Painting People With The Wide Brush Of Apostasy

Having been raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses since the mid 1960's and having been associated with this group until just recently, I can tell you what Jehovah's Witnesses believe heresy to be.To jw's, heresy as a word is relatively unheard within the loaded language of the "Society". The society's preferred word is apostasy. And a heretic is called an apostate.

To qualify for the title of Apostate, one need not curse God or Christ. One does not even have to abandon faith in God. All a jw has to do is disagree with the often inaccurate teachings of the Watchtower's leaders. Voicing a question about the teachings is verboten. One must keep silent about any questions and especially "doubts" they may have or face being "marked" as rebellious like Satan was rebellious. If pushed to the extreme, the jw's will in fact expel one from their midst in the form of shunning and disfellowshippings.

This is odd, because the New Testament has no punishment laid out for apostasy.

Here are some examples of what can be considered apostasy:Attending another church.

Participating in Interfaith activities.
Saying Amen to any prayer other than one given by another jw.
Actively sharing information that unmasks the faulty and unbiblical teachings of the society.

There are many other things that the jw's can slap the apostate label to. For instance, when I heard about the book study arrangement changing from being held in private homes and being moved into the kingdom halls I shared this with my father in law, who is too ill to attend meetings anymore. I told him that the announcement was coming out on a Sunday in about a month or so.

Well, that Sunday came and the announcement was made. I had been correct in every detail. My father in law's brother went to visit him and to share this morsel of food from the faithful and discreet slave "class". When he told my father in law my father in law had no real reaction. He just said, "Yes I know." His brother got agitated and asked how the heck he could know since only the presiding overseer was the only one to know until he told the body of elders 15 minutes before the congregation was even told. He told him that Mister Lorenzo had told him last month. LOL

Well the guy about had a fit. He was all upset and said that I was an apostate for knowing that information. I dunno how having information makes me an apostate, but he is still reeling from the fact that I, an inactive jw at the time knew more than elders did. When I hear new tidbits I share them and wait for the guy to find out I knew months before any elders did. He will eventually stroke out unless he learns to control that temper. I told him that he needs to put on the "New Personality" and work on his fruitage of the Spirit otherwise he will fall into apostasy.