Shunning and Propaganda

Groups that encourage shunning have drummed up interesting propaganda to make it seem an acceptable practice.

It's interesting to look at how abusive, high control groups seek to rationalize shunning to make it seem a legitimate approach in their dealings with other human beings. They cast mercy, compassion and forgiveness aside, but consider their organizations righteous and "loving."

Many rationales have been advanced to justify shunning. It is touted as:

• loving discipline
• it will help someone "come to their senses"
• it will help someone "return to God"
• the claim is made that the person being shunned is the one who is actually doing the shunning.

In all of these rationalizations, assumptions are presented as fact.

Loving Discipline

It should be obvious that cutting someone off for years or for a lifetime is not a loving act but one of passive aggression and coercion, one that is arbitrary and that tries to force another person to act in a certain way, to conform to certain requirements.

Helping Someone Come to Their Senses

This makes the assumption that the other person is wrong and needs to change their thinking and their ways. Once again, this is a one-sided dynamic that only offers one acceptable way of thinking and being.

Helping Someone Return to God

This is a humdinger, since a person can believe differently or leave a particular faith group and still very much believe in God. Shunning groups however will quite often claim that someone who leaves their group has left God. This is very convenient and serves group interests.

The Shunned is the Shunner

This is a classic "blame the victim" scenario where those who are doing the victimizing claim to be the victims. No pity is shown for their victim but they play the part of the victimized. "He or she left us."

It's interesting the lengths abusive organizations will go to justify extremist, harmful behavior and the offering of "conditional love."

A One-Sided Predigested Viewpoint in 2016 Shunning Video
In the video below, a classic one-sided viewpoint is presented, wherein the daughter Sonja isn't free to fall in love with someone outside of her parents' religion, so instead of her parents respecting her choices, she is shunned and cut off from her family. And this continues for years until she "comes to her senses."

In a master stroke of propaganda, viewers are purposely stirred to pity for the parents, not Sonja. They hear how the parents have been so hurt by the terrible psychological torment they are inflicting on their daughter. Little to no mention is made of how being shunned affects Sonja, of how psychologically devastating it might be to her, of how having zero contact with her family just might be incredibly hard to deal with. Many who have been treated this way have, in fact, committed suicide.

Predictably, after years of being ignored and treated as if she doesn't exist, Sonja does what is demanded of her and returns to her parents' religion. This is all wrapped up and tied with bow, and the video ends in that returning is presented as the only acceptable choice for Sonja: "... if they had associated with me, even a little, just to check on me, ... it could have made me think there was no need to return to Jehovah." 

And that is the intended take-away for viewers.

Fading Away: Consequences and Victim Blaming

Shunning is Spiritual Blackmail

I had an interesting experience recently. An elderly Jehovah's Witness man came to my door.

We exchanged pleasantries then got into the meat and bones. I told him I would never support any organization that through shunning, destroyed families.

"United We Stand" Anti-Shunning Walk-Out Campaign

WOULD YOU... WALK OUT? 
Whether we participate willingly or unwillingly in shunning, we are still participants and our participation enables those perpetrating it and thus, gives shunning its power

Will Shunning Ever End?

Jumping for "Joy"

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OR INTOLERANCE?
Cults adopt policies that control members. One humdinger tool of control is shunning. This has played out with many modern-day cults adopting a my-way-or-the-highway shunning policy that shuts down and shuts out anyone who tries to exercise freedom of religion or freedom of conscience.

Forgiveness Versus Shunning - What Does the Bible Reveal?

Forgiveness

Christians were exhorted to FORGIVE repeatedly, not SHUN perpetually.

The Bible tells us at Matthew 12:31 that "every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven" (barring the one unforgivable sin). In light of that, shunning goes against the spirit of the scriptures and could be said to be the antithesis of true Christlike love, because those who shun, refuse to forgive repeatedly as Christians have been instructed to do. 

Why Shunning is UnChristian Non-Forgiveness

Obey Us... or Else!

BUT... I HAVEN'T COMMITTED THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN
The scriptures tell us that there is only one unforgivable sin, that of blaspheming against the holy spirit. Is shunning someone ever after truly in line with the forgiveness that Christians are supposed to show? Since the person who is shunned, has not committed the unforgivable sin, why does that person deserve to be treated... as if they HAD?

Why the End May be Near For Groups That Shun

INTERNET CHANGING OLD PARADIGMS
In times past, groups that shunned got away with this form of ostracism and psychological abuse. They could inflict shunning on the vulnerable and the old control mechanisms worked perfectly well to propagate intolerance and dogmatism and an elitist worldview.

Shunning--God-Directed or Cult-Directed?

Disconnected = Will Shun

LOYALTY... TO GOD OR TO LEADERS?
According to propaganda from high-control religious groups, shunning is an acceptable action to take against any who hold to a different viewpoint. No allowance is granted for testing what is heard, as the scriptures direct Christians to do, and forming a different opinion. Those who do are branded apostates and shunned.