by minimus 35 Replies latest jw friends
I had another Elder promise to come and see me "soon", he said it twice "soon", 2nd time with an affirmative nod of the head.
That was over a month ago, I ain't holdin' my breath.
Of course I would rather he didn't bother, it is going to be difficult and embarassing for him, he has nothing to offer me he will find out, but I have much to offer him, especially as I shall wring a promise out of him to read stuff on JWFacts.com
The only conversations I had that were even modestly critical centered on the humans who were bringing reproach, but, were at the top.
It was like parents talking about their ne'er do well kids who were screwing up and bringing shame on the family.
There was never a sense of the ACTUAL RELIGION being at fault. It was the "employees" who were screwing up the product.
That sort of thing.
Everybody defended the religion and put it in a separate category from the writers and thinkers who produced information for public consumption.
You find exactly the same mindset in Catholicss about the priests RATHER THAN the Church itself.
Last thing I would ever do is tell any Elders about my thoughts and feelings. The reason is that usually they only want to bring our thinking back in line, correct our viewpoints so we're back to "normal". Only that we aren't unnormal. Nothing is wrong with my thoughts and what I feel about the Society and our leaders. The impression I've had for years regarding Elders and also CO's is that they just want us to function, that's all. Don't be inactive, turn in your reports every month so nothing seems out of the ordinary.
I once confided some of my thoughts over a bottle of scotch to a close friend who is an elder. His words were something like, "This is just you and me talking as friends, please don't think of me as an elder right now."
The result of that conversation was a meeting with two elders. I quickly learned my lesson and was able to avoid a meeting with three elders.
I haven't seen that close friend since.
ONCE...when I Was a TEENAGE - in the 70's
I said NEVER AGAIN,
"They can't handle the Truth" JAck Nicholson
The impression I've had for years regarding Elders and also CO's is that they just want us to function, that's all. Don't be inactive, turn in your reports every month so nothing seems out of the ordinary.
- exactly
There was never a sense of the ACTUAL RELIGION being at fault. It was the "employees" who were screwing up the product.
But they can never answer why the Holy Spirit saw it fit to "employ" such screwed up people?
Early on in my exit I had a visit from two elders. One of them was a rabidly anti-Catholic ex Catholic. I told him that I felt towards the Watchtower the same way he felt about the Catholic church.
I can't believe I didn't get DF'd/DA'd for that.
I actually had one elder tell me that he thought the org had become too "pharasaical"!
As an elder that would not go over so well I think. One of my best friends, an elder, would totally flip out and send other elders or CO/DO with torches and a stake after me.
That "waiting on Jehovah" thing is something I've heard a lot about in the last few months.
The elders and two pioneer sisters behaved extremely badly towards me, including downright lying and treating me as if I was a criminal, believing totally unsubstantiated accusations without giving me a chance to speak in my own defence.
Since that time, other elders etc have told me that they recognise that I was wronged, but say I should "wait on Jmehovah" to put it right.
That's fine, I say, but I am out of there. I've seen through the garbage, in the nick of time too. They can't understand why I'm not desperate to go back.
