One of the most controversial practices of Jehovah's Witnesses is the operation of Judicial Committees. These specially-assigned inquisitory boards are manned by at least 3 elders and interrogate, investigate and finally prosecute a person believed to be guilty of any number of offenses. These offenses can be anything from heavy drinking, masturbation, swearing to infidelity, apostacy even issues of bloodguilt. The official WTBS company line is that this practice is necessary to keep the congregation clean and "lovingly" help the "spiritually-sick" individual (defendant).
"Sister Greatass, we want to help you spiritually. By the way.....on the night
in question, what kind of panties were you wearing?'
Being raised and sheltered inside the Watchtower Cave, certian beliefs were instilled in me. Since being mentally-free of the cult's teachings (hopefully physically, one day...) I have found it rather interesting to reflect back on what I felt before "waking up" and trying to determine why I felt such a way.
It wasn't until I got appointed and got a glimpse of what goes on behind that scenes that I got my first sight of the horror that has always been viewed by most JWs as "justice". Elders began to confide in me regarding certain "judicial" matters, thinking they were training me as a MS soon to be elder. The things that I was told were horrifying and many of their verdicts, even scarier. I won't go on and on with the details, since so many here have experience first-hand what this painful process can do to you. And it's not exactly the point of this thread to talk about every single facet of every questionable JC verdict.
What I did want to speak about is how I viewed such things in my ignorance. I was under the belief, as I get the impression that many rank & file JWs are too, that the elders would deal with a person is this type of setting, hear all the evidence, testimony and circumstances, and then would turn to Jehovah for an answer. This belief was reminiscent of how Moses would deal with issues involving the Isrealites. Something would happen, Moses would ask Jehovah, and God would miracously produce some "sign" as to what to do. Or God would just come out and say what he wanted. Either way, according to the Bible stories, Moses would have a definite answer from the Almighty. Case closed. And I, and perhaps others, believed that this sure-shot way of requesting God's decision on a matter was still in practice today, especially in the case of judicial matters.
I seemed to believe that after hearing the matter, they would pray to Jehovah, and he would suddenly make the answer appear to them, even if in their heads. Sort of like how the WTBS speaks of those who are supposidly "annointed". If you are one of these 144,000 then you will just know that you are. Hey, good enough for me! Not like I was allowed to think too deeply or question anything, anyhow.
"God just spoke to me and told me that he's guilty."
"God spoke to you? That's proof enough for me!"
But as I mentioned before, all that changed when I got to see the real truth about "The Truth". Individual bias, vendettas, complete abandonment of referring to the Bible in some instances, and personal judgement instead of "seeking God's thoughts" replaced any supposed "holy spirit". In fact, between all the intimate questioning regarding underwear styles, sexual positions, revenge-inspired verdicts and elders getting erections from hearing "juicy" testimony, I hardly think there is any room for the one known as God.
So, has anyone else had these feelings at one time? The belief that Holy Spirit was this infalliable, magical power that always ensured that justice was carried out?