Disfellowshipping

Sometimes known as Shunning.

A practice of some Christian faith groups in which a member has certain privileges removed in order to force them to give up certain behaviours and beliefs.

Within the LFD church (commonly called the Mormons) a disfellowshipped member has certain privileges removed, but still remains a member. Among the Jehovah's Witnesses, a person is shunned. This can have devastating consequences to persons in a high-intensity religious group whose entire support system involves fellow members.

Shunning is a method of disciplining or punishing a member who strays from the group's expected behaviour or belief. Other members (often including friends and family) are expected to have no contact with the shunned individual. In a high intensity faith group where a believer's entire support network is composed of fellow members, this can have disastrous consequences; some have been moved to commit suicide.