Shunning; let’s get real about it #2
Another real-world testimony from someone who has experienced the Jehovah’s Witness practice of shunning their former members;
I disassociated* because I felt lied to and betrayed. I truly expected to be shunned but not to the extent I was and certainly not by the people closest to me.. I had been a very active and, dare I say it, popular witness for 21 years and I had lots of friends in several local congregations. I didn’t expect every friend I had to shun me without exception, I honestly thought that the witnesses would see such an action wasn’t necessary in my case as I wasn’t doing anything immoral. How naive of me!
Their subsequent treatment of me got worse with gossipping behind my back and deliberately coming into my place of work knowing their shunning would upset me (they could have gone numerous places for their coffee, but they chose to come where I work.)
I have felt absolutely devasted by their treatment, a real disappointment in the way they’ve behaved. The tears have fallen so many times I’ve lost count. Not one of them has approached me to ask why I DA’d or to ask after the health of my witness mum who’s fighting cancer.
When my mum was in hospital having the tumor removed, a sister I used to pioneer with turned her back on me as I walked down the school driveway. This totally destroyed me, Her actions that day hurt so much I couldn’t breathe. Even now, 6 months on, I still feel a stabbing pain in my heart when I think of that day.
I’m now in counselling and learning to deal with the hurt and pain, learning to be stronger and not let it get to me so much. I’ve come to realise that the friends I cherished at the Kingdom Hall were not friends at all, but should be pitied.
I thought better of them than they deserved and the emotional cost to me has been way too high.
*this person was not disfellowshipped for any of the reasons Paul outlined to the 1st century Christians. Rather they made a conscientious decision to leave the Jehovah’s Witness religion.
