Shunning; is it a Biblical Requirement?
Jehovah’s Witnesses base all of their beliefs on the Bible. They claim that all of their doctrines are based solidly on scripture. One of their beliefs is the punishment of disfellowshipping for wrongdoers.
Witnesses are correct in claiming the Bible includes such a punishment. Details of it can be found in Paul’s letter to the Christian congregation who gathered in Corinth.
1 Cor 5: 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.”
Clear direction from God’s inspired Word to remove from the midst of the Christian assembly anyone;
- called a brother - that is anyone claiming to be related in the Christian faith
- practicing - or is unrepentantly involved in - the following sins;
- fornication, greed, idolatry, reviling, drunkenness and extortion
Paul’s instructions are clear.
However, what did Paul mean when he stated that Christians shouldn’t mix with such ones?
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this to mean that the wrongdoer should not be spoken to, not even to say ‘hello’ or exchange any sort of greeting with them.
Was that what Paul intended to convey to the Christians in Corinth, or does this practice of shunning go ‘beyond what is written’?
The Christian community in the 1st century assembled together in synagogues or in private homes. Their communities were compact and intimate, the Christian faith and way of live was viewed as an aberration and Christians were often persecuted as a result. The practical way in which Paul’s instruction would be implemented was very simple. Wrongdoers would not be greeted warmly with a ‘holy kiss’ as was the Christian custom. They would not be made welcome at the Christian gatherings in private homes. Thus the ‘wicked man would be removed from their midst’.
However, Jehovah’s Witnesses, it would seem, go beyond Paul’s words. Not only do they remove the ‘wicked man’ from their midst, not allowing him to attend meetings in private homes (this will be a moot point as of January 2009), but all Jehovah’s Witnesses are instructed to not even speak to the person.
In real-world terms this would mean that if a Jehovah’s Witnesses crosses paths, on the street or in a supermarket for example, with a former Jehovah’s Witnesses - i.e. someone who is willfully sinning in the way Paul described - he would not acknowledge their existence. They would shun them. They would persistently avoid, ignore or reject the former Jehovah’s Witness. This seems to go beyond Paul’s inspired instructions.
Should shunning be practiced in families? In other words, should family members shun (persistently avoid, ignore or reject) a family member who was no longer a Jehovah’s Witness due to practicing the sins Paul outlined?
Again, Paul’s instruction is to ‘quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother’. Paul did not say this person was to be ignored, avoided or rejected. To ostracise flesh and blood, never speaking to them again seems to go beyond what Paul was intending to convey to the Christians in Corinth.
Shunning is a very powerful issue, both within the organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and among former members of the religion. Jehovah’s Witnesses will have no contact with former members, they will not speak to them, will not pray for them and will not welcome them into their homes. Sons will not speak to disfellowshipped fathers, mothers will not speak to disfellowshipped daughters. Grandchildren are not allowed to have any contact with disfellowshipped grandparents. And grandparents have grandchildren whom they have never seen because they are the offspring of a disfellowshipped child.
Yet, scripturally, it doesn’t seem to add up. Jesus stated that Christians should ‘love their enemies and pray for those persecuting them’. He also stated that we should ‘honour our father and our mother’.
Yes, Jesus said in Matthew 10:37;
He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.
Indeed, affection for family ahead of affection for our Saviour Jesus Christ would be wrong. But unless the Organisation who implements the shunning rule is taking the place of Jesus, they don’t have the right to use such a scripture to influence Christians to follow their rules.
Oftentimes Jehovah’s Witnesses will cite Deuteronomy 12;
“In case a man happens to have a son who is stubborn and rebellious, he not listening to the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and they have corrected him but he will not listen to them, his father and his mother must also take hold of him and bring him out to the older men of his city and to the gate of his place, and they must say to the older men of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he is not listening to our voice, being a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city must pelt him with stones, and he must die. So you must clear away what is bad from your midst, and all Israel will hear and indeed become afraid.
Their reason for doing so is to compare and contrast. “Look at what would have happened if your son, daughter, father, brother, cousin had sinned in such a way he had been an Israelite! He would have been stoned to death! So you wouldn’t have been able to talk to him then either!”
And they are quite right. It was part of the Jewish law to stone to death unrepentant sinners. And yes, their relatives would not have been able to speak to them. Ever again. Because they would have been dead.
Here is where an honest-hearted Jehovah’s Witness needs to do their own comparing and contrasting. Are they, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, under Jewish Law? Should Jewish Law be the basis for Jehovah’s Witness law? Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Jewish, are they? Are they not Christian?
So, what would the Christ have done? Does shunning show love or hatred?
Further reading;
- Matt 18:15-17
- Matt 9:9-13
- Luke 6:27-37
