Jehovah's Witnesses are a political party in denial. They their goal is, world domination . . . by them. They have established a system of rewards and punishments, and are ruled by a dictatorial committee that has detriment of members as it's goal. They've spent their activity in my lifetime establishing poverty as the goal to aspire to.
The only surprising thing to me, is when members do not end up in poverty. A loyal member, like a full time paid district manager, had better end up in poverty . . . or they didn't follow directions.
Jehovah's Witnesses have advocated against me and my family, so I don't have much sympathy when one of them follows directions. I hope it was worth it.
District Overseer put out to pasture with no $$$ - sad
by Dogpatch 167 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
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atypical
Don was our D.O. here in Phoenix a couple/few years ago. At the time I was active and he intrigued me because of his perpetual single status. I was told that long ago he dated that pretty woman from Laugh In, I think her name was Theresa Hayes. His way of sing-songing almost every line of his talks used to make me want to scream.
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atypical
It was Theresa Graves -
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uninformed
Some of your comments are really over the top. Some of you sound like serial killers.
I left the WT as soon as I realized it was not what it purported to be.
I resigned as an elder after being one for 30 years over 5 years before I left. I was an elder because I wanted to help people. It is true that I sat in on judicial cases over the years.
I was a member of a comittee that made a serious mistake when we disfellowshipped one youngster, about 18. I went home and cried all night, called the CO and told him it was wrong. He said to ask the comittee to meet again and fix it. The other brothers refused to meet. I went to the boys home the following evening and apologized to his parents and to him, with tears. I never got over being party to such a harsh decision, a decision that wasn't even close to being helpful or kind.
I told the kid that anytime he wanted to be reinstated to come to me and I would convene a hearing for him and I promised that I would try to influence the others to go along. He never came back.
I never knowingly was harsh or unkind before that or since that occasion. I may have been and not realized it. The judicial process is not the right way to deal with people anyway. There are exceptions. I was on comittees that dealt with pedophiles. Two 'brothers' went to prison from that congregation.
The Bible says, "O You lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad". Some of the comments made have displayed a deep hatred of the elders rather than the mistaken or bad acts of elders.
I personally think some of you might want to reconsider such a position. Knowing that we all need mercy, Jesus said that "with the same judgment we judge others, we will be judged."
In my years as an elder, I tried to do good toward those that I considered Jehovah's sheep. I am not saying that I never made a mistake, but I am saying that I never knowingly or deliberately was mean.
I am sorry that some elders were so mean and harsh to you. It makes me sad that men abuse their power. While I may repent and apologize for any arrogance or unkindness that I may have manifested, you don't have to forgive me. Jehovah, who is the 'searcher of hearts' knows, and that is enough.
I hate arrogance, whether it is my own, or elders or bodies of elders or CO's or DO's or GB, or whether it is displayed by people here on this DB. Winning the argument is not my goal. I can't hold a candle to the intelligence or ability to express myself as some of you obviously do and have. Humility might dictate that we try to be kinder toward one another though. I kind of thought we were all in this together and we were trying to help one another make sense out of our lives after learning the 'truth about the truth'.
As far as current JW's, elders, CO's and DO's and GB, I agree that if they stick with the WT after they understand what is really happening then they are drinking the cup of the anger of God. But, like the apostle Paul, before his conversion, he really thought that he was doing the right thing in persecuting Christians and his previous conduct was forgiven him.
Romans 14:10--
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But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written: "‘As I live,’ says Jehovah, ‘to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgment to God.’" 12 So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.It is uncomfortable sitting on the other side of the table. It was also two months ago when I faced the Judicial Committee that refused to give me a scriptural basis for the charge of APOSTASY that was brought before me and my wife. But it is over and they have no power over me. While it is true that they have labeled me and have destroyed 45 years of friendships and caused one of my children to disown my wife and I, we feel that the release has been well worth the price.
I hate the WT for what it has done to all of us, some worse than others.
But for that hatred to be leveled against people of all sorts who have themselves left the WT I feel is totally out of place.
Hopefully, your friend,
Brant
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Nathan Natas
I feel there are a couple of points that need to be reviewed.
A. The District Overseer was "put out to pasture" as stated in the subject line above. As has been pointed out already, there has been absolutely no evidence that this unfortunate man has turned away from the watchtower. Every evidence is that he remains a loyal JW. So he has received his measure in full. Who am I to question the spiritual joys of poverty and an uncertain future? He isn't asking for any help from the apostate community. Let his brothers help him. I'll worry about him when I hear he has repented; so far he has not.
