Could Elder Loss "Reform" the Organization?

by metatron 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  It is clear that, outside of areas with high immigrant populations, the Society is having trouble keeping

  elders. I also think they are "looking the other way" on a lot of moral lapses in some areas because

  they are desperate to hold on to what little they have. Ironically, this puts them in good company

  with the Catholic Church, in its corrupt efforts to retain priests.

  I put the word "reform" in quotes because I have no illusions that the Watchtower Hierarchy will ever

  overcome their hardened hearts or stiff necked opposition to moral reform.

  but that doesn't rule out some potentially beneficial changes.

  A lack of elders could hamper efforts to squelch discreet apostasy. It could prevent disfellowshippings

  It is likely to increase congregation size - almost synonymous with a loss of control.

  There is a lot of potential harm that a lack of elders could prevent.

  The Society once sent out a letter demanding that elder meetings be reasonable in length

  and the change to half hour public Sunday talks may be a desire to reduce pressure on elders.

  This is a situation worth watching ... and encouraging.

  metatron
• 

  minimus

  How are they looking the other way? I think they're stricter than ever before.
• 

  Tristram

  How are they looking the other way? I think they're stricter than ever before.

  Minimus, I think he means individual elders as opposed to the organization as a whole. The organization is definitely getting stricter, as is evidenced by the now infamous September 2007 KM Question Box.
• 

  minimus

  But the Society makes them either rat on each other or tow the line. If it's serious, they're out.
• 

  The Oracle

  Minimus,

  22,222 posts. Just had to comment on that for some reason.
• 

  oompa

  The large army of large women are standing at the ready.

  they can taste the power....oompa
• 

  choosing life

  I just see them consolidating congregations. They are already starting to do this. I think there will always be some janitor who has no power in the world who will eat up the idea of having power over others in the cong.

  The org. works from the top down, so reform will have to come the same way. Just not gonna happen. They are too entrenched and getting meaner as they go.
• 

  metatron

  There has been some discussion about oral instructions at KM school about overlooking past

  acts of adultery in an appointed elder. I think you can discern the same attitude in rumors about

  elders who got removed for molesting a minor, "What a shame that this girl ruined this brother's

  standing" or words to that effect.

  I know of various outrages that many elders in the NorthEast have done with no more than a slap

  on the hand in response. In addition, I believe they relaxed general enforcement of the old rule

  about having your family ( i.e. errant kids) in submission to hold on to more elders. Having the

  C.O. in your corner ( "how about a game of golf/meal at a nice restaurant/etc") counts for a lot.

  metatron
• 

  metatron

  As for "ratting each other out", Minimus, think carefully about how Bodies of Elders often act like

  co-conspirators, rather than 'loyal' Theocratic robots. Elders will often cover for each other, in front

  of the C.O. I saw this many times.

  Example: a poor brother (an MS) is lambasted and removed for allowing his broke DF'd kid to come

  back home to live. Not one elder brought up the fact that a weathly popular elder did the same thing

  while they judged the MS in the meeting, in front of the C.O.

  Another example: a racist C.O. ( named "Green") in the 70's went around removing white elders

  in favor of "our people" ( !!!) He didn't get away with this in congregations in which the elders

  refused to find fault with each other.

  metatron
• 

  WTWizard

  One thing is sure: If there are fewer hounders, it is going to make it quite difficult for them to hold all those judicial committees. True, they will be just as inclined to disfellowship if the circumstances warrant. But scheduling one will be more of a burden.

  However, that won't stop them from seeking the whole congregation's help. If one sees your Christmas tree or thinks you are doing fornication, they are more likely to rat you out now. Hopefully there will be a backlog in judicial committees, so all they can do is set up the computer (that is, if they have the wits to do so) to print out the S-77 forms in massive quantities. They will not be able to hold the hearings in groups, since if they are dealing with one apostate and several fornicators, the apostate will likely influence the fornicators to never come back instead of later repentance, and the hounders are more likely to be taken off guard if several apostates are there at once than with only one.

  I would think more draconian measures from headquarters are forthcoming, since they are determined to hold onto control at all costs. And when fraud and coercion fail, they might actually resort to force. And there are cases where a hounder's family wants nothing more than to take in one person, especially if the victim is a single brother with no family in the Tower and no marriage prospects. This is going to become one mighty dangerous cult. Were it not for the serious damage that is at stake, it would be very interesting to see where it is all going.

  Where I hope it goes: South.