia . Now I strongly detest the mistreatment those people  are undergoing.  However even though Jehovah's Witnesses will fight for their right to  openly express their religious beliefs they actively deny that right for others. 

[Albert Michelson]

 But as I've said before and as I'm guessing you're already aware.  The organization knows that it's 1914 teaching and it's claim to be in God's representative's is  demonstrably false.  The only way that they can maintain a parishioner base is to blackmail their members into either remaining part of the group or remaining silent if they leave. 

 The primary reason Jehovah's Witnesses are called a cult is because of the emotional  blackmail that is used to keep people in the organization even if they don't believe. 

[Anna]

26 minutes ago, Albert Michelson said:

The organization knows that it's 1914 teaching and it's claim to be in God's representative's is  demonstrably false.

The above quote is the opinion of some. I do not believe all who are responsible ( GB) think that 1914 is false,  despite Franz's claims.

[Albert Michelson]

 I don't think he ever claimed that they all knew it was false.  The governing body of his time may have known that it was probably wrong but I seriously doubt the current body does.  In fact I personally doubt that many of the current governing body are even educated enough and adequately informed to know what the issues with the 1914 teaching are. 

 But what they know really doesn't matter because whether or not they know that they were never apointed doesn't make a difference in determining that they never received an appointment from God and therefore they are not gods spokesman and therefore rejecting them and leaving their religion is not the same as "leaving Jehovah"  as witnesses often put it.

 

 I'm sure there are many at Bethel who do know it's not factual.