How Did You View The Elders? (page 3)

Chariklo

I know the whole range of characters. Lovely kindly men who become stern taskmasters: nice, kind, cheerful chap, everyone's friend, who turns into the bully from hell: not-all-that-bright chap who is basically kind but likes to throw his weight around...his bark is worse than his bite: scholarly man who comes over as scary but is as gentle as a kitten and really kind: the list goes on.

Basically, any group of men will be varied. Elders are given powers over and above the ordinary. They've bought into the teaching that they are literally "God's gift to men" and for some of them it is license to go on a power trip where they are free to abuse their power.

Nightmare.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

minimus

The good ones aren't elders anymore.

Any elder that promoted mercy as opposed to harshness was out voted and loyal elders (to the Organization) were rewarded with choice assignments from the CO.

AnnOMaly

I got on OK with them, but I've never trusted them right from being a kid. Saw too much trouble they caused. Socializing, fine. Official business, they're an Agent - beware - never confide in them.

I've also seen occasions where down-to-earth, friendly brothers and their wives turn into 'pod people' when they're appointed. Amusing.

Yes, and the really good, human elders who try to be more compassionate, merciful, tend to get railroaded by the others.

redvip2000

Most of the ones i met were good people in the various congos i was in. They were good men who were restricted in their goodness by organizational policies.

There was one in the last congregation i was in, who was a real @ssh0le. I remember as i began to drift away, and going to meetings less and less he would make a big public condescending display of displease, calling me a "tourist" with a smile on his face. What a jerk!!!

flipper

Being born & raised in the JW cult- I was taught to respect them. But by the time I reached into my 30's and definitely into my 40's - I realized that many of them I'd say 70 % of them were not serving in those positions with proper motives. Most had power aspirations and wanted to promote themselves and make life miserable for rank & file JW's. So I came to dislike many of them as I saw they were fakes- not living up to serving in the position for their " brothers " or " sisters " - but mainly themselves.

One of the things that hastened my exit out of the cult was getting bombarded by counsel that came from elders OWN personal opinions instead of the Bible or the WT publications. It turned on a major red light and warning flags for me, then I jumped ship to my freedom

Wasanelder Once

I prefer to view them through a telescope that way I can keep them far away from my world.

Blind_Of_Lies

As a child I feared them. They were always the people who shut things down or rained on a parade but they were always treated with respect and obviously they were an authority on whatever situation came up. Then as an early teenager I started to catch on that they were nothing more than undereducated cult members who had imaginary power granted to them by cult members.

By the time I left I actually hated elders in general. Some of them were good men at heart but the ones that were did not stand up to the ones that were not. What it came rite down too was the overbearing elders in the group overpowered everyone and ruled their congregation with an iron fist. The really funny thing is that they only have as much power as you give them… people would complain but not do anything about it… this is the only way this group has survived for so long.

Chariklo

The really funny thing is that they only have as much power as you give them

That's exactly right.

I give them no authority over me, therefore I walk, just glad I saw that the Emperor had no clothes.

Phew! An escape by a hair's breadth!

HappyDad

Before I became an elder, I believed they actually had Jehovah's spirit (holy spirit). When I finally told them to shove it 5 years later I knew that they were a bunch of coniving, self serving bastards with no conscience or concern to the actual problems of individuals. They had their own agenda.

HappyDad

mind blown

Elders in my congregation at the time were pretty progressive and decent men. They were only doing what they were told to do...sheepie......

How Did You View The Elders?

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