If You Were Ever An Elder...

by Henry 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  elderelite

  I agree with what most said. I read what "on the way out" said with particular interest in light of the other thread on atheism. Interesting that you still carry the worst quality of any JW after so long a time, that whole judgmental thing. How anyone could read my post trying to apologize for bad wording and get what you got only shows how much the organization scared you. As one elder to another I am truly sorry. Perhaps one day we can meet and I can buy you a beer. Nothing like a drink and a laugh to mend fences. Until then I will say this clearly for all to hear and understand: I am currently an elder, true. However, I DO NOT believe everything that comes from the branch. Far from it. I have seen up close and personal everything every elder has said in this thread. We all know the truth of it. The pettiness in an elders meeting is unbelievable, and yet these men claim to be lead by holy spirit. I read COC with great understanding...I could see the truth in everything he described on the GB in my own body. It all adds up. However, I have a great amount of family who are zealots to high degree, my dear wife included, whom I don't want to lose. My fade will take much time, and its fine. I can work with it. I'm in no rush. I'm not bitter. As a born in I may have missed some things, but i have never felt "left out". I have done anything I have ever wanted to do, organization be damned. I have never been a traditional JW in that respect. I take my current role as an elder as a chance to really help those who may need it and those I may be in a position to help. I try my best to be a moderating force on the body. I understand it's mostly pointless but I do what I can with what I have. So for all those who want to see my as a JW apologist, fire away. As I said on the atheism thread, I think most people are good at heart, JW or not. I simply try to be balanced. The JW's are not all bad, but do have serious issues that I have problems with. Things that have made a bit of a COC for me. If some want to say, as they already have, that I am partly brain washed still or haven't left all of my JW training behind, so be it. I will always have JW in me. All of us who were in always will. We cant undo who we are and how we were raised. I wont try. I will be the best man I can based on what I know. The best Husband, Father and Friend. And for now, Elder.

  "on the way out", the drink offer stands. Unfortunately I have once again reached my newbie post limit and can't respond for 18 hours. until then /lurk
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  Crisis of Conscience

  Wow! I'm a MS yet I can agree with a lot of the things miseryloveselders says. Although I feel different though in that if I had been appointed an elder at some point last year, I probably would have continued "faithful" and my discovering the truth about the troof would have been delayed. I already had doubts so discovery was inevitable. But I felt like I could put things aside and being appointed an elder would show Jehovah's "blessing" (TM) and "spiritual growth and maturity" (TM) on my part. I felt I was ready but not qualified. Isn't that what Jehovah wants?

  But now I am glad I wasn't asked to be an elder. I think it would've been a bigger chain to remove from myself. It's bad enough having to trod around like a faithful servant when I don't give a crap anymore.

  WOW! That last line will really piss off the apologists and trolls!
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  eyeslice

  Being an elder really does open your eyes to the in-fighting that goes on within bodies of elders and sometimes between the bodies of elders of one congregation and another. And then the situation where you have to deal with something tricky but but elder X 'knows' some one at Bethel.

  This happened to me several times and one occasion Bethel wrote a very snotty letter to our body elders (though in reality me) about a case that they really didn't know all the facts about having only heard one side of things. So much for being fair judges.
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  inbetween

  How can one be an elder and still know the truth about the truth ?

  This question keeps coming up in my mind frequently.

  I think, it very much depends on the personal situation. A complete fade is atm completely unthinkable for me, it would kill my parents, even literally I fear. Therefore even to step aside from the "privilge" may turn too quick into a fading move, and bring up too many questions, thats why I cannot risk it for now.

  I silent my conscience by trying to be as reasonable, liberal, tolerant as possible, and direct any discussion to a scriptural basis, and in imitation of Jesus Christs qualities.

  Our BOE is not so bad, we have some intelligent reasonable elders there. Of course, any letter from the branch is considered equal as Gods word, something that is increasingly disturbing to me. On the other hand, fortunately its rare, that we need to consult them.

  All in all, being a JW is not so bad for my personal situation. As a born in, I know nothing else anyway, and I consider myself mostly as a happy person. My foremost concern is my wife, she becomes critical from time to time regarding the Borg, I carefully support it, but I most not go to far, its still the truth for her. Pushing it too much will make her too suspiscious.

  Whats the worst for me ever since Ive been an elder were judicial comitees, alwas felt strange to sit and judge...long time before my awakening, it struck me at one elder school, were the topic of one of the talks was about being judges. It sounded so strange, since Jesus told us not to judge. Mostly cases I was one ended in a private reproof, and I had the feeling, it was rather a help for the person than a punishment. One time though I had to agree to df a person, it was clear, even on a biblical reason, however, it bugged me for many days and nights, could not really get over it. This was also before I came here.

  One thing I clearly can say, I never was for the power, I did not even desire to become an elder, it just happened, I almost denied when they asked me.

  Time will show what will happen, for now I have to be an "undercover elder apostate".
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  CandleSurgeon

  What an interesting thread. I was never an elder, didn't even make it to MS. (I got reproved a few times :P)

  But I greatly enjoyed reading this thread.
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  notjustyet

  Marked
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  FaithfulBrother

  Haven't heard about any bickering between the elders in my hall, but it's my understanding that st my hall, all things are controlled by one power hungry elder in which all the other elders are low-iq yes-men who go along with anything he says.