Are JW EX elders in need of our contempt or sympathy ?

by eruption 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  eruption

  Point 1. Not so long I would have strung them all up and hanged them.

  point 2. These guys were THE real succers, not only did they become JW,s, they embraced and adopted the cults teachings, and to some extent subjugated thier familys happiness, and thier own,to Elevate themselves, and achieve status and recieve privellages, IE not have a F-----g life

  point 3 They had the onerus task of making sense, of the Ever changing (Truths) and having to teach that crap to the rest of us, and cope with the subsequent questionings that would invariably follow.

  point 4.They had to take the lead in (Sales) distributing literature

  Point 5.They were the Authoritarian Face of the Society, and a lot of people, (myself included ) thought they were jumped up janitors and window cleaners with a chip on thier shoulders. (many are )

  point 6.Many of them are arseholes, but equally many really tried the best they could, under immposible circumstances.So to you guys. I tip my hat to you, I will never know you nor meet you, but I wish you well.
• 

  leavingwt

  Here's what Jesus said about it:

  "But whosoever shall offend one of those little ones who believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were sunk to the bottom of the sea."
• 

  Mr. Falcon

  All valid points. I would say though, that there can't be a blanket judgment on them. Each ex-elder's situation has to be viewed differently. I know ex-elders who saw the BS and acted accordingly. But conversely, I know ex-elders who while not serving anymore, still push the company line. So it would have to be a case-by-case evaluation.
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  stuckinamovement

  Speaking as an Ex Elder... Contempt, at least that is what I feel when I look in the mirror.

  Then we need your sympathy because we were so comtemptible. We were among the biggest suckers out there.

  SIAM
• 

  eruption

  Well thankfully the Mods have left this thread intact, Im not used to an unaltered thread, George Orwell is at dinner ?

  To the left handed base player, 144,000 would be in the sea !!!

  Falcon, I tried to be balanced, It took some effort, and ive been rewarded, with an untainted thread, but your right,on a case by case basis. MY estimate would be 80% (progresive) but the remaining 20% created more fear and alarm, so in my not so humble opinion the congregations, were still in negative equity, not places were any positivity was present.(it could have been so different) SIGH !!!
• 

  cantleave

  I can only speak for myself.

  Point 1. Not so long I would have strung them all up and hanged them.

  Well I'm glad I didn't meet you in that frame of mind.

  point 2. These guys were THE real succers, not only did they become JW,s, they embraced and adopted the cults teachings, and to some extent subjugated thier familys happiness, and thier own,to Elevate themselves, and achieve status and recieve privellages, IE not have a F-----g life

  I was brought up in the Cult - not a Convert. I knew nothing else. I was intelligent, answered well, gave top notch talks and had many friends, all the right characteristics to succeed in a cult. Yes my family did make sacrifices for me being an elder, but I didn't realise that until I left. I never elevated myself, I tried to be fair - oh and I can spell SUCKER (not succer). I was also in a senior management role at work, drove a new car and owned my house.

  point 3 They had the onerus task of making sense, of the Ever changing (Truths) and having to teach that crap to the rest of us, and cope with the subsequent questionings that would invariably follow.

  TBH - As an elder you never heard the questioning, because everyone including the elders kept quiet about what they did not understand for fear of looking stupid. Again it isn't until you leave that you realise no one understood the noo lite.

  point 4.They had to take the lead in (Sales) distributing literature

  We also delegated and took the cushy assignments. I spent more time organising my group than knocking on doors.

  Point 5.They were the Authoritarian Face of the Society, and a lot of people, (myself included ) thought they were jumped up janitors and window cleaners with a chip on thier shoulders.

  I was never a Janitor or window Cleaner, have a masters degree (which I obtained as an appointed man) and never had a chip on my shoulder.

  point 6.Many of them are arseholes, but equally many really tried the best they could, under immposible circumstances.So to you guys. I tip my hat to you, I will never know you nor meet you, but I wish you well.

  I like think I did my best at being reasonable, but at the end of the day I still DF'd someone for apostacy so was somewhere on the arsehole scale.

  I think an elder waking up and exiting gets more people asking questions than a "spiritually weak" rank and file member who fades over time. I hope my exit gets people thinking.
• 

  mrquik

  Those of us that were elders already carry our own personal burdens. I have two adult daughters, one in and one out. They grew up during the time I was an elder and lost out on many things. I married during the scare of 75 & although not in love at that time, I was sure the end was right around the corner. Certainly I would learn to love her in Paradise. That never happened. We stayed together for 34 years, always certain the end was near. I finally met & fell in love with someone else. I was, of course disfellowshiped. While waiting for reinstatement, I realized the fraud the religion was & never went back. I regret everything I put my children through. I feel like such a hypocrite. The one daughter in rarely speaks to me. I don't blame her. I hope in the future she too realizes the truth. So feel free to think of us as contemptible; I already do.
• 

  elderelite

  although i dont have a shred of self loathing in me, I understand and accept that many do feel contempt. Whoever is in a perceived place of authority will always get abuse and looked down, deserved or not, and certainly when you represent a cult. but there is a zen story that sums it up for me, and although a bit long, I'm gonna tell it anyway

  a man has to take a long journey with his young son. He loads his donkey and begins the trip... as they pass through a village the man hears people murmuring that he is a fool for walking when he has a donkey he could ride... so the man begins riding the donkey.

  as they pass through another village the man hears people whispering that he is cruel for making the child walk while he rides, so he lets his son ride with him.

  in the next village he hears people talking and saying he is cruel for overloading the donkey. So seeing the only option he hadn't tried the man begins to carry the donkey.

  I wont be a fool carrying an ass just because someone points and whispers. If some feel elders or ex elders are worthy of their contempt then, in the words of marshal mathers, "i am whatever you say I am" the only opinion that matters to me is mine and those who love me....
• 

  Giordano

  The only ones I thought contemptible were those that relished any power they could weld over others. Ones that were in love with own voice and who gave TALKS THAT THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN. Didn't apply the rules fairly, abused their power and overstepped the boundaries of their position. All of which points to the fact that they were weaklings more impressed with their role then their value. Those that manned up and grew a pair and left that position have my respect as long as they weren't those I described above.
• 

  Mr. Falcon

  Falcon, I tried to be balanced, It took some effort, and ive been rewarded, with an untainted thread, but your right,on a case by case basis. MY estimate would be 80% (progresive) but the remaining 20% created more fear and alarm, so in my not so humble opinion the congregations, were still in negative equity, not places were any positivity was present.(it could have been so different) SIGH !!!

  eruption, it's cool, homey.......I actually tend to agree with your estimate. As regards my experience, it has usually been only 1-3 elders out of any given body who are the trouble-makers. And any damage that these men caused will serving, whether unwittingly or purposely, these men have paid for their error 1,000-fold. Guys like mrquik who have come to the realization of the real truth and suffered deserve to live the rest of their lives out in peace.