Elder who conducted second school cannot read

by life is to short 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  life is to short

  I tied in to the meeting Tuesday night and I was blown away that the elder who they had conduct the second school is one who cannot read well at all. Not that I have any room to talk as I cannot spell to save my life, but I know that and I would never put myself in a place to counsel ones about Bible reading and such. In fact I have not applied for jobs and such because I know I have a handicap with my spelling.

  I was so blown away that they use this elder like they do. He is in is mid 40's and OH MY WORD when he reads it is painful to listen to. Last year at the Memorial he read the special letter for the FDS "our mother." It was so horrible to sit through. Now this brother is not stupid by any means it is just lack of schooling he was raised a JW and his parents put no importance on school. He is a contractor and builds really nice homes but he just cannot read.

  I feel it is unfair to the ones giving a talk to be graded by someone who cannot read.

  LITS
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  troubled mind

  We had an Elder that was exactly the same way . He would sometimes sub for the BS conductor .....those times were nothing short of painful . Not only could he not read ,he did not comprehend . He would totally miss the point of the paragraph and a few times I forgot my subjection ,and spoke up to give the correct answer ...then I just quit going .
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  blondie

  I have known of 2 men who were appointed MS, one who could not read at all and had to memorize the announcements which he gave briefly and incompletely. Another had his wife do his talks for him until she died; then an elder was assigned to write his talks for him and coach him. Yet a woman with a PhD could not handle the microphones.....
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  teel

  I once met a dyslexic guy online who was very bright (member of Mensa), yet he had a hard time stringing a coherent sentence. Since then I try not to judgde people on their ability to read/write.

  Then again, such a person would probably not be the best candidate to teach others the art of public speech.
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  blondie

  *** Study Guide sg study 2 p. 9 par. 1 The Theocratic Ministry School Brings Benefits ***How does Jehovah train us as his servants to be effective in the ministry? It is done through his organization. In many lands the training starts with as basic a skill as learning to read. For those who have learned to read and write, the next step is to enroll in the Theocratic Ministry School.
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  man in black

  my wife is a speech pathologist, and I have noticed over the years that the ability to read and speak correctly, and clearly is not an

  indication of a persons intelligence at all. Some just do not have the anatomy, or clear brain-pathways to speak or form words clearly.

  I understand the point of the above comments, and agree that using someone who cannot read at all is a poor choice for leading the second school.

  And not using capable women to help is really archaic, (did I spell that right)?
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  life is to short

  Thanks Blondie and man in black.

  I totally agree that this elder is not stupid in the least. It is just that he cannot read. I truly feel sorry for him. I cannot spell and I know how much of a struggle it is. Also people really do look down on you. I have been told how stupid are you not being able to spell. I am not faulting his not being able to read. What I am saying is it is unfair and stupid to use someone who cannot do the job. Just as I cannot work at some jobs because of my spelling so he should realize he cannot be fair to the ones who have parts on the school.

  To me it is just another example of the craziness of this religion.
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  snowbird

  What I am saying is it is unfair and stupid to use someone who cannot do the job.

  Agreed.

  I used to sit through a book study wherein the reader would simply make you wince in pain!

  Yet, there were bright, fluent females who could have sailed through it!

  What craziness!

  Sylvia