by jayhawk1 6 Replies latest jw friends
All of this talk about the Judicial Committee notes, got me to thinking. Since I was only a publisher in the Congregation, I have no idea what types of questions were asked. Could somebody fill me in?
"Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
I've got some interesting informations here: http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20010909&Category=JWANDSOCIETY10&ArtNo=10909002&Ref=AR
Thanks Nicolas, let me change my question. In the Shepherding the Flock book, are there specific questions that are to be asked? If so, what are they?
"Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
Jayhawk:
Flock book: [Unit 5b, p 112] "You must ask pertinent, discreet questions to isolate main issues and determine how or why a problem developed. "
There is no specific list of questions, such as a checklist. The Flock book suggests a number of issues that the elders are supposed to consider, and these would naturally give rise to questions.
Hope this helps.
DannyBoy
A further thought here on the matter of questions, etc: The general procedure that is to be followed is outlined in the Flock book and supplemented from time to time to elders.
This means that elders serving on a Judicial Committee (JC), have to **THINK** about what they're doing, kind of get the whole picture. On the one hand, elders (and all other JWs) are consistently exposed to organizational teaching that results many times in unhooking the parts of their brains connected to common sense, but then, in a JC situation, they have to use good judgement and THINK. Tough job for most.
Sad thing is, some elder's judgement in these situations is ABSOLUTELY APALLING. So things sort of go on "on the fly". Some of the impromptu questions that were asked in my presence (as a member of a JC) are just incredible.
As posters in other threads recently have eloquented expressed: An individual elder's experience, common sense (or lack thereof) very much effect the questions asked and the over-all tone of JC hearing.
Like other former elders, I, too cringe a bit to think of all the "interrogations" I participated in, as a loyal "company" man, who only near the end of my tenure really began to use my own brain and common sense, and look beyond the dictates of official organization procedure/policies.
Thanks Dannyboy,
I wonder why they don't have specific questions. After all, everything else that they do has a certain protocol.
:I wonder why they don't have specific questions
You'd have to ask 'em :)
Not sure where you're headed here, but consider this:
There are so many "wrongs" that could lead to a JC hearing, it would be impractical to list a matrix of questions. Then, too, every situation is unique at least to some extent. Just too many possibilites.
To reiterate, elders serving on a JC are supposed to use their 'noggins to both compose appropriate questions during a hearing, and to "see where things go", all the while manifesting true Christian love and kindness towards the "brother" in the hot seat. Therein lies a major weakness with the whole JC system, not to mention what some of the "crimes" are that could get a person into hot water in the first place.
Danny
[edited 'cause it just didn't sound right]
