Accountability
Those who know me personally may recall that half of my family are Jehovah Witnesses.
I recently spent time with one of these relatives (an uncle) who is going through a divorce. I found it interesting to know that he was only willing to pursue this divorce after trying to reconcile and also at the approval of the elders at his local Kingdom Hall.
I found it very interesting and appealing for people to take items that most Christians would see as personal issues to the leadership of his place of worship. I wonder if this extreme (to most) type of accountability is what is missing from mainline Christian churches and what is most appealing to those who become Jehovah's Witnesses later in life (not born into a JW family).
How would the Christian church in America be different if they all followed the guidance of their appointed leaders instead of the "demands" and "necessities" of pursuing the American Dream?
I recently spent time with one of these relatives (an uncle) who is going through a divorce. I found it interesting to know that he was only willing to pursue this divorce after trying to reconcile and also at the approval of the elders at his local Kingdom Hall.
I found it very interesting and appealing for people to take items that most Christians would see as personal issues to the leadership of his place of worship. I wonder if this extreme (to most) type of accountability is what is missing from mainline Christian churches and what is most appealing to those who become Jehovah's Witnesses later in life (not born into a JW family).
How would the Christian church in America be different if they all followed the guidance of their appointed leaders instead of the "demands" and "necessities" of pursuing the American Dream?
posted by Justin at 8/14/2005 09:49:00 PM
7 Comments:
I don't know, but that's an excellent point. I think it's interesting that in a lot of ways, JWs and Mormons have quite a deeper sense of morality than the average American Christian. I think life would be a good deal better if we learned from people like your uncle.
I second that, Chris.
The postmodern church wants community, but not this kind of community. It is, however, possibly the only kind of community that can truely heal our brokenness.
Do you think your uncle was concerned over being disfellowshiped? Or more I guess my question is how would the chruch safe garud against abuse of accountability then?
On a more persoanl note do you think that your heritage ties that lie in JW teaching and mind set play a role in your strong sentiments against the military? Forgive me if I'm asking too many questions, or if I'm make poor assumptions. You don't have to answer them lots of people don't.
Since I was raised going to a mainstream Evangelical church (E-Free) I do not believe that anything I was taught growing up plays into my attitude towards the military.
If anything I would have to say that my views are totally opposite (if not welcome) in the tradition that I was raised in.
My dad is the only one of his siblings, and their families, to have rejected the JW tradition (he joined the military after high school, married a Catholic girl, and raised his family in an E-Free church).
michelle,
I sensed a bit of concern about abuse of accountability for Theophilus' uncle, do you think the threat of being disfellowshiped was his true motivation?
Chris
Fear of disfellowship may have been a concern because he is the kind of person that wants to be with another person to share his life with. He rightly believes (in my opinion) that he cannot begin a search for a new somebody as long as he is married to the present somebody (both biblically and according to the elders).
Yep. Disfellowship means absoulty no access to heaven but more importantly any association with any of the witness members. My friend said he wont even talk to his mother if he sees her in the super market. (she was disfellowshiped for smoking) My friends spend at least 4 days a week doing church activities. Life would be much less busy and lacking of social companions. Also you could loses your biological family ties.
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