Crap... Elders coming over tonight for a pep talk (page 3)

moshe

Well, tell them you are trying to sort out , if you are of the annointed. Quiet meditation, Bible reading and prayer is what you need right now. You hope to have it all figured out soon.

I've always found that an extreme emotional response makes guys exit fastest. When they "encourage" you to do more, could you get all emotional, fake a tear, pull out the kleenex (onion hidden within), blow your nose, wipe your sleeve, offer hugs all around? Thank them for their concern, you are touched, you never realized, apologize you are overwhelmed by it all, show them the door?

freyd

Depression, pre-occupied with work, etc is good. If they start with anything dangerous just say you don't care to discuss anything doctrinal and then get back to depression and work if they ask why.

still_in74

well things went pretty smooth.

I was not put on the spot about the FDS or anything like that. And as it turns out my wife did ask for a "sheparding visit"
They basically said they noticed I have not been out in service and that is a "danger sign". Then they asked me if there was anything I wanted to share with them.

Well, based on my wife finding C of C I did not want to say "no" and then have my wife bring it up so I jumped in about the blood issue. I told them I was having difficulty accepting this new light, which is true BTW. So the one elder went through the decades of circumcision arguments the disciples had and how they had a hard time accepting that change and Jehovah had patience with them on it for decades before Titus finally said that ones insisting on circumsision should be expelled from the cong. It was actually a very good illustration as to God's patience in dealing with imperfect humans.
So that was good but didnt exactly change anything.
It was at this point where I said the real problem was that the more I reasoned on the logic behind fractions the more the blood issue appeared to be "fleshly" reasoning and not spiritual and that it had sparked in me a fleshly viewpoint of the WTS.
I pointed out that I am fortunate enough to have not lost loved ones for refusing fractions that are now acceptable, but that the thought of this having occured to others caused me to question how this could have been from Jehovah, I said "we certainly dont accuse Jehovah of evil". Thus it added to my fleshly view point of the WTS.

They agreed. They had to. They even admitted that neither of them had filled out their blood cards either nor anyone in their families. In the end they basically acknowledged that the WTS is imperfect and not inspired and that our present understanding on blood may not be the final one. I didnt push this any farther as I really do want to rock the boat right now.

The one elder then talked about 1975 a bit and how so many then served with a date in mind and left. He acknowledged that the society did apologize for leading ppl to conclude that 1975 would be the year and that they indeed did lead ppl to believe that. That was interesting to hear an elder not whitewash what happened.
So I added - "well it happened in 1914 and 1925 also." to which he said he remembered being 4 years old at an assembly and being all excited about meeting the resurrected King David and how the "princes" were then believed to be resurrected on earth and that was in 1950. It was an interesting conversation but I had to handle carefully so as not to rock the boat.

In the end they invited me out in service Saturday morning as I expected, so now when you are all sleeping in this Sat. morn I will be in a mini-van with my suit and tie on! Hopefully they will take it easy on me. LOL
Afterwards I talked with my wife and expanded my thoughts on the fleshly viewpoint of the WTS and she said she understands why I feel that way. She also understood why I wanted to know about the history of the org and expressed an interest to know more herself so I am hoping to open her eyes to things starting with the Proclaimers Book. Yes it white washed history but my commentary will fill in this gaps.

Anyway, that is what happened. I have no idea what will follow. Maybe a local needs on blood cards??

Thanks all for your advice and concern, I consider you all my friends and right now I need friends who are on my side.

Bye for now!

SnakesInTheTower

still_in74...

well...glad no confrontations came of th e ~~Shepherding Call~~ Gestapo Visit (aka Borg Mind Control Reintegration Visit).....too bad that you are stuck in field circus Sunday . I will be thinking of you while I am in the Caymans Sunday.... OK...that's a little lie, I am sorry.....I won't be thinking of any JW stuff Sunday unless my JW mom decides to have her "conversation" with me.... (post when I get back on that)

Fading is hard when you have a loyal dub spouse....I dont have to deal with that Thank ~~God~~ Whatever.

Just keep doing less and less...if riding around in a van listening to others spiels gets you off the hook...then a small price indeed to keep the family peace....

I wish you well...

Snakes ()

Sirona

From what I heard, the society did not apologise for 1975.

R.F.

I'm glad that things went that smoothly.

I find it quite interesting that they'd admit to not filling out the "no blood" cards. Here the BOE seemed to hound the congregation about not filling them out.....I never filled it out even after that.

I hope ~~door-to-door magazine sales~~ field service goes well for you on Saturday and you don't flip your lid while having to endure it.

I wish you the best as you continue to attempt an exit from the Borg.

R.F.

From what I heard, the society did not apologise for 1975.

They did apologize in a sense for leading ones to put so much emphasis on the date, while at the same time blaming the R & F for saying that the end would come in 1975.......so perhaps that isn't much of an apology at all. If i'm not mistaken I believe it's in a 1980 Watchtower. Perhaps someone else has the direct reference.

calico

It's very interesting to me that those elders have not filled out new blood cards. How can they disagree with that issue and still go out in service to try to bring more people in?

besty

http://www.freeminds.org/history/proclaimers.htm

Crap... Elders coming over tonight for a pep talk