The congregation I grew up in the body of elders were known not only in our cong but surrounding congs as the “Gestapo” because of their Gestapo like tactics. They would bring you in on one set of problems then break you down to the point where you would feel guilty about every sin you’ve committed. They would find out if anyone else was involved in any wrong doing you may know about. Then go after anyone mentioned even if they weren’t directly involved in the matter but may have had knowledge of it and was “concealing” it. There were times where in a given month there would be one or two public reproofs of DFing – usually reproof- each week. Most of these kids were under 18. No wonder there are only about 5 of the at least 20+ kids still in that I know of.
With elders like that, who needs Pharisees!
by 00DAD 27 Replies latest jw experiences
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JimmyPage
When I was inactive a couple elders dropped by to visit me. I happened to mention that I was having cable TV installed that day. One of the bastards said, "Is that so you can watch dirty movies?" He was brother Birk, but from that day on I called him "Brother Jerk".
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Vidiot
All part and parcel of culling out the non-hard-core.
The WTS is in decline, and even if they can't (or won't) let themselves see it consciously, the WT heirarchy are responding by implimenting procedures to pare down the R&F to a size that's manageable yet still supports their lifestyle and self-appointed authority.
I suspect the GB are also (consciously or otherwise) trying to head off the fragmentation that Dogpatch says is typical of an authoritarian high-control group in decline; parse off the dissenters piece by piece rather than let matters go from a simmer to a boil in a given congregation and risk losing ownership of said congregation's KH in the long run.
BTW, this suggests to me that even the GB experiences cognitive dissonance; they firmly believe God's got their back, but still fight tooth and nail to keep what's theirs.
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jgnat
I've likely mentioned these before. It's the small slights that bother me. My hubby had older parents, and has always been good at chatting with the elderly. I don't get it, but apparently seventy-plus widows love to be told they don't look a day over twenty.
Hubby was counselled for spending too much time chatting up the elderly widows. "You don't see me doing that, do you?".
I'd say not.
I caught one elder saying "Not now, Mary, I have a meeting to go to." The poor look on Mary's face, in mid sentence, a wealth of loneliness written across it. And a lifetime of pioneering behind it, if I'm not mistaken.
Thank goodness for men like my husband, who chats up everyone. He's done the same to a retired greek restaurant owner in town. The old man sits outside his establishment smoking his cigarette. Hubby never passes up the opportunity to pass on some crappy advice, or to tell him to quit smoking. This old gentleman now seeks us out to pass on his latest news.
My hubby is so wasted on the Witnesses.
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TD
I think I just coined that! Cool, huh? Feel free to use it.
Why does the warped JW view of Judaism seem to be the hardest meme for xJW's to educate themselves out of?
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DaCheech
00dad: for the exception of the "core 2" many elders here come and go.................. many to": other congregations
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LuLu4YouYou
I experienced some crazy stuff with the Elders when my wife passed away... Her family was not JW neither was she. We decided to have the wake and funeral at the funeral home. The Pastor from a Baptist church up north who had married me and my wife gave the Funeral talk. Well an Elder from the KH that I grew up in decided that he needed to attend the Funeral I dont remember his exact words.. however I do remember being a complete mess and he is sitting there trying to talk to me about how my wife had showed some interest in the JWs and that she would be back in the ressurection ect. well a couple days later the same elder along with another elder from the same KH decided to pay me a visit telling me that if I would come and meet with the Elders to discuss my misconduct and was repentant for my sins (Marrrying a non- witness, etc.....) that I would be able to see her in the new system. They had the nerve to suggest that I had not done what my wife would have wanted that I should have another funeral for her at the Local KH ( why so I can relive that day one more time) It was like they were trying to emotionally black meal me in to coming to sit with the judicial comittee. They thought my wife was showing interest in the JWs the only reason they thought this was because i had asked my wife to be kind to my Mother when she would preach to her so as to not cause any drama in my family due to the fact that my mom is one of the most faithful (or brainwashed) JWs i have ever known.
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cofty
There are lots of elders who are power hungry idiots but there are also some humble, caring elders who do their best to encourage others.
Why does the warped JW view of Judaism seem to be the hardest meme for xJW's to educate themselves out of? - TD
Just highlighting an important point.
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Vidiot
JimmyPage - "When I was inactive a couple elders dropped by to visit me. I happened to mention that I was having cable TV installed that day. One of the bastards said, 'Is that so you can watch dirty movies?' He was brother Birk, but from that day on I called him 'Brother Jerk'."
"Brother Jerk-Off" might be more accurate.
If that's his automatic response to the availablity of cable TV, it's pretty damn obvious what he'd use it for, and he'd love/hate every sweaty, moaning second of it. Using TV first-and-foremost for ordinary run-of-the-mill entertainment (or even educational purposes, for that matter) is inconceivable to guys like that.
A conservative/authoritarian personality proceeds from the assumption that no one can really refrain from vice; it can only be successfully curtailed by outside forces.
It's a foundational axiom of that worldview, and impacts practically everything else.
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Vidiot
cofty - "There are lots of elders who are power hungry idiots but there are also some humble, caring elders who do their best to encourage others."
Not many, lately.
These days, "company men" are ones that thrive, from what I hear.