Posted by Mary [Joshua] on April 04, 1999 at 10:41:39 {th2VaRoznYSpdplHcja6Ihs.EqJaAw}:
In Reply to: ***To Watchtower: A Suggestion posted by edgy11 on April 02, 1999 at 21:51:35:
"....I think (and anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) the JW's call anyone an apostate who used to be one of them and isn't anymore..."
Not really. Generally speaking, if you've never been baptized, or even if you are baptized but you just kinda drift away, then you're not considered apostate, and most Witnesses will still have the common courtesy of speaking to you.
They regard someone as an apostate when you start "publically" questioning the Society's doctrines, such as 1914, 1919, the 144,000 doctrine, 1935, who partakes of the emblems, etc. etc. etc. Like if you start discussing these issues with someone else in the hall, and you are trying to convince them that the Society is WRONG (which of course they are most of the time) and you can even back up your points with the scriptures-----well, if that person decides to tell the elders, then you'll get a nice little visit from them, and if you continue in this path (no matter how justified you might be), then you'll most likely end up getting DF'd for "apostacy", where you'll be ignored as though you've got the bubonic plague.
"...And I think they think we're all a bunch of evil, fornicating devil-worshippers too but I could be wrong..."
Their general attitude is "...even if you're a nice, good, decent, honest person who loves God and his Son and lives by The Golden Rule, you'll still die at Armageddon, because you're not a
Jehovahs Witness. Sad that anyone can be that narrow-minded....