Shunning; what does it do?
We’ve already talked at length about the Jehovah’s Witness policy and practice of shunning former members. We’ve also examined a couple of examples of how shunning actually affects those who are shunned.
A more clinical examination of shunning is also needed, and this is where we need to be totally pragmatic and do our best to detach emotion and any pre-conceived ideas we may have on the subject.
In brutally honest terms, shunning is about control. It acts as a restraint among Jehovah’s Witnesses, causing those who may have serious doubts about the teachings within the religion, or perhaps are troubled by some perceived intellectual dishonesty on the part of the Writing Committee when they look at how the Watch Tower Society documents certain events in its history. Jehovah’s Witnesses may wish to voice their concerns or doubts, but restrain themselves, fearing congregational discipline which could lead them to being disfellowshipped and shunned. It also acts to control those who remain as Jehovah’s Witnesses, testing their loyalty to the Organisation; note - we’ve already considered whether shunning is required in God’s Word of Truth, the Bible.
Shunning is also a form of bullying. Think about it; a person leaves the Jehovah’s Witness religion due to conscientious reasons; they cannot, in good faith towards their Creator align themselves any longer with Watchtower teaching and doctrine. So, they leave the faith, writing a letter to their congregation stating that they no longer wish to be known as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are now shunned. They are cut off from their family and friends. They lose the only support structure - both emotionally and spiritually - that they perhaps have ever known. The shunning that they receive from their family and former friends is known as relational aggression, most commonly seen among young children; one young child encourages other young children to stop playing with a child that has ‘wronged’ them. This is bullying and is mirrored among the practice of Jehovah’s Witnesses shunning former members. In effect;
“If you don’t come back to the meetings, I’m never speaking to you again.”
Shunning also causes emotional hardships, normally in the form of severe shame and depression. To now be ignored and viewed as ‘evil’ or ‘of the devil’ by one’s closest friends and family is a brutally harsh reality for former Jehovah’s Witnesses. Losing ‘face’ and good reputation among one’s peers can be grossly psychologically damaging.
At its extremes, the practice of shunning by Jehovah’s Witnesses may destroy marriages, break up families, and separate children and their parents. The effect of shunning can be very dramatic or even devastating on the shunned, as it can damage or destroy the shunned member’s closest familial, spousal, social, emotional, and economic bonds.
The long and short of it is this; shunning ruins lives and is a harsh punishment and control mechanism rolled into one. It was not practiced by Jesus; he spoke to sinners and tax collectors, he even met privately with the Pharisee Nicodemus.
Further reading;
