Elders Giving Personal Opinions as Counsel,How did it Affect You?

flipper

Hey everybody. When I was a witness one thing that drove me crazy was getting counsel from elders shooting personal opinions off their hip like it was from Jehovah God himself. How many times at assemblies, wt articles, etc. did we hear elders counseled to only ," give counsel from the Bible, not your personal opinions"? In fact ,that was one major reason I left the org. because of being given faulty counsel which didn't harmonize with the Bible. The elders wanted me to take back a ex-wife who was a druggie and dangerous to my kids. They said," Just visit your kids without your wife, it's a good thing your wife wants to be with you." I told them I wasn't going to put my teenagers at risk with that and that my wife should accept my children also. So because I didn't follow their counsel they put me on their black list and tried to follow me around to entrap me, after my ex and I broke up, trying to see if I'd start dating other women. Fortunately, she dated other men and I had my scriptural grounds, but the stalking and bad advice from them, they would not admit to later. What about you all? How have elders personal advice to you affected you? Since then 4 years ago, I don't take anything they say seriously as I've been faded for that long. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks, Peace, Mr. Flipper

free2think

I knew an elder that hated sisters wearing jean skirts the meetings or on the ministry. So he made it a rule that no one could, even though this made it really hard for certain families that were living on single incomes. But he didn't care, he made sure jean skirts were erradicated.

minimus

Great question! COs are the WORST when it comes to giving counsel. I used to either ignore their new rules or pacify them until they left. One CO expected EVERY publisher to go out in service that Saturday. I worked most Saturdays but because he demanded 100% participation, I didn't go. He reported to the congregation that we almost had 100% but fell just shy of it.....Too bad!

Open mind

Saved me the potential heartache of owning a two-door car.

Open Mind

hopelesslystained

Well if mr. tj himself qualifies as an elder when he was D.O. he caused me to lie and lose my self respect due to emotionally blackmailing me. If I did not agree to what he personally required me to repeat and swear to in fron of the big J., he would be forced to remove my beloved dad from his position as
presiding o. All done when I was barely 18 while requiring my parents to be out of the room, just me and him. Go figure out how that would have affected you.

loosie

Well at 5 years old I was told that I had better stop talking to my DF'd older brother who was 18 at the time, or else I would die at armageddon. Which was going to happen in 1975.

I was not baptized at that time so how could I be held accountable for talking to a df'd person. I wasn't daddy's little girl I was my brother's little girl. He was the world to me. This stupid ignorant S.O.B. of an elder had me in tears at my kitchen table telling me this.

I still want to call up my mom and ask her why she allowed he to talk to me this way. And I would love to dig up that S.O.B. outta of his grave and slap the shit out of him.

Yes I know, I have issues. Who doesn't?!?!

Hortensia

fucking assholes - their counsel to my mother that my dangerous violent alcoholic father was her "head" and represented jehovah and that his violence was a "test" of faith caused us to live ten more years in that life than we would have otherwise. There was no need for it at all - but they had no pity on us, just a poor struggling mom and her three little kids who just unfortunately drew a bad card from jehovah and had to live with it.

flipper

Hello y'all, Mr. Flipper here. Thanks for your comments. Keep 'em comin'. Free to Think- Jean skirts are cool. Should have made that elder give all his talks in jean skirts the rest of his life as punishment!!! minimus- Same here. I used to ignore elders personal opinions and just say thank you with a fake smile, then proceed to do what I wanted to do anyway. Co's - Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Open Mind- nice 2 door car!! What kind?? Hopelessly Stained- If this is the same tj. I'm thinking about, I hope he didn't blackmail you into keeping quiet about his alleged child molesting!! That's evil. Bastard. He'll pay in the end! Loosie- Gawd!! A 5 year old should always be able to talk to her 18 year old brother. Where's this elders grave? I'll help you dig him up and beat the hell out of him!!! Hortensia- So sorry you went through that!! It's also a test of faith that we had to put up with stupid elders who gave assinely awful advice! Peace to you all, Mr. Flipper. keep it comin'.

loosie

Lol Flipper

Where's this elders grave? I'll help you dig him up and beat the hell out of him!!!

You're closer to it then I am. he died out in CA In the very late 80's. I look up the location of it next time I'm out in CA and I have to pee.

Frequent_Fader_Miles

I'm fading; married to an ~~non-JW~~ "unbeliever". When I was getting married, an elder who found out about it deliberately went through the branch records to locate my mom's phone number. He had never even met her, but found it appropriate to dole out a "veiled" threat to her about attending my wedding.

Elders Giving Personal Opinions as Counsel,How did it Affect You?

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