Its not a collective decsision.... Its not group think or a democracy issue that we vote on... Its everyones personal line to draw.
Exactly. I couldn't possibly support this statement enough.
Those on JWN still serving as elders...What if?
by Kensho 103 Replies latest jw friends
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TheSilence
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Slidin Fast
COBE Beef, what a story. I envy you you're wife's support. I am in the position of being quite open with mine. She kinda knows I'm right
but soldiers on anyway. She would never turn me in but she can't bring herself to admit we have both wasted our lives and embedded our
children in a lie.
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mind blown
@panhadleglrl ......it's all such a farce, right?!
One of the Elders who was in on my JCM was "soon" later DF'd for embezzelment! True!! Crazyiness huh?!
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NewChapter
So I just found this thread. Two points that really stood out. EE's point that this is not a democracy, but each person has to draw their own line---great point. I can't imagine my family being held hostage by this cult, or the pressure that those with more responsiblity experience as they are trying to step away. I have no family in there---walkiing away meant losing some friends who I no longer had anything in common with anyway. But I had my family! How could I get angry at a person that just cannot bring themselves to step away from all they know and love into an uncertain world all alone? That's crazy for me to pass that kind of judgment, because I will NEVER have to live with the consequences of that decision.
The second point that struck me was when Silence compared the situtation to Sophie's Choice. Some people have only false choices here. Would you like to die by bullet or guillotine?
I can't comprehend a serving elder's struggle when situtations arise that he must navigate on a twisty road trying to both shield his conscience and not draw attention. The constant tension of that kind of life would be my undoing---so let's remember that on top of the normal crap we all carried, theirs may be amplified.
I'm also struck by Billie's point that it was a big waste of him time. I completely get that. It's how I feel when someone insists on discussing the bible with me----I feel like I'm talking about unicorn kibble and can't imagine why I'm wasting my breath and life on such nonsense, and yet sometimes, I find myself in just that position. How would I feel if I was pressured to spend significant amounts of time worrying about unicorn kibble? It would drive me bonkers, and I feel for everyone that can't get away from it.
This is the place where people come to sort out their feelings and plan their strategies. If we spend the time helping them instead of judging them, maybe we can help them do that a little faster with minimal damage. Maybe not. But we definitely aren't helping the situation by exacerbating their pain.
NC