Well, in my experience, if they mean being late for supper due to some assenine elders meeting, or a late night returning from Elders School......maybe. But if they mean to imply that elders skip meals so as to shepherd the flock or lie awake at night worrying about a family in the cong......? Forget It!
May 15 2013 WT: "REAL elders skip meals and lose sleep!"
by cedars 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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rocketman
We need to be careful about making a bit too much of this.
I was an elder for a decade. Yes, there was sacrifice involved. Many times, I "lost sleep" due to elders' meetings that were held after the Service Meeting. I'd never want to do that again. But it was part of the business of the congregation. The alternative was no better - holding elders' meetings on a non-meeting night - it would take you away from your family for yet another night.
That's basically the nature of the gig. The only thing that would make it better would be for the religion to stop demanding so much of these guys.
But it's not all negative. Some people need their clery to be available, sometimes at the drop of a hat. I would think church members lean on their clergy just as much. It's part of his job, too. And in most cases, there's only one pastor or priest to serve an entire church.
The difference is that the clergy get paid. Ideally, elders should too, but then the flock would be expected to donate more and perhaps even a collection plate would need to be passed.
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Room 215
" I've known and seen many examples of ones who constantly and relentlessly call the elders, bugging them for the most asenine and trivial matters."
If the elders, at the behest of their Brooklyn/Patterson overlords didn't short-circuit their flock's reasoning faculties and self-reliance by incessantly demonizing "independent thinking" and