For well over half a century the Watchtower Society has made its doctrine and feelings clear on the matter of those who leave the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Watchtower, November 15, 1952, page 703, Questions from Readers:
"In the case of where a father or mother or son or daughter is disfellowshipped [disassociated], how should such person be treated by members of the family in their family relationship?
We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine. . . Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God’s law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshipped from his congregation."
The message to Jehovah's Witnesses above is a family member should be killed as they were exterminated (Stoned to death) for apostasy among "theocratic nations". The only things stopping them are the law of the land and God's law through Christ. Basically, too bad such laws are in place or else we would stone our apostate fleshly family members to death!
The Watchtower, July 15, 1961, page 420:
"Jesus encouraged his followers to love their enemies, but God's Word also says to "hate what is bad." When a person persists in a way of badness after knowing what is right, when the bad becomes so ingrained that it is an inseparable part of his make-up, then in order to hate what is bad a Christian must hate the person with whom the badness is inseparably linked."
The Watchtower Society's message is clear. Despite Jesus' teaching to love your enemy, the principle to hate what is bad must be followed to a superlative degree. It is not just to hate what a person has done, but to hate the person.
Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2002, Page 4, paragraph 12:
"Benefits of Being Loyal to Jehovah: Cooperating with the Scriptural arrangement to disfellowship and shun unrepentant wrongdoers is beneficial."
As time has progressed and the Watchtower Society is being exposed for its destructive cult-like doctrines such as those regarding treatment of ex-members, notions of killing apostates and hating people have taken a slightly softer tone. In more recent years, they don't make such brazen statements as exterminate, kill, and hate. Rather, the article quoted above uses the key-phrase "shun unrepentant wrongdoers". Note too, just before such a statement is made, the phrase "Being Loyal to Jehovah" is stated. By doing so, the intent is to equate loyalty to Jehovah to shunning those who are ex-members.
Keep Yourselves In God's Love (2008), Appendix, How To Treat A Disfellowshipped Person:
"Is strict avoidance really necessary? Yes...Loyal Christian family members do not look for excuses to have dealings with a disfellowshipped relative not living at home...Bible principles on this subject apply equally to those who disassociate themselves from the congregation."
If there is still any confusion on the matter, one of the Watchtower Society's more recent publications once again emphasizes their feelings. However, again over the course of time, people continue to educate themselves and many know that shunning is used in cults and high-level control groups. The Watchtower Society avoids using the word "shun". Nonetheless, their counsel and directions are to do just that to those who defy them.
Shun? Hate? Kill? The ideas and notions from the Watchtower Society through their twisted interpretation of scripture and warped viewpoint is so far from the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. For the organization to indoctrinate their members in such a way is in part what brings people to see Jehovah's Witnesses as a dangerous and destructive cult.
