More ramblings from the recently concluded elders' school.
See the OP on this thread for background: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/242491/5/WT-Elders-school-The-WTS-has-progressed-from-just-plain-stupid-to-dangerously-stupid
In part of the video mentioned above showing the "Goofus" elder trying to handle the situation with the crying sister:
The "goofus" elder went into the Kingdom Hall library alone with the sister when she left the auditorium.
You could hear literal, audible, gasps from the 100 or so elders watching the video.
A few moments later, as the sister was crying, "Goofus" put out his hand and touched the sister's hand.
Again, literal, loud, audible gasps from the audience.
They darkened the room while the video was playing so I couldn't see him, but I have to imagine the CO was quite pleased that the audience grasped the "mistakes" that Elder Goofus was making.
Also, in the midst of the video mentioned here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/242532/1/WT-Elders-school-Look-how-cute-that-kindly-old-elder-is-Too-bad-the-Talmud-says-we-have-to-stone-our-victim-anyway
...the video was paused, restarted, paused, etc. several times along the way, and the audience was asked to comment on various questions raised by the CO about what they had just seen.
At one point, the video was paused after just the openeing minutes of the judicial case. At that point, all that had been covered was a rehash of the guy's confession that he had gone to sports bar alone to eat dinner, a "worldly girl" had asked to join him, after a few drinks she asked him to "come to her place to see her aquarium", and then she "seduced" him.
So, at the pause, the CO asks the audience their reaction up to that point. We spent easily 20+ minutes doing that.
I was surprised and mortified. Easily 90+% of the comments from the elders were highly condemnatory of the kid, criticizing all the decisions he made. Clearly they were of a mind to disfellowship the kid right then and there. There had to be 30 or more comments like that.
There were maybe 2 or 3 comments that indicated positive things the kid did - he did confess, he was willing to meet with the committee, etc. Those elders probably were leaning toward "acquittal" (i.e., reproof only).
And 1, maybe 2 elders mentioned that we haven't heard nearly enough information to make any decision. The one guy I heard (he was seated behind me, couldn't see who it was) sounded clearly ticked that so many elders were so quick to condemn before hearing more information.
The CO looked like a cat who had just caught a canary. He was having a good ol' time listening to all the condemnatory comments.
I was just shaking my head. The elders sounded almost bloodthirsty - the kid made deliberate mistakes, he was guilty guilty guilty, and ought be thrown out right NOW!
It was a bit frightening. The elders in our circuit apparently need little reinforcement of the idea "when in doubt, disfellowship".
