“We can take action against apostates only to a certain extent… The law of the land… forbid[s] us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship.” — Watchtower November 15, 1952 p.703
Q. And [the disfellowshipped person…] would be worthy of death?
A. I will answer yes, unhesitatingly. — Watchtower lawyer HC Covington, Douglas Walsh trial transcript, 1954
“If anyone does not accept these healthful words of truth and teaches false doctrine he is mentally diseased, spiritually sick.” — Watchtower March 15, 1954 p. 166
“Apostates allow a presumptuous attitude to warp their thinking and stumble them. But if they had adopted the mental attitude of Christ, they could have retained their joy and remained among Jehovah’s people.” — Watchtower September 1, 2000 p. 13
“Modern-day apostates display characteristics similar to those of the Devil. Their mind may be poisoned by a critical attitude toward individuals in the congregations, Christian elders, or the Governing Body.” — Watchtower April 15, 2009 p. 6