NRFG, the thing is this.
A person who reaches out to be an elder, is requesting worship from the rank and file.
In my best middle aged woman's voice, "LOL!!!!! Stop it!!! Stop it!!! OMG, OMG LOL!!!!!!!"
Before your head explodes, consider that at nearly every DC we are reminded that obedience to the elders is the same as obedience to Jehovah.
Ok, that's fair, and true to a degree.
So, hearing that, when you step up to the job, you are asking to be on that plane; that obeying you is the same as obeying God.
I can't speak on behalf of everybody else, but I can speak for myself and those close to me and tell you emphatically many aren't necessarily asking to be on that plane. For many it was a simple case of brothers going along with the flow of things in the congregation. Not every brother appointed got on from being ambitious or kissing booty.
That is the program.
As far as obeying elders being the same as obeying God, that depends on the day of the week. The sheep will follow the program in many cases so long as it doesn't cramp their style. Yes, there's plenty of WT articles that will support your point, however there's plenty of WT's that will emphasize the imperfection of those taking the lead which I'll concede is a bandaid on the problem of overly prideful elders. However its not completely uncommon for some in the congregation to not take some elders seriously, often some sisters , which are a couple of the reasons the WT has to print those "Jehovah=Elders" articles in the first place!!! Which is why I say it depends on the day of the week regarding, "The Program."
So it is hard to believe that most have pure motives; after all, the GB has your back: OBEY the elders like you obey God.
This forum is made of people who've experienced the worst of what goes on in WT-Land, and I think we should be cautious in gauging the experiences found here as being typical of what happens in all congregations. I've posted enough about myself, with enough of the bad and faulty to show people the flipside of the coin from another perspective. It ain't all peaches and cream having some friggin title.
And sacrificing your family is not optional; if you are an elder, you will have to toss your df'd child who is not a minor, regardless of his emotional or financial circumstance.
In this case, I'll concede its a tricky situation for this elder due to the very fact that this situation went public via Facebook. However, I'm not entirely convinced that this father wouldn't have done the same had this situation remained a private family matter. The kid lied, on multiple occasions, and about a serious matter in WT Land. I'll agree with those who say, "What kid hasn't done the same?" Heck, I did it when I was a teenager, and up until my early twenties. However, there's other parameters we have to consider such as "marrying only in the Lord", or dating with a "view towards marriage" amongst other WT nuances. Not to mention again, the kid lied on multiple occassions to his father. You can't really fault the father in this case as an elder, when you also have to consider that he has to be a responsible parent. He's got that right to cancel this graduation party if he sees fit due to his son's actions, regardless of the JW angle.
By the way, not that I'm justifying the other kid ratting, but if this kid wouldn't have got caught seeing this nonJW girl, how long would this situation have went on unbeknownst to the parents? How long would the kid have played the role of a young JW supposedly doing everything right to the point that other parents would hold him up as an example for other young JWs to emulate? I'm sure those are questions the father and heck, the mother too, probably considered before making their decision.
For the record, I hope the kid wakes up too and makes his move from this religion.
