Big Brother is coming over for tea

by inkling 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  inkling

  This afternoon my wife and I will be receiving the rapturous blessing
  of a Shepherding Call.

  This is in the wake of the fact that although all of our meeting attendance
  in general has been sporadic, I haven't been to a book study in 3 months.
  About a month ago this started bothering my BS overseer and he has been
  pestering me about it EVERY time I see him.

  We have had the same conversation like nine times:

  "Hey, we missed you at the book study this week"

  "uh, thanks?"

  "Is everything alright? Is a Thursday night book study a convenient one
  for you? Do you work on Thursday evenings sometimes?"

  "No. There is no scheduling conflict. It's not a work related issue."

  "Oh, ok... So, see you next week then?"

  "I guess we will find out"

  I'm totally serious, this conversation repeats it's self EVERY WEEK!
  Just how DENSE do you need to be to pick up on that fact that ITS
  NOT A PROBLEM WITH MY SCHEDULE! How about a, I dunno, scrap of
  insight into trying to figure out what is ACTUALLY going on?

  This guy (and his assistant) are so obtuse it actually hurts my
  brain everytime they open their mouths.

  This has to stop, and so I agreed to accept a shepherding call
  to try and explain my situation (these two elders seem to be totally
  out of loop of the other relatively insightful and understanding
  elders I HAVE been more honest with about my doubts.)

  Always, they go with "Is something wrong? Is there anything we can
  do to help? Anything at all, just let us know"

  uh... Could you go back in time and rewrite The Bible so it's less
  moronic and cruel? Get back with me on that.

  [inkling]
• 

  compound complex

  Good day, inkling:

  I understand.

  The last time that I received a shepherding call was during a protracted illness. I was becoming increasingly annoyed with the elder's inability to understand my nuanced speech, I being somewhat oblique as to the real reasons for my absence. I finally came out and said that I was doing the best I could in the time left remaining for me. It was all I could do to work a few hours a week, just enough to get by. It so happens that I honestly did feel that my time was short, due to worsening health.

  On another ocassion, I ran into the ministerial servant who had accompanied the elder that morning; he apologized for the older gent's incomprehension of my situation. The elder is a kind and loving guy but a bit out of touch in some ways.

  I ended up not dying and here I am, "talking" with you ...

  Wishing you the best,

  CoCo
• 

  uwishufish

  To let them know where you stand you could start by taking control of the conversation you will

  Read to them from St. Paul's Letter to the Hermaphrodites

  1:1 Dear Hermaphrodits

  1:2 Go F*&^ Yourself

  Then let them reply.
• 

  sinis

  No they are not stupid, but you are being set up to say your mind so that they can pursue it further with a JC being the final outcome. I would not do the shep call and would continue the farce, eventually they will quit asking...
• 

  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  CoCo, Are they aware of the pedophile scandal? You could try hitting them with a copy of this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798

  Tell them that you were confronted while trying to give a witness to a guy named Billy and he got in your face asking: "Who are these hypocrites that claim to be so high-and-mighty? They're paying out 'hush money' to try to silence the victims of sex abuse by Elders and Ministerial Servants ! Millions of dollars. They are worse than the Catholics that have admitted their problems, gone public, and changed. What have your leaders printed to confirm, deny, or correct this problem of sexual child abuse? Nothing? Are they just shelling out money to try and hide it? CoCo, are you or any other leaders in your church child rapists?"

  Then ask the brothers, "Do you think I like being asked if I'm a child molester? What has the Society published about this? What are we supposed to say when people know that JWs have paid out millions of dollars because of hiding perverts? I feel very uncomfortable about just ignoring something like this. As soon as you receive clear direction from the Branch, please let me know. Until then, please let the branch know that they need to deal with this situation."

  Just a suggestion...
• 

  The Oracle

  Excellent suggestion Billy!

  It just may help wake an elder or two up if more people come forward with stuff like that.

  A scenario like that certainly could happen. In fact I would encourage everyone here to talk that way to any JWs that they know. This will give JWs something to go back to their elders about without having to make it up!

  The Oracle