How Many Former Elders/MS Taught What You Wanted & Ignored The Rest?

by Seeker4 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  Seeker4

  Classic, Gary!
  
  "...so he said he wasn't going to let not understanding something keep him from teaching it."
  
  I never knew an elder, CO or DO who would let a small thing like ignorance of a subject prevent him from expounding on it!
  
  S4
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  TheListener

  I totally did that. I thought I was the only one. hahahahha

  It's nice to be here and see how similar people can be.
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  minimus

  I stopped giving public talks that I couldn't agree with so I stuck to themes such as joy, happy family life, getting along with others, not being judgmental, etc.
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  Tristram

  I would love to, but I have to come clean and admit that I let myself get so run around that usually its easier just to cut and paste some stuff off the cd rom and get the part over.
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  Honesty

  I never mentioned the FDS.

  I never addressed SHUNNING

  I never discussed marital DO's and DON'T's

  I always used the Bible instead of WT trash publications

  That's problably why I am no longer one of the cult's star pupils Jehovah's Witnesses.
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  willyloman

  Good topic.

  I conducted the WT study and the last few years I was an elder, I was on a personal crusade to reform WT teaching, both at the WT Study and in talks that I gave.

  For the WT Study, I reviewed the articles in advance and when a paragraph contained what I deemed to be "interpretive" dogma - and there are always a few "loaded" paragraphs in every WT study - I would figure out a way to water it down.

  For instance, if the WTS was saying something in the paragraph that sounded like "new light" I'd research what they had said about that over the years. Then I would bring that out in the study or give the print out to one of a couple of people in the congo who had "deep study" reputations and ask them to bring this out when we got to that paragraph. I would never say, "See, the Society has been all over the map on this." But by bringing up previous positions that were different, the current interpretation would be put in perspective and anyone with half a brain would realize that it, too, could change. I also ran out every scripture cited in the WT article and highlighted the ones that taught mainstream Christian values and that "overrode" some of the dogma in the article. I would have those looked up and read and discussed by the audience. Often this would result in a whole new "take" on what the paragraph said. I'd cite the same scripture from another translation (Today's English Version or Tyndale's Paraphrased were especially good) and ask the audience to comment on what understanding those other translations brought to the topic.

  The result was: a) I was a popular WT conductor, and b) the "friends" learned something, although not always what "mother" wanted them to. I believed at the time i was being a "force for good' and conducting a guerilla campaign to "reform" the WT. Of course I came to realize reform was not going to happen and that my efforts were futile. All that happened was that the "friends" began to think of the WT study as a truly intellectual enterprise and that they were gaining deep insights into the scriptures every Sunday, thanks to the faithful and discreet slave's feeding program. I was just the zookeeper.

  As for public talks, I would review every outline, even of talks I had given many times before (some for years). I would throw out whole sections of the outline. I discovered that virtually every talk outline had a corresponding WT Study article, and by using the WT Library CD I could always find it. I would make a copy of the article, highlight the paragaphs I enjoyed, leave out the dogmatic crap, look up all the scriptures, and give THAT talk. Not once did anyone ever accuse me of not following the outline. Towards the end of my elderhood, when I had decided to resign so I could start my fade, I gave a talk on the Bible. It was from an old outline and a fairly neutral stroll through the 66 books, their history, lots of dates and facts. By leaving out the dogma, I produced an interesting talk - one I could have given at almost any church by merely editing out the name "Jehovah." It was a big hit with the audience. "So refreshing," said one elderly sister.

  All this proves is that the dubs are hungry to learn and not too picky about what is taught. And if you are at the KH and hear a talk that is "outside the box" and full of personal research and you realize it is remarkably short of "the pure language" and other dogma, it will indeed be refreshing and enjoyable - but you can bet the brother has parted company with the organization on some important level.
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  emptywords

  Iv'e come across some elders that are zealots, overly righteous about much....one elder used to come out with outrageous personal opinions, neither from the WT or the bible....because he was so self righteous and unbalanced he expected everyone to be how he was.

  Example....have to be completely out of the world, (the whole world is lying in the power of the wickedone, that must include bethel ) to the point that no TV, no worldy music, or litrature, (only if it is sited in one of the society litrature you can look it up) would not agree with anthing not anything that was not in the WT ,even though admiting that a lot has changed over the years. Depression is no excuse to miss A meeting....and all anxieties can be cured if study the bible and apply, mental illness is a big excuse for people not to apply or do truth.

  Does not believe that a person can have a reason to leave Jehovah, in other words no excuse to be stumbled, when Jesus clearly talks about those that stumble others...and their fate Mth 18:6.

  I wonder if he should literaly apply Mth 5:29.....If now that right eye of yours is making yiou stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is more beneficial to you for one of your members to be lost to you than for your whle body to be pitched into Gehenna.
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  Arthur

  When I served as a Ministerial Servant, we had the Service Overseer give a local needs part where he basically raked the congregation over the coals. He took a blackboard up with him and wrote down field service figures for preceeding months and he pointed out how "low" they were. He flat out told the congregation that they were not doing enough; but he did it in a very caustic manner. His part was more of a diatribe; really Many of us were absolutely shocked. I personally was sickened.

  The next week roled around, and I had a Service Meeting part on - guess what? Field Service. I went up and stated that no human has the ability or the right to decide if one is doing enough in the ministry; that only Jehovah and us alone could decide this. I remember the look on the Service Overseer's face when I was giving this part. He looked like he wanted to kick me in the groin. Needless to say, my part went over like a lead baloon. Not one elder told me I did a good job, later. This was a major defining moment for me in my career as a Watchtower employee.
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  R.F.

  Arthur that was more like a kick in HIS groin, especially since his part was the week prior.

  Great job haha!

  R.F.
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  emptywords

  Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"

  "Times they are a changin" (hopefully) I would have stood up and sung along this one.