One of my last conversations with an elder:
I arrived at the Kingdom Hall early for the evening meeting and wandered around chatting to the friends I had made. Elder Mature was still concerned about me and seized the opportunity to chat to me again. ‘It’s good to see you at the meeting and looking so smart Trevor.’ He ran his eyes over my suit no doubt puzzled by the lack of creases. I guessed what was coming next. ‘ You know we talked before about being strong in The Truth. It is meetings that make us strong. Without them we become weak and drift away.’
‘I am aware that missing meetings is seen as a sign of weakness.’ I commented.
‘Yes, and Satan is looking for weak members who have strayed near the edge to pick them off. If you stay close to the centre of The Organisation you will be safe. Jehovah will protect you if you draw close to him through regular meeting attendance.’
‘Not everyone leaves because they are weak. Sometimes the strong choose to walk away, whatever the cost to themselves, while the weak stay and look for people they perceive to be strong to cling to.’
Elder Mature looked at me for a moment taking in what I had said. ‘People leave because they have become weak in The Truth and loose their grip.’ He reaffirmed.
‘I am moved by your concern and I know you mean well but Perhaps the weakness lies elsewhere? There exists the possibility that if what is presented as The Truth proves to be weak, it is unable to hold people in its grip.’ I replied.
‘You are going to have to decide whether or not you want to serve Jehovah. You can’t do that without obeying his Organisation. There is no room for independent thinking in The Organisation Trevor.’ He said firmly.
‘You are not the first Elder to tell me that though you may well be the last. Thinking is always an independent action. The alternative is to shut our minds to reason and let others think for us and hope they get it right. That is called following blindly and is only made possible through an action called
cognitive dissonance.’
‘You have been reading those mind books again. The ones I warned you not to. Can’t you see how Satan has found a chink in your armour and is using this empty philosophy of the world to weaken you.’ He snapped.
‘I realize you have very definite ideas about the evils of education but understanding how our mind works and using it to its full potential is not made possible by a Devil. It is made possible because each of us a brain and it meant to be used, not buried under a pile of Watchtowers.’
Elder Mature’s eyes narrowed and I could see that he was upset. ‘We will have to talk about this another time when we can be joined by one of the other Elders, to see if we can straighten out your thinking.’ I watched as he walked away and wondered if the man that sold him his suit had a conscience.
