NEW 2012 Elders book with 2015 Amendments

by Newly Enlightened 51 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow
    Oubilette: It's social death.

    That is a concise and perfect description of the situation.

    I will remember that term - it's a good one.

  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    Millie, I'm not sure I understand your questions as they seem to be asking different things.

    Let me take them one at a time:

    doesnt that have the potential to be stabbing themselves in the foot?

    Well the WTBTS and their leaders are always doing that, aren't they. They don't really know how to motivate, but they do know how to manipulate, so that's what they do.

    Less men reaching out?

    This is always a problem in pretty much every congregation.

    When I was an elder, I always wondered why so many long-term "brothers" simply coasted along at the status quo and wouldn't "reach out." Although they didn't seem content to just coast, they would never "do enough" to be appointed as a MS or elder.

    Now I believe it that they actually do NOT want to be actively involved. Probably they have serious doubts, maybe they don't believe any of it at all, but they are not willing to take a stand and quit the religion. I'm sure it's usually the family pressure, but likely most of them have not sorted through all the psychological manipulation and control. They simply know they just don't want to do it and are ok being labelled as "spiritually weak" as long as they don't have any "responsibilities" in the congregation and they aren't getting disfellowshipped. It's JW limbo.

    Is the new light on brothers not being MS =not being marriage material going to be enough of a carrot to counter the general apathy and lack of reaching out?

    I doubt it. It might work on a few individuals. The WTBTS is forever making silly little rules and then saying, "But we aren't making a rule about it!"

    Let's review: It's a cult!



  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    millie210 - "...doesnt that have the potential to be stabbing themselves in the foot? Less men reaching out?..."

    Not if the longer-term goal is a smaller and more manageable (i.e. loyalist) membership.

  • confuzzlediam
    confuzzlediam
    Splash "6. If members of the congregation are known to have undue association with disfellowshipped or disassociated relatives who are not in the household, elders should counsel and reason with those members of the congregation from the Scriptures.

    If it is clear that a Christian is violating the spirit of the disfellowshipping decree in this regard and does not respond to counsel, it may be that he would not qualify for congregation privileges, which require one to be exemplary. He would not be dealt with judicially unless there is persistent spiritual association or he openly criticizes the disfellowshipping decision."

    This is very interesting to me as both of my parents were and have been VERY vocal about my wrongful disfellowshipping. They even wrote several letters to the body of elders and to the watchtower branch. Which of course were not well received. My mom stopped talking to her BFF of over 40 years for a while because she was agreeing with the WT society in regards to my disfellowshipping. Apparently they should have been in a judicial meeting over it. WOW!

  • confuzzlediam
    confuzzlediam

    Reading through the book, I found this: An entrenched practice of viewing, perhaps over a considerable period of time, abhorrent forms of pornography that is sexually degrading. Such pornography may include homosexuality (sex between those of the same gender), group sex, bestiality, sadistic torture, bondage, gang rape, the brutalizing of women, or child pornography. Brazen conduct would be involved if the offender was promoting such material, such as by inviting others to view it, thus giving evidence of a brazen attitude.—w12 3/15 pp. 30-31; w06 7/15 p. 31.

    SO does this mean that one can watch porn with only a man and a woman and that is ok? Just wondering...

  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    confuzzled: SO does this mean that one can watch porn with only a man and a woman and that is ok? Just wondering...

    Yes, as long as it's not:

    • An entrenched practice
    • Over a "considerable period of time" (whatever THAT means)
    • Not "abhorrent" and/or "sexually degrading"

    Enjoy!

    BTW, aren't you glad the GB defined homosexuality for us, just in case we were confused on that point!

    How happifying!

  • eyeuse2badub
    eyeuse2badub

    It's gotta be eating the gb alive that their "secret" bs is being posted on the internet!

    Great stuff to all concerned and especially the 'leakers'. lol

    just saying!

    eyeuse2badub

  • confuzzlediam
    confuzzlediam
    Oubliette Whew thanks!! Glad to have that cleared up! I need to go now...will be back in 5! lol

    Oh yes...I am SO VERY glad that homosexuality is now cleared up for me as well. I wasn't quite sure how that all worked...
  • TimDrake1914
    TimDrake1914
    I went through the download links and just wanted to point out that I don't think the pdf's being linked to are the official copies of the recently releases electronic copy of the book. From what I can tell, none of these digital copies have the updates regarding CO's being the ones in charge of approving elder and MS appointments. All references to the Branch office being in charge of this were supposed to be eliminated. So I think all these links are pointing to unofficial copies of the book that were already in the wild.
  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    SO....

    I left my tablet open at the hall on my "books and publications" tab while doing microphones....

    An elder saw the front cover of the elders book and said: "Thats interesting...I didn't know the elders book was available for all to download?"

    I sense another inquisition coming...

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit