Jehovah's Witnesses practice shunning (which at this point in time I believe is a known form of psychological torture.)
A person I know and love is going to be disfellowshipped and consequently shunned. Resulting in losing their family, friends, and livelihood. All for loving me (an "otherwordly person" a.k.a non-believer)
This person is being blackmailed and given an ultimatum that if they don't cease contact with me they will be shunned/exiled from everything, and everyone
How can I fight this?
If at all? Can I take this to court? Is shunning/torture illegal? if not why not? and what are the legalities?
Of course it's not illegal. Just help the person with a place to stay, shoulder to cry on, etc.
>>16654636
Unless your a confessed satanist or athiest or whatever, her parents are doing all this because they don't want her to date you/they don't like you.
My wife is/was (once you're baptized J-Ho, you're never really out) and her parents chose to stand by and support her while we dated. Sure, some in the church chose to "shun", but those were really just the assholes anyway.
Just like when a cop gives you speeding ticket for going 7mph over. He probably could have given you a warning, but he didn't like you so he gave you a ticket.
>>16654636
the Jehovah's witnesses have been practicing exploitative persecutor and isolating strategies for decades
it's not illegal, and the government won't act
you have to leave the Jehovah witnesses, it's hard but after you leave everything gets easier and you can take a normal life back
that's how it ends, everyone leaves one by one, and the more people leave the easier it gets
you learn that the org isn't the same as your faith, your family and your community, it's seperate and you don't have to loose all of them; it's them that take it from you
>>16654713
in her church though, the people that have been exiled have been 100% exiled. never heard from again, they are like extremist versions of the typical.
She's already being bullied/demeaned/devalued by everyone she knows and thought were her friends.
I feel like this is by far one of the most wicked things I've ever encountered and it's beyond me that I don't hear about lawsuits left and right toward these people.
I mean where is the justification for people losing their kids and families from being shunned. I read about a guy who ended up killing himself as a result of the anguish.
>>16654636
>>16654724
and the really sad thing is, she is so afraid of losing everything/everyone in her life that she feels guilty either way. losing me the person she loves or losing her family and so called friends.
even though she knows they aren't true friends if they are clearly willingly to bully her if she falls in love with someone who doesn't agree with their beliefs
>>16654724
Sounds like you need to make the choice for her. If I was in your situation and young, would you let a girl lose everything to be with you? No matter how much you love each other. When my wife and I met, she was in her mid-20s and on her own. Being disowned didn't really threaten her. I'm going to assume you are both very young and as such not as easily able to support yourselves in a post-disfellowed world.
Think really hard about it first before running away together.
P.S. They will let you back in if you've been baptized and willing to repent and basically run a religious obstacle course first. There is usually an amount of time that must pass first though.
>>16654756
Your advice is sound in my book.
And now I need advice for making that decision.
It's like... if i try and fight for her and we run away together. I am effectively a huge reason for why she lost her family and friends...
But is it still the right thing to do? I mean these are people that are clearly poisonous for her health. Her own family and friends have made her sleep outside on the floor as a way to discipline her. I'm not a psychologist but that is dehumanizing and abusive in my book.
I feel horrible about even doing what I think is the right thing and taking her away from all of that because I'm very family oriented and family is everything for me. I honestly don't know if i could live with myself either way.
Save her from the mess that I would cause and just break up so she can keep her family
or
Save her from her life /family/friends that she was brought up with
I don't think believe they are inherently evil people, just debased and not right.
>>16654788
does she get any spiritual nourishment/satisfaction from her participation with these people?
just trying to give another angle to the issue to think about
>>16654788
Is this a cult, OP?
>>16655009
she quasi believes there's a creator but she's not into all the bullshit she's been taught.
>>16655031
and yes by definition it is in fact a cult
>>16655009
and i do appreciate the angle
really i do i didn't mention it but it is a great point
