When a JW how did you deal with dissidenters in the congos did you fear or admire them? Did you marginalise them or secretly approach them? Did you think they were right in some or all of their criticisms of the FDS? Did one help you get out of the borg?
Dealing with dissenters while a JW
by greendawn 5 Replies latest social humour
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Mysterious
I thought they were stupid and avoided them at all cost. I couldn't imagine why they would go against god's arrangements or want to leave. Now I see I wasn't as smart as I thought I was and they had it right all along.
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greendawn
I can recall we were talking as a group of JWs and saying: "how do those apostates dare provoke jehovah by picketing our assemblies?" Interestingly most of those saying these things are now ex JWs.
But deep down it never made sense to me that we never heard their side of the story how could we be really sure that they were wrong? Always both sides must be heard in a dispute to be fair.
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Wasanelder Once
During Pioneer school one of the CO's teaching asked, "How do you respond to those who criticize the society?" I remember responding with vigor, "I won't even listen to it". I look back now and I must have seemed like the assasin in the Manchurian Candidate..
W.Once
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Forscher
Well,
Since I was considered a "fighter against Jehovah," that was how I was characterised by the elders in my first congregation in phone calls to every congregation I moved to after I left, I reckon how I would've dealt with dissenters is kind of moot. Isn't it?!
;-)
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KennyC
Well, it wasn't humorous, as this section is dedicated to, but I recall as a young boy I had a great friend who was a wonderful husband to his wife and an excellent father. His hospitality was immensely notable too. He was also an old timer type critic of some of the Watchtower Society's writings. Because of this he was called an apostate by elders and shunned though not disfellowshipped. (I still don't know how he got away with that!) He was, and still is a great guy in his 70's, and his wife is like a good aunt to me. I am always welcome at the dinner table there.
Nevertheless, in my heyday after baptism I chimed in with the elders opinions and those who shunned him, although I did not physically shun him myself. This is done by organizationalism, whether the society says to do it or not. The elders are so afraid of being "deleted" for having any association with dissenters that they make young people feel the same way. I feel bad about it now, because he is one of the best truly Christian individuals I have been blessed to know in my life. I since then have apologized to him. He has always been a great friend of the family, and I love him like a father (and caring elder) I never really had.