by wozadummy 21 Replies latest watchtower scandals
I agree with wozadummy, voting democratically for things does go against the grain for a "Theocratic Organization". I believt that is the reason why the votes are so perfunctory and meaningless. A proposal is made, seconded and the hands go up automatically , out of loyalty. People are just not used to thinking or debating an issue. Unity is more important.
Blondie is also right. It does mean that at least matters are put before the congo..
I was thinking about this today too. It was to pretend that the rank and file had control over decisions. Sure we could vote on giving the CO $50 to cover his petrol, but we couldn't vote on keeping Johnny alive by letting the doctors do what was best. Or maybe, whether we can still talk to sister hottie now that she's married to the only man she ever slept with. Or maybe, whether we all have to go out on the preach, or how many meetings we should have to go to, or whether we can grow a beard, or who the elders are...
But yeah, real important to agree to pay the CO that $50. I stopped voting because we all knew what the decision would be anyway.
I think the WTBTS should at least cover the exspenses for their clergy and stop bullying people for more friggen money . I feel they should have paid for the hall without bullying over it . How many times in the bible does it say to forgive debt and all that jive ? I did think they were a little spend thrifty with the cost of building that hall. Can't remember if it was a million or 10 million but it was very exspensive . And that's with free labor .
Blondie is also right. It does mean that at least matters are put before the congo..
Yah at least they can say you screwed yourself democratically .
Remember that they can't pay anything without money. If the rank and file quit donating (or a large segment does), who pays for the electricity, water, heat, AC, telephone? What if they get shut off due to lack of payment? No meetings????? I have seen congregations where the elders have to come up with the money.
As my hubbie always says, vote with your pocketbook.
Blondie
Yes - what a sham these voting procedures are.
I can't remember the times I told those in our congregation how to go about actually holding the vote but they still insisted on reading the resolution, putting it to the vote and then asking for a proposer and a seconder. They really had no idea.
Eyeslice
I remember voting on meeting time. If I recall, the congregation had a choice of whether to meet on Thurs or Friday for the Ministry School and Service meeting. It was a close vote and the elders did not all vote in a block unit.
If they are going to vote they should at least use a secret ballot instead of using this thing to once again embarrass and humiliate people into getting what they want .
I have seen voting that created congregation turmoil.1. What times to have the meetings; especially if sharing with another congregation(s). They finally made the time rotate every year.
2. Remodeling projects; I have seen people get a group organized to support their wishes.
3. It is suicide to buck the elders, even if you are an elder.
4. At least they had to put it out in the open. The worst situations were where a vote was taken and the BOE did what they wanted anyway in spite of the congregation's wishes. Saw that backfire; the rank and file stopped donating.
Wow...we must have shared the same congregation somewhere along the line. I've seen those same things happen.
I've seen where one or two familes would campaign for certain things until it became a fever pitch fervor and the only way the elders could appease anyone was to allow the congregation to vote on it. There would be such drama over voting on what night to have the service meeting or something else as trivial.
Because of the fights and turmoil created, during my last few years still in, I quit voting altogether. It wasn't usually noticed but on the rare occasion that it was and I was asked about it later, I just made a simple comment that I didn't have that strong an opinion on the matter and whatever the congregation decided on was fine with me. The only time that answer would not suffice was when the congregation would vote to pay the COs expenses for the week. I got asked why I didn't vote one time and I just said something about I wasn't worried that it wouldn't be passed so I didn't think it all that necessary to vote. The answer wasn't satisfactory to the elder asking, but he dropped it reluctantly anyway.
They do use a secret ballot when trying to find out how much people can donate monthly and one-time donations when considering building a new hall or an extensive remodel. But then of course, these persons cannot be made to pay later on when the piper appears since no one knows who pledged what.
Blondie
I have seen congregations where the elders have to come up with the money.
I remember one time when the hall needed some repairs. It was going to cost a few hundred dollars but the elders were having a hard time convincing the friends to donate extra to pay for the repair.
When the CO came through, during the elders/MS meeting, he of course asked about the repairs for his report to the WTS and the elders kind of just looked at each other and hemmed and hawed. The CO acted surprised and asked why the repairs weren't being done. Finally one elder spoke up and said that we were having trouble getting the money together. The CO looked around the room at each and every one of us and said something pretty close to, "you mean to tell me that between the 12 servants in this room, you can't come up with the few hundred dollars to fix this? Never mind the rest of the congregation, why can't you just get it done?" Within a month the repairs were made and the bulk of the payment came from the servant body.
I think subconsciensely that this stuck in my brain as an indication that all was not right in the organization. When we finally put all the little things together and realize just how much we were manipulated, it's surprising and a little disheartening that we put up with as much shit as we did.
