WHOA! Elders don't care about me after all!!!

by Schism 32 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Warlock

  Welcome to the "Elders don't give a damn about me either" club.

  I promise you will never get lonely.

  Warlock
• 

  PoppyR

  I am in a similar situation, I had one call from an elder, I fobbed him off very quickly (he totally caught me out, late at night and it was freezing as I kept him standing on the doorstep) and I had a letter from a 'sister' which was very emotional, saying she loved me etc..

  Apart from that... nothing. Recently I have cause to believe they have decided to just leave me alone. I dont view it as a lack of love, I just think they are all worn out with all the stuff they have to do and fed up of trying to encourage people back who clearly dont want to come!

  Well done, enjoy and I think you may find they wont come knocking!

  Poppy
• 

  jgnat

  You have to remember, as one of Watchtower's lost sheep, you are meant to BLEAT LOUDLY and CLING DESPERATELY to the shepherd's leg. Otherwise, he might pass over you altogether.

  AND, by the way, CONGRATULATIONS on averting a disaster with your sweetheart. I advise spouses all the time on how to avert a study. I collect good-news stories and learn from them. What would you say worked in your favor to convince your hubby to drop it?

  It sounds like a little common sense helped. You appealed to his natural personality by plainly telling him you were not influenced by Satan. Good show!
• 

  LowTech

  Its funny....a little over a year ago I fell into a bad depression. Basically had a hard time functioning around people. In the 3 months of meetings I missed at that time, not one Elder or non-relative called, send a card, visited, etc. So I know what you feel like. I kept thinking if they are the shepards, why don't they try. The first meeting back I tried, not a single person came up to me before the meeting(and I was there 15 minutes ahead of time like a good little boy). Only 1 person came up after the meeting, I eventually started walking out crying.

  Its funny, I always remember the Elders mentioning in passing conversation that the CO was visiting and it was time to get around to sherparding calls. Definitely love there huh?

  Christopher
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Welcome to the "Elders don't give a damn about me either" club.

  This thread is cheering me on today. I have hope that my elders won't bother me much.

  When I resigned as an elder, I gave them a 4-page letter explaining my "doubts."

  When the CO gave me a literal 15 minutes (he DID have dinner plans) of his time, but
  suggested that I study with 2 elders, I wrote a 3-page letter to the BOE saying I saw
  my value to the organization, don't waste your time with me, besides- they might just be
  gathering evidence for a judicial matter (my words were more cautious than that).

  Anyway, now they avoid more than saying Hi, I sure hope that lasts. You all are
  reminding me that it is possible. I assume that they don't want another letter from me
  and I hope that they just let me fade quietly.

  Your fade has gone good so far, I think you might be able to let the sleeping dog lie.
• 

  dedpoet

  Hi Schism,

  I did the same as you - just stopped going one day, and never went back. I actually gave a talk at my last meeting, a #4 in the tms, and was warmly commended by the school overseer for my efforts. He said he was looking forward to hearing more from me, but I knew he wasn't going to!

  Mine was a planned exit, but still sudden. The elders left me alone for over 5 years after I'd left, and then paid an unwelcome call, after which I da'd, which I should probably have done years before.

  You might get left alone for some time, although they are supposed to visit you. Enjoy it while it lasts!

  dedpoet
• 

  drew sagan

  I guess we have to be thankful that the vast majority of Elders out there are just plain lazy. If you give them no reasons to come bother you it's more than likely a give in that they won't be coming around (more than likely because they can't count the time).
  
  I thought I might get a visit since the C.O. is coming around soon, but now I'm starting to think they not even going to give that a try.
  
  I feel bad for the people who don't have lazy Elders, that has got to suck the big one.
• 

  avidbiblereader

  Who cares if the elders (men) care about you? It was the same story that happened to me and my daughter, same story over and over again with countless people on the forum and many many more who don't post here. It won't be an elder who gives you life or approval, there are two DO love you and care, Jah and Christ. They are the only two that matter in the end anyway.

  Jer 23:4 says 4 And I will raise up over them shepherds who will actually shepherd them; and they will be afraid no more, neither will they be struck with any terror, and none will be missing,” is the utterance of Jehovah.

  I used this scripture on the elders in my judical case with many other scriptures and after 8 months of not one phone, visit or anything of loving consideration except the one phone call to DF, they hung their heads in shame at the meeting. The lack of true shepherding that goes on, is appalling and they should hang their heads in shame to even think that they remotely follow our Lord and Master in this repect. As the Fine Shepherd on his last night said of his apostles, "not one of them is missing except the son of destruction". Jesus knows his sheep and will not lose one of them. Their lack of effort in many cases, the fact that they need articles and special times of the year to be reminded to do what TRUE love should prompt them to do shows that they don't have geniune love needed to be true shepherds. I am not making this statement about everyone as this is not a spandex comment toward anyone who claims to be a shepherd in any religion but Jesus words below state that results show if it has true wisdom.

  Jesus said at Matt 11:19 says But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

  There are many sad results of men who have not fulfilled their so called God-given assignments, never again will I put my trust in men. From now on I will put my trust where the Bible says it should have been all along. In Jehovah God the Almighty and His Son Jesus, who is the true Shepherd of our souls. 1 Peter 2:25 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

  Ps 27:10 says of Jah

  10 In case my own father and my own mother did leave me,
  Even Jehovah himself would take me up.

  As long as you have those two, does it matter to you?
• 

  Schism

  Actually BibleReader, my life has had much more meaning without belief in some higher power like Jah and Jesus. If Jah is real, which I'm sure he's not, he sure does seem like a real mean-ass in the OT.

  I'm also very happy about the elders leaving me alone, and I don't get my feelings hurt. I think it's funny how they seem afraid to talk to me now. How could dumb men, whom I hold such little value for, hurt my feelings by leaving me alone? LOL Good riddens to them! They are saving me much un-needed stress!

  LOL @ jgnat, it didn't take much convincing! I just told him, literally, to think with his brain and to stop acting like a cult member. Oh yeah, and that Russel looked like a one-legged tonic salesman who poisoned people behind his covered wagon.

  Now that we are both thinking with logic and not stressing over "why are we here, where did we come from" stuff, we are very happy and much less agitated (we fought all the time when attending meetings). We both believe that humans evolved over many millions of years, and that we've developed a need for a higher power, so we evented them. There are so many different Gods and Goddesses, and those who believe in them, believe they are just as real as Jesus is to Christians. We also believe humans are still evolving, which has some truth to it (I.E. modern humans are getting taller - have you ever seen the size of a very antique bed?? Men were shorter than the average woman today!, brains are still gradually getting bigger, certain unused bones are becomming less common each generation, and we still haven't evolved the perfect hips and back for standing upright, which is why we need hip replacements when we get old, and why we have back problems so frequently, and that tailbone is ridiculous. If we were made in God's image, he must be a poodle ). We LOVE thinking like this, and I wouldn't trade it for a million lifetimes in heaven or a paradise. We really feel like we can breathe for once, and not worry about some angel going tattle-tale on us in heaven! Although we do believe in spirits, we don't attribute them to God. We just reason that they are another life form sharing the same planet as we do, and they exist in another realm.

  I don't want to offend anyone here who really does believe in God. I respect it, and if anyone wants to make fun of evolution, be my guest! It's a forum with diverse people and beliefs. I can take as much as I dish out! LOL
• 

  LovesDubs

  I think the LOOK that elder gave you was more like a deer in the headlights! He was thinking "Oh SHIT! I was supposed to go do a sheparding call on that one! Now I am sooooo busted!"

  hehehe...doesnt it feel great to strike fear into the hearts of Jehovahs Sheeple?