B. The "apostate community" is not homogeneous like the a Kingdom Hall. Not all of us are JWs waiting for reform in the WTB&TS, nor are we all Christians, nor are we all religious. I'm an atheist. I have no obligation to exhibit the fruits of anyone else's belief system. Exhibit your own fruits all you want, but don't tell me what you think my fruits should be.
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willyloman
There's an underlying assumption present in some of the posts on this thread. The assumption is that there are two classes of ex-dubs: those who weren't elders, now called victims, and those who were elders, now generally referred to as assholes.However, there were just as many assholes among the non-elder publisher ranks. Just as many people duped, who should have known better. Just as many people on autopilot, spewing intolerance and hatred towards co-workers, neighbors and relatives. Just as many fools who lapped up the lie and spread it in the door-to-door work. Just as many people hoping to catch the express train to paradise, despite the overwhelming evidence the train wasn't coming. Just as many people trying to fill some empty place in their soul by giving themselves over to a high control organization that appeared to have all the answers.
It's nice to see so many of you have found your way here.
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purplesofa
It's nice to see so many of you have found your way here
However, there were just as many assholes among the non-elder publisher ranks. Just as many people duped, who should have known better. Just as many people on autopilot, spewing intolerance and hatred towards co-workers, neighbors and relatives. Just as many fools who lapped up the lie and spread it in the door-to-door work. Just as many people hoping to catch the express train to paradise, despite the overwhelming evidence the train wasn't coming. Just as many people trying to fill some empty place in their soul by giving themselves over to a high control organization that appeared to have all the answers.
Willy,
Thanks for summing up in words what I was thinking.
purps
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ronin1
To Uninformed:
You make some interesting and good points. However, I think you are missing the feelings of persons on this particular site.
I, for one, cannot condone anyone who sees what is clearly wrong and not taking a stand for truth and justice. That means that elders who know their BOEs are doing wrong and making unkind, unloving, cruel, etc. decisions in meetins and still stick with them in their decisions are not excusable. I do not care that an Elder, CO, or DO may want to keep their so-called position or standing. That is not what being a servant of God is about or serving the spiritual needs of the flock.
When my father and my mother moved to SC from NYC (Queens) and my father saw what was going on in their new SC local congregation as respects the BOE's, he told my mother he would never serve as an elder in that congregation and he didn't.. As an elder and as a person, my father always stood against injustices- as siblings we miss that in him. He and my mother taught all of my siblings to be the same way. When my husband was a MS in NYC (Queens) and he saw the nonscense going on with the BOE's and MSs, he stepped down voluntarily as a MS. He refused to continue in their unchristians ways. The elders pressured him for a scriptural reason for his 'stepping down' and he would not give them one.
I hope no one hates the COs, DO's , or elders. But there are strong sentiments about such ones that have clearly abused their so-called power to the destruction of persons' spiritual and physical lives, destroying families and really causing many persons to loose their faith in Jehovah God and his promises.
For their actions, forgiveness will not come easily.
Ronin1
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Lo-ru-hamah
Just2sheep and others,
I don't know about the other exjwelders on this board but I do know Uninformed. He would have and did give the shirt off his back to help people. He would give whatever it took to show people love and kindness. Not just because he was an elder or a JW but because that is the kind of person that he is.
He was duped, I was duped and the majority of us on this board were duped. Just because someone had a title while they were duped doesn't make them any different than the ones who did. While I was in the vast majority of unkindness that I received wasn't from elders, it was from the regular old publishers that wanted to make themselves look better by bashing me, by finding out what was wrong with me and publishing it. And if they couldn't find anything wrong with me they would make it up.
I have met some bad elders in my time and some good ones. I have met unkind publishers and kind ones. I have also met non witnesses that were unkind and ones that were kind. It is particularly difficult now to find the good in some witnesses because we resent that place for the pain that was experienced from it but we are the masters over ourselves and the anger expressed here will only hurt us not them.
When I first left, one of the changes I noticed in myself was that I started admiring the beauty in all people. It makes me happy to try to see the good in people it might do some good for your inner peace to forgive and try to find the good in everyone, witnesses too. Not for their well being but yours.
Willyloman put it very nicely.
Loruhamah
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IP_SEC
Some of your comments are really over the top.
Yes elders bear a responsibility for unjust, imoral actions they took at the time. I know, I got to live with those actions every day. You are also responsible for subjecting yourself to that authority. No one had a gun to your head. You werent shackled to those kingdom hall seats. The only real victims of the JWs are minor kids as they dont have choice. The adults can pick up and leave any day they are ready too. If you consider yoursef a victim of the mean elders, you made yourself a victim.