Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Former Jehovah’s Witnesses who spoke out against the organisation say the religious group is encouraging more people to shun them.

Former members in Hull described how they were asked to leave the group and shunned, leaving them isolated from loved ones, because they questioned elements of the doctrine preached by the religious group.

Now, members say the practice of shunning, which follows a form of ex-communication known as 'disfellowship', is also being extended to non-members.

Shunning means the whole congregation, including family and friends, are told to avoid and ignore the person disfellowshipped.

(Image: Katie Pugh)

Adrienne Van Den Tooren, of west Hull, said: “Witnesses are now contacting non-Witnesses telling them to have nothing to do with us.

“Witnesses claim we are mad and have been banging down the doors of Kingdom Hall.

“The policy and procedures in place make Jehovah’s Witnesses an organisation of abuse and oppression. Every area of life is controlled and monitored by the organisation.

“After the article was published a family member told me I had been silly and ridiculous and will now have nothing to do with me."

Bill - not his real name – said non-witnesses are now being approached. He said: “Even members of the public, who are not witnesses, are even being shunned for having sympathy with us.

“I have a good friend who is not a Witness and he has been told not to speak to us but he refused and now he is being shunned.

(Image: Katie Pugh)

“Witnesses who cannot follow procedure are labelled 'apostate' which means they are un-Christian. But we are all Christians as we follow Christ.

“Threats of being disfellowshipped are increasing and it is becoming a witch hunt.”

Cheryl – not her real name – says she has been visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses elders. She said: “They said a lot has been happening and accused me of supporting an apostate.

“I just told them I am against shunning which I feel is inhumane and is a type of bullying. I asked if people were being told to shun me but they refused to answer. It is horrible being interrogated.

“Shunning even affects our children who are often caught up in this. It looks like I will be disfellowshipped soon.”

Ashley Birtle, of west Hull, says he has been approached by Witnesses after appearing in the Mail. He said: “I am not a Jehovah’s Witness but my mum was. I have been labelled an apostate now as well.

“I have had elders hovering around my place of work and since the article other witnesses have been targeted and their loyalty questioned.”

(Image: Katie Pugh)

Despite the backlash Mrs Van Den Tooren says she has received a positive response. She said: “We have had tremendous feedback from members of the public and now people know more about what is going on. A neighbour of mine congratulated me on the article.”

Bill said: “We have had positive feedback and I have spoken to people from other religious backgrounds who cannot believes this kind of practice goes on in this day and age.”

Jehovah's Witnesses believe humanity is now in the "last days" with Armageddon just round the corner. They believe only they will survive.

Members of the movement are probably best known for their door-to-door evangelical work and refusing blood transfusions.

One elder said they will not get into a ‘tit for tat’ debate in public.

A spokesman previously explained the disfellowship and shunning process. He said: “Those who were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses but no longer preach to others, perhaps even drifting away from association with fellow believers, are not shunned. In fact, we reach out to them and try to rekindle their spiritual interest.

“We do not automatically disfellowship someone who commits a serious sin. If, however, a baptized Witness makes a practice of breaking the Bible’s moral code and does not repent, he or she will be shunned or disfellowshipped.

“The religious ties someone who is disfellowshipped had with their family changes, but blood ties remain."

They also said there is a way back for those who are disfellowshipped.

International problems for Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah’s Witnesses have been at the centre of controversy more widely.

Two senior members of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Australia will face a royal commission which found the organisation does not adequately protect children from being sexually abused.

The Jehovah's Witnesses maintain they act on any allegation of child sex abuse, despite the child abuse royal commission finding they have not reported a single one of 1,006 alleged perpetrators to police since 1950.

Its November 2016 report said the organisation wrongly relies on a two-witness rule with 2,000-year-old biblical origins when handling complaints.

Meanwhile, Russia has branded the organisation ‘extremist’ which led to all the branches in the country being dissolved.