I remember before there were computers the brothers (elders) and there little helpers would literally spy on individuals, in order to catch a person in any form of wrongdoing. I am not making this up because my father was an elder and he engaged in this practice many times. He would even regularly spy on me or he would have other brothers watch me and see if i was doing anything wrong. And i am not a teenager or in my 20s I was married and have a grown son and the reason that he spied on me was because once my ex husbands company had a company picnic and I had a little to much to drink, according to three other brothers that were at that picnic. I was hauled before the j.c. and questioned and they browbeat me until I admitted that i got drunk, Of course one of my accusers was also an elder in our hall and he felt that he should report me to my father and the other elders, and let me tell you this elder that accused me drank more at this picnic than me and while he was part of the J.C. I said to him, "how dare you sit there and accuse me and you were no better in fact you drank more than me"' he didn't know where to put his face. After a few moments of a tense atmosphere things settled down and then I was told I was going to be publicly reproved, and I said why and the elders said because three witnesses saw me. I said that hardly is common knowledge, but I lost and I was reproved in private chambers with about 20 persons and then in the main hall in front of the whole cong. I was Publicly Reproved.
So my advise is this, if you know that elders that don't have computers you better beware as there is more than one way to spy on a person.
PROCRASTINATION IS THE THIEF OF TIME!!
spy verses computer
by orangefatcat 2 Replies latest jw friends
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orangefatcat
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anewperson
I posted already on a similar thread but will add more here. With a name like WATCHtower it should be no big surprise. All members are encouraged to report on each other to keep the org clean. It's just another way of saying spy, isn't it. As a talker once pointed out, a Watchtower held guards who peered at enemies on the outside but also inwards at those person within the surrounded, guarded area. Franz mentions elders spying by binoculars. As far back as William Schnell in the 1920s it's mentioned. Want to be a Watchtower elder? Prove ready to do a little "detective work" (spying). Discrete and faithful. Do it, keep your mouth shut. Better to be a elder by virtue of grey hairs than a slimey creature of the darkness pretending to be Jehovah's "angel" of light.
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terafera
oh yes I am all too familiar with their spy tactics. They would get their kids to do it... anyone they could.
I once told an elder's daughter in my high school that I was in Self Defense class. Boy she hopped on that one like white on rice. He called my mom and told us I couldnt be in that. Everything I did always went back to him or one of the elders.
Once, at a gathering, the adults were drinking wine. Later, when the bottle was empty, I put water in it and drank some in front of the 3 or 4 people left hanging around. I jokingly slurred and said I needed some more booze. I was goofin around and everyone there knew it. I was around 16 or 17 at the time (we all remember the immature things we did). It got back to an elder within one day. My mother had gone out in service with someone and came home and said to me, "so.... did you have fun last night?" Me:'yeah, why?'
Mom:'oh.. it just got back to me that you were acting very innapropriately and doing something very wild.' Now I know that I had done nothing wrong, and I couldnt believe how someone there was just waiting to 'turn me in'. From then on, I very carefully watched how I acted whenever at gatherings, meetings or anywhere else a JW was present. I just knew they were watching me all the time.For what you did it seems very harsh to be publicly reproved. Even a counseling by the elders would be over-reacting, in my opinion..
I'm sorry for what you had to go through!
Tera
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