What do you think of shunning?

[GingerBeer]

1 Cor 5:10.13 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat"..."But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."


2 Thess 3:14-15 "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

Is that what you would do? treat them as idolaters, drunkards, and extortioners while admonishing them because they left a denomination and went to another?

 

[GingerBeer]

I believe a lot of confusion comes in when people equate shunning with church discipline. As mentioned in the previous comment by TheSeabass, there is Scripture that speaks about not having someone living in persistent, unrepentant sin be a part of a fellowship of the body of Christ -- that's church discipline.

The purpose of church discipline, however, is not to shun out of the whole community, but to witness to the sinner outside of the fellowship by loving brothers and sisters for an eventual return to the church.

The scope of the original post is leaving a religion for another. Perhaps leaving the Plymouth Brethren to become a Baptist or leaving the Mennonites to become a Lutheran. The post was not about church discipline for adultery, murder, child molestation and such crimes.
The first post says:

Some religions that call themselves christian shun ex-members. Shunning can go as far as cutting off family, friends, and every other associate. What do you think of that as a Christian response to someone leaving the faith or moving to another?​

 

[GingerBeer]

This is closer to the mark.

Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians with a case where a man is ousted for “being with his father’s mother” <~ yikes!

Wasn't it his father's wife?

But, he follows through in 2 Corinthians with Forgiveness to the man and a warning that Satan can use people’s lack of forgiveness against them.

 

[RDKirk]

.

 

[Grip Docility]

Wasn't it his father's wife?

You are correct. I’ll make the edit. My brain knew this, but my fingers fumbled.

Thank you!

 

[_Dave_]

The scope of the original post is leaving a religion for another. Perhaps leaving the Plymouth Brethren to become a Baptist or leaving the Mennonites to become a Lutheran. The post was not about church discipline for adultery, murder, child molestation and such crimes.
The first post says:

Some religions that call themselves christian shun ex-members. Shunning can go as far as cutting off family, friends, and every other associate. What do you think of that as a Christian response to someone leaving the faith or moving to another?​

I see. Thank you.

 

[RDKirk]

Some religions that call themselves christian shun ex-members. Shunning can go as far as cutting off family, friends, and every other associate. What do you think of that as a Christian response to someone leaving the faith or moving to another?

I have a friend who is a "Free Mennonite."

His father was shunned by the Mennonites because he was an unrepentant wearer of elastic suspenders. Having been shunned, the man just went hog-wild in his rebellion by becoming a "Free Mennonite" and then becoming an air plane pilot.

 

[Grip Docility]

I have a friend who is a "Free Mennonite."

His father was shunned by the Mennonites because he was an unrepentant wearer of elastic suspenders. Having then been shunned, the man just went hog-wild in sin and became an air plane pilot.

Elastic Suspenders! We truly are in the last days! Had he no shame?!?

 

[GingerBeer]

I have a friend who is a "Free Mennonite."

His father was shunned by the Mennonites because he was an unrepentant wearer of elastic suspenders. Having been shunned, the man just went hog-wild in his rebellion by becoming a "Free Mennonite" and then becoming an air plane pilot.

I never really associated being a pilot of aeroplanes as a hog-wild life of sin

 

[TheSeabass]

Is that what you would do? treat them as idolaters, drunkards, and extortioners while admonishing them because they left a denomination and went to another?

1) The Bible says not to keep company with them.
2) The Bible does not teach the man made idea of denominationalism but teaches there is one body (church), one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:4-5).

 

[GingerBeer]

1) The Bible says not to keep company with them.
2) The Bible does not teach the man made idea of denominationalism but teaches there is one body (church), one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:4-5).

which church is the one that the bible teaches about?

 

[GingerBeer]

1) The Bible says not to keep company with them.
2) The Bible does not teach the man made idea of denominationalism but teaches there is one body (church), one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:4-5).

I don't know what that means for a Mennonite who leaves and joins the Baptists or the Lutherans.

 

[Grip Docility]

I have a friend who is a "Free Mennonite."

His father was shunned by the Mennonites because he was an unrepentant wearer of elastic suspenders. Having been shunned, the man just went hog-wild in his rebellion by becoming a "Free Mennonite" and then becoming an air plane pilot.

My family tradition holds that my Grandmother on my mom’s side was a Jew converted to Mennonite, by marriage.

I’m betting your friend is a wonderful person that is always full of the joy of God.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Some religions that call themselves christian shun ex-members. Shunning can go as far as cutting off family, friends, and every other associate. What do you think of that as a Christian response to someone leaving the faith or moving to another?

Shunning is a sin however sin should be shunned. Leaving a denomination is not a sin and any denomination that practices this is most likely a cult.

 

[GingerBeer]

Shunning is a sin however sin should be shunned. Leaving a denomination is not a sin and any denomination that practices this is most likely a cult.

Possibly but do you count Amish and Mennonites as cult religions?

 

[Dave L]

Some religions that call themselves christian shun ex-members. Shunning can go as far as cutting off family, friends, and every other associate. What do you think of that as a Christian response to someone leaving the faith or moving to another?

Works great! Good way to cut the stress.

 

[Chris V++]

Shunning seems like a specific sects equivalent of excommunication.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Possibly but do you count Amish and Mennonites as cult religions?

Bondage is not Christianity. Christianity is freedom from bondage. The Amish practice works based salvation,mind control and anti-society all which is against the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Mennonites who closely resemble the Amish I would say are of the same category, cultish.

 

[GingerBeer]

Bondage is not Christianity. Christianity is freedom from bondage. The Amish practice works based salvation,mind control and anti-society all which is against the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Mennonites who closely resemble the Amish I would say are of the same category, cultish.

I see why you draw that conclusion but some Calvinist groups such as the Protestant Reformed Church practise similar shunning and it is likely that some Baptists and some independent churches do too. Are those all cults?

 

[TheSeabass]

which church is the one that the bible teaches about?

The one that began in Acts 2, that belongs to Christ and has no earthly headquarters (Matthew 16:18) but has Christ as its Head, (Eph 5:23) that teaches for one to be saved he must believe (John 8:24) repent (Luke 13:3) confess (Matthew 10:32-33) be water baptized (Acts 2:38) live faithfully unto death (Revelation 2:10), that follows the doctrines of Christ and the Apostles (Acts 2:42, 2 John 1:9); that has the Divinely appointed mission to take the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16), that worships according to spirit and truth (the word of God), (John 17:17, John 4:24) which includes singing acapella (Ephesians 5:18-21), taking the Lord's Supper upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), giving upon the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2)….

Various places in the Bible the institution of marriage is used to describe Christ's relationship to His one body with the church being the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32), Paul espoused those in Corinth to "one husband" (2 Corinthians 11:2). The Bible's teaching on marriage is one husband married to one wife. Denominationalism has Christ married to many wives making Christ a spiritual polygamist, spiritual adulterer.