The wts still gives the elders the same authority over the cong as before but is the cong controlled as much by the elders?
Have elders lost power they once had over the flock?
by Fisherman 8 Replies latest jw friends
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buffalosrfree
IMO, I don't think so but it isn't from lack of trying on the part of the elders. People will spout about how we should be listenting to those idiots but it isn't as radical as it seemed to be in the past. I believe more and more people are trying to use their God given brains to actually think for themselves every once in aswhile. Rare but it does happen.
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WTWizard
Here are some ways the hounders can lose control on a member:
(1) The member stops going to meetings and starts making it extremely difficult for the hounders to contact them. Confusing them works. Not answering the phone or the door also works. And, when they show up at the member's work, the hounders can be forced to do something illegal in order to reclaim power, and then busted.
(2) The member flagrantly disregards counsel. Haircuts are "forgotten". Those colored shirts are kept, with more colors added. Ties that are off base are simply removed with no tie being added. Sneakers are untied when the hounders make a stink of wearing sneakers. They continue driving at a slow speed and walking slowly in field circus when counseled that doing less than 160 MPH is stealing. And so on.
(3) The member blatantly does something to get disfellowshipped right in the hounder's face. They might be counseled for something stupid, and then in response they pull out a cigarette or a scratch off ticket and use it. At the judicial hearing, they light anothe cigarette, this time blowing smoke in the hounders' faces--or playing another scratch off and making a big deal when they win a $5 payoff. A choice swear word follows.
(4) The member continues getting personal items that go against the Tower or the hounders. They have a talk against rap music, so the member gets 50 Cent's CDs. They have a talk against R-rated movies, so the member rents a porn video. Having a chest full of Christmas decorations ready to go up in a flash would also help, since if Brother Hounder says anything about the music or the videos, they can go upstairs and get out the Christmas decorations and put those up (or threaten to if they don't leave them alone about the music).
Then, if all else fails, there is The Disassociation Letter. Writing and sending one of those will cause the hounders to lose all control. Of course, you have to hope they don't have someone that's a total idiot and decides to disregard it and recapture you. The good news is that there is a limit to how many people they can do that to, and it takes all out dedication from a whole family to attempt this crap on just one person.
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solidergirl
Im finding that more people are starting to careless if they get Df or Da. The only time they really care is if they have close family in the org. Before I left 4 people were Df before me. Its like okay i do have another life you know.
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mentalclearness
Uesd to be that the elders had complete control. I've noticed recently that people are encouraged to use heir own conscience. Absolute control is no longer popular. People here used to always go to the elders with any little question about what to do or wear or say...I know for a fact they are discouraged to do that. But the DF fear is still great for many people. Especially those whose complete social circle are JW's...
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2112
Once you,ve been a witless for three months or longer, you get into a rut of never hearing anything new. Many people just zone out and go through the motions. Some times they become like zombies and that is why many witlesses don't know their own beliefs, and on the rare times that something "new" comes along they are totaly unaware of it. i.e. - Blood fractions, 1914 etc.
Other times there are those who use their mind regulaly, maybe for work. They will not zombie out and they will follow where their mind goes, you know, think for themselfs. Most stick around for two reasons first as had been said, they have family inside and don't want to rock the boat. Another reason some thinking persons stay with the WT is because they feel superior to those inside and they like that feeling. That would help to explain a lot of the arrogant attitudes many JW have. However many plainly stupid JW's are also quite arrogant, so who knows?
Just my thoughts
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KW13
I think that that the vast majority of Witnesses are putting on a front anyway and that most of the Witnesses who are in the Organization now have been in a long time, the whole thing is stagnant and without putting down the experiences - people are fed-up of it. Elders represent the Organization and its authority in each Kingdom Hall, if you don't respect the Organization you won't respect the Elders (or at least their position) either.
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zack
Once you understand that half these guys are morons, you lose all fear of them.
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Fisherman
Before the internet, elders had secret knowledge and knowledge is power. Now anyone even non jws can get secret info on the internet from elders that are not loyal to the wts that post such info.