Dear Vicolive,
Yes, if you get expelled, they will fully shun you. In the case of severe wrongdoing, ie-sexual type sins, the Elders are allowed to approach you occasionally to see whether or not you want to make efforts to be reinstated, However those that they consider Apostates like myself, David Reed, Ray Franz, Randall Watters, etc, are to be totally avoided, not even saying a simple hello, we are considered spiritually dead and a threat, because we know too much. Also family members are to avoid you as much as possible, with the exception of grave illness or important family matters. Unfortunately many J.W.s that leave the Org, either become agnostic or return to some form of Orthodox Christianity(Trinity, Hellfire, eternal separation, immortality of the Soul,etc.). Insofar as Blood Transfusions are concerned, a Transfusion is actually a like an Organ Transplantation, the blood never enters the digestive system, so it can't be considered synonamous with eating Blood. Most J.Ws don't know that. Also what those JWs' won't tell you is that they are allowed to accept some Blood components such as: Albumin, Immunoglobuliins, Hemophiliac preparations, as Ray Franz illustrates, its like having a Ham & Cheese Sandwich and being allowed to eat the Ham & cheese separately, but not being allowed to eat the bread. Their prohibition against Blood transfusions didn't start until 1952 and may have been influenced by the former Awake Editor Clayton Woodworth who despised the Medical profession, also their second President Joseph Rutherford(died-1942) thought it would create alot of publicity through the persecution individual members who receive by avoiding Blood Transfusions. They use or twist the Scriptures at Gen.9:1-5, Acts.15:28,29,19,20. to support their position on Transfusions. You can go to *not allowed* to get answers on every argument against J.W. theology, but a word of caution, although those who run that Web-site seem to be decent people, they certainly don't believe as we do here, even the essentials, but as a resource for showing the fallacy against some of their teachings like their blood stand, Holidays, the name Jehovah in the New Testament, they have a vast array of information. I consider Ray Franz to be the most objective and balanced source of information available about JWs, check out *not allowed*, thats his web-site.
To Psalmsinger,
The Emphatic Diaglott by Benjamin Wilson is a good interlinear translation, Ray Smith mentions that in one of his E-mail responses. The witnesses have whats called the Kingdom Interlinear translation of the New Testament Greek, I have a copy and its one of their worst enemies, thats why they don't publish it too much anymore. Insofar as their New World Translation is concerned, its no worse or better than some of the others, my main problem with that translation is that they put the name Jehovah 237 times in their New Testament, when in fact with the more than 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New testament available, their is no support for doing so. In all 237 occurences the Greek words are Kurious(lord) or Theos(God). I admire Ray Smith for using the King James version, especially the older renditions of it, because I think that translation is terrible, except the newer one I have copyright 1979. I wondered why he did at first and he explained it was to reach people like the Apostle Paul, because alot of people don't accept anything else.
Your Brother Samson.
P.S. I could go on forever(not literally), as both of you can see, but I'm on my way to work, a 12 hr. shift(sad for me).