Jehovah's Witnesses and Excommunication

Jehovah's Witnesses and Excommunication:

victims or culprits ?

By Philippe Barbey, Sociological Focus, 2021, April, 4.

For some time now, Jehovah’s Witnesses opponents, who are often ex-Witnesses, have embarked on a judicial crusade to banish excommunication within their former religion.

They believe that the excommunication practice is a discrimination and incitement to hatred. While these charges have been consistently dismissed by different jurisdictions in different countries, a Belgian court recently fined Jehovah's Witnesses for this religious practice.¹

It should be noted that in the Ghent case, the complainants were excommunicated, but also non-practising Witnesses and others who had renounced their religious affiliation with the leaders of their local assembly. They speak of ostracism on the part of their family who remained Witness.

Jehovah's Witnesses who had been disfellowshipped and then reinstated had another opinion. They stated in court that they had never felt ostracised, or hated, by their former co-religionists. They testified that they maintained good relations with their family members still in the movement.

Sentenced to a fine, judgment which will go to appeal, the Witnesses reacted with a press release in which they denounce this decision as "a violation of the fundamental right of an individual or an organization to decide who he or she wants to associate with".²

That said, as for this practice of excommunication, which would lead to discrimination and even incitement to hatred, are Jehovah’s Witnesses victims or culprits?

In a recent article on this subject, Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religions, explains that this decision of the court of Ghent poses two problems: one is sociological, the other is legal. ³ For the legal aspect, The Belgian decision will most certainly be breached by the European Court of Human Rights which has already ruled for Witnesses on such cases.

For the sociological aspect, Massimo Introvigne recalls that the Jehovah's Witnesses practice excommunication, in the same way as other Christian denominations, the Catholic Church first.

Excommunication is not an invention but a precept written in the Bible. Someone who is a Christian, who accepts the rules, who lives by it and then disobeys without repentance, must be excommunicated.

The biblical basis is clear. Christ himself says that if a person gravely sins and does not repent, he must be considered 'the heathen' (Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 18, verse 17). The note in the Jerusalem Bible states: "Unclean people with whom godly Jews could not spawn." The Jews of the first century did not associate at all with the non-Jews for fear of being ceremonially unclean.

And Saint Paul specifies the reasons that can lead to an excommunication: "No, I have written to you not to have relations with him who, while bearing the name of brother, would be debauched, greedy, idolatrous, insulting, drunken or rapacious, and even, with such a man, not to eat. (...) Take away the evil from among you" (First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 11-13). This is the definition of excommunication, ending communion or association with a former brother who would have renounced his Christian way of life.

The decision of the Belgian court, if it were to make jurisprudence, is therefore dangerous for all Christian denominations and especially for the Catholic Church.⁴

The Jehovah's Witnesses will once again serve as a fuse for the defence of human rights in religious practice. This is not new to them; they are now used to it. Their movement was the most persecuted of the 20th century for the same reasons.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically neutral. For them, the Kingdom of God with Christ at its head is the only legitimate government of the Earth. In fact, they are apolitical and refuse all violence, including learning military service, let alone war. They consider themselves citizens of the Kingdom of God and, as such, ministers of God preaching the gospel of the return of Christ.

As Christians, they want to practice a 'holy' way of life: no sex outside marriage with someone of the opposite sex, no tobacco or drugs, no abuse of alcohol, of course categorical refusal of lies, theft, dishonesty; a strong asceticism in view of the modern social practices of the Western world. Holding this line may therefore seem impossible in the long term. However, it is apparent that many Witnesses willingly engage their entire lives in this way.⁵

These statements have resulted in many Jehovah's Witnesses being condemned and imprisoned, deported, tortured and executed. The Nazi regime attacked them and then the communist regime of Stalin too. The United States also prosecuted and imprisoned them. The current Russia of Vladimir Putin has unleashed a real judicial harassment to make them renounce their faith.

When we analyze in detail the attacks of their opponents, what are the criticisms against the Jehovah’s Witnesses? To be different, to hold on to their difference and claim it. The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not want to mix, they do not want to dilute themselves in the mass, and they want to keep their very high level of morality at all costs. And then what is it? They refuse to compromise and want to keep their identity as Christians, marking a clear difference with those who are ready to renege on their commitments. Does this unwavering stance point to them as guilty?

Do they discriminate or incite hatred against those who have decided to leave them? To believe that, would be very little know them. The Witnesses absolutely refuse hatred or discrimination already because they themselves were the victims of it far more than in their turn. Moreover, this would not be consistent with their claim to pure Christianity.

That said, some who renounce at some point, voluntary resign, or are excommunicated, in accordance with the principles clearly laid down in the Bible. Their former brothers do not persecute them, do not insult them, and do not hate them. On the contrary, they really rejoice when one of them reinstated among their ranks.

The Witnesses practice their worship calmly, peacefully. They do not ask anything to anyone, and do not cause harm to anyone. Would it be that ''good people'' don’t like us to follow a different road than them?

¹ Human Rights Without Frontiers - HRWF - Droits Humains sans Frontières - Willy FAUTRé

BELGIQUE: Plainte au pénal contre les Témoins de Jéhovah: la Bible au banc des accusés?

by admin_HRWF | Feb 26, 2021 | Freedom of Religion and Belief

https://hrwf.eu/belgique-plainte-au-penal-contre-les-temoins-de-jehovah-la-bible-au-banc-des-accuses/

² Congrégation Chrétienne des Témoins de Jéhovah de Belgique

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE - Kraainem, 16 mars 2021