by Bubblegum Apotheosis 44 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The elders' wives in my congregation were pretty much meek people who seemed to like being the weaker vessels and weren't really hateful gossips. They did gossip but it wasn't the spiteful stuff I experienced with the pioneers and others.
I am still trying to process the fact that blondie said "pussy-whipped". lol
My husband was an elder for years and he never told me a thing not even what book study we were assigned to when they changed. I never asked either or looked at any info. I also didn't hear a lot of things but I wasn't out in FS during the week much but I have heard there is a lot of gossip with certain ones. Even now that we are out he hasn't gone back and told me private things and I wouldn't feel right in asking. I do know there is one cong overseer that tells way too much and it always bothered me, his wife is a pioneer and I am sure she knows everything. Nothing surprises me after everything I have read.
There are several facets to this subject with the more frequent being a hard-driving, ambitious JW sister pushing, promoting and willing her hubbie into eldership. She may write out his talks, drag him into field service at critical times to be seen by the decision makers. Meanwhile, she, not only pioneers, but she cooks, cleans and volunteers at every opportunity. The elders may sort of smile, knowing full well that Mary is pushing Steve in their faces, but eventually they succumb with the shrug: "Well, he is always there for every assignment."
The longtime elder's wife, the elderette queen, guards and protects the congregation's spiirituality, especially against the wiles of young, beautiful sisters. I've seen several naturally beautiful sisters ostracized only by the threat of their looks. One young, gorgeous sister's name always came up in elder's meetings as needing counsel for dressing inappropriately. I just couldn't see it and nixed the thought process as long as I could. She actually dressed very modestly, but was constantly faced with jealously from the elder's wives who complained to their husbands. Eventually, she was counseled and being the humble person she was, tried to dress down even further, but it was never enough.
Personally, I experienced the other side of things, being accused by a sister who had turned on my wife and I, of breaking confidentially. The sister actually broke down into tears, describing to the circuit overseer how learning all the congregation's secrets from my wife had torn her down spiritually. The circuit overseer patted me on the back, telling me to be more careful in the future. I was dumbfounded because this was not a particular weakness of mine. Not only did I not discuss congregation matters with my wife, she was actually not interested.(Before becoming a JW, she had typed out General Discharge papers in the army, usually involving sexual matters. The army found that she could be trusted with a security clearance.) In any event, I asked for an opportunity to sit down with this sister and another elder. The sister came into the meeting, clutching a handkerchief, her face red from emotion. She rambled for an hour and a half, but could not specifically state the confidential matters that had been revealed. It was a very weird meeting.
tms
Bookmarked.
TMS: very valid points. It is also good to see too, how many wifes here can honestly vouch for their husbands integrity. You indentified
the main 3 areas where ladies influence in the congregation is disruptive:
1) A lady agitating to get her husband appointed (for her status seeking). she thinking: " right or wrong, hey! I am worth it."
2) getting or inventing dirt to gossip and gain status. Knowledge(or the appearance of it) is power.
3) agitating to destroy anyone, male or female who gets in the way of her or her families quest for the top.
Males establish rules by which they PLAY, do business, look at the sport games, business laws as examples. So, males can not cope with the insidious (to them) soft approach females operate by.
Interesting fact you exposed about attractive sisters being targeted. put down by elders in behest of their jealous wifes for whom make up does not work any more.
This could be also one reason of the some of the hype on child molestation, when the wrong touch on an just under - 18 - year old can end you up in court. But fashion magazines are known to have used torso images of 12 year olds and heads of 24 year vintage to create the image of the ideal female.
It is not only power that corrupts, the love of power too.
Woman elders would do an excellent job, look at the likes of Merkel, to name just one. (reputed to be the most powerful woman in the world.)
for the congregations lady elders could deal much better with the convoluted emotional problems that baffels the males.
It would require to jettison the whole bible based bias.
