MOST of the elders I knew were decent men. Some were on power trips and could be harsh if not contained.
Did YOU Feel Abused By The Elders?
by minimus 49 Replies latest jw friends
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sizemik
Yes . . . yes I did. Even when I was one for a short time . . . but it did hasten my exit.
MOST of the elders I knew were decent men. Some were on power trips and could be harsh if not contained.
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No Room For George
Size, that can go both ways.
MOST of the Elders publishers I knew were decent men people. Some were on power trips and could be harsh if not contained.
Dealing with the personalities, needs, wants, and expectations of many in the congregation is enough to make you go Rudolf Hess some days.
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minimus
I know some kind elders and I know some real dickheads!
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sizemik
No argument there Miz . . .
It was my honest answer to the question. I even had a CO as a reasonably close friend for a few years who used to lament "how being appointed seemed to bring the worst out of many of the brothers"
Having said that . . . I believe being JW doesn't bring the best out of anybody.
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No Room For George
Too true, Size, all too true, and sad. This organization creates those kinds of men, or at least harvest those negative personalities. The same way abusive households end up raising children who eventually abuse others somewhere down the road too. Same with some police departments, and factions of the military. I guess with this religion its to be expected. The Flock Book, is the second most important book in this religion, and its all about punishment and restrictions, do's and dont's. This religion is all about do's and dont's. So I guess it would make sense that those taking the lead would be all about "keeping everybody in check."
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designs
Yes fifedoms are created. In 1968 as a 19 year old Pioneer/Servant I was transfered to a congregation Ruled to two guys that were genuine sadists and the shattered lives they caused of the friends and of their own family members is hard to forgive.
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sizemik
The saddest thing as I see it . . . particularly for a "Christian" religion . . . is that the subtle emphasis is a selfish one. Right from the get-go the appeal is to selfishness, with the elitist promise of being among a select few who will enjoy living forever in paradise . . . something for which you should be prepared to sacrifice your non-JW friends and family, in order to achieve.
Building on this platform of self interest we have laid before us (particularly brothers), a heirarchial set of personal goals to "reach out" for. The emphasis as I recall was on "making your advancement manifest" . . . becoming "spiritually mature" and "spiritually strong". Naturally all JW's are conditioned to view and judge others in this same context. The motive of being self-sacrificing and truly loving is secondary . . . almost perfunctory, and is little more than adding a superficial piety to what is essentially a structure based around selfishness. This is not necessarily the fault of individual JW's because it serves the purpose of the leadership first and foremost. Any that are truly well-motivated find it a constant battle to remain so.
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minimus
The more you do for Jehovah (the Organization), the better a person you are!
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LongHairGal
MINIMUS: Abuse is too strong a word in my case. I kept them at arm's length so that I would NOT be abused! It was my observation that too much familiarity and no boundaries was the cause of "abuse". So, in my case, the elders were just biased against me because they got nowhere! After reading replies here of certain ex-elders (thanks for admitting some elders were on a power trip), I was SUPER justified to feel the way I did.