Did You Ever "Tell Off" An Elder or Circuit Overseer?

by minimus 42 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  restrangled

  When I was about 11 years old, I had to go out in service with my mom, younger brothers, and the circuit overseer. My younger brothers and I sat in the back seat all morning listening to my mother "kissing up" to the CO)...it was truely sickening. As young children, we really did not know what was going on but sensed a different behavior from our mother. We started acting up, and the CO started counseling us.

  After he got through berating us, I remember saying something like this stinks and I want to go home.

  When I got home, I had the tar beat out of me by my father, becuase I had embarrassed my mother so badly in front of a big shot.

  I learned to keep my mouth shut.

  r.
• 

  Lo-ru-hamah

  I have had a couple of runins with elders.

  There was a time when I really would have liked to have it out with a CO's wife. About 10 years ago, while I was quite poor, I gave a donation to the CO's wife. She very sweetly told me, "Thank you, I will buy my horse something with this." I didn't say anything but that was the last donation I ever gave to a CO.

  Loruhamah
• 

  choosing life

  When a CO was preaching about quitting your job if it involved shiftwork, I did ask him if he would be there to help out financially when all the jobs that my husband could find on days were low paying and we couldn't make it on that. He didn't take kindly to it however. I had to bite my tongue about how he was living in a different word than most of us. He was being totally supported by us hard working publishers.
• 

  95stormfront

  Never had the privilege of "telling off" and Elder or CO but I did shut them down midstream when they came into my home for one of their shepherding visits induced by my wife. One of them tried to get condescending with me with their prefacing statements I made with "so, what you're saying is....." upon which each time trying to reword my statements to better suit the prepared answers he and his dumb-ass assistant had rehearsed. Then he tried pouring on the guilt implying that because I wasn't walking the JW line anymore that I was or must've done something wrong. I stopped them both right there and told them I thought we were having a Biblical discussion and not an assessment on whether or not I was doing something wrong. They figured they weren't getting anywhere with me that day and made a hasty exit.
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  blondie

  Blondie: I'm sure you did. With all your references backing you.

  Actually, when I am one-on-one or one-on-two with elders all I need is their own words and my memory of the scriptures and show them how their words don't agree with the Bible.

  Written references work best in the DB world where this no verbal communication.

  Blondie
• 

  hillbilly

  Yes I have. And for the record, telling off a elder and a CO is a lot like wrestling a pig. You get tired and dirty and the pig just gets agitated.

  I now know what Jesus meant about casting pearls before swine... Hard core JW's just let it all slide right off... they just dont get it.

  ~Hill
• 

  alamb

  yeah, and it still makes me grin

  I had been called before them to be disfellowshipped for being "uncontrollable". I went into the auditorium to await my punishment while they decided my fate. Then it hit me. I got up. Walked in the library and smiled, shook their hands and told them I was disfellowshipping them for not being Christians. Wish I'd had a camera.

  Does that mean I'm uncontrollable?
• 

  144001

  In my early teens, my parents had a CO over for a lunch, and insisted that I be there. When he started criticizing me on various issues, I stood up and told him and his wife to "get the F&ck out of our house." They did just that. I got beat for it, but it was well worth it to me.
• 

  jayhawk1

  I can't remember telling off an elder. I did refuse to shake hands with several when they became jerks about my beard almost 2 years after letting me have it.
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  bronzefist

  I have a deep rich voice...somewhat booming at the slightest rise in volume.It was ideal for reading the Watchtower on Sundays which is a lead in to:

  I've set a CO "straight" when he told me I "lost control of my son. Told him I don't CONTROL my son he has his own free will. Asked him if he CONTROLS the congregations and he turned stark white then red. he said, "You will suffer the consequenses for your decision!" I lost all my privledges when the CO left.

  Had the PO tell me during a sit down with the entire body of elders (rare?), "Don't put words in my mouth!!!" Told him,"I'm not putting words in your mouth YOU'RE putting words in your mouth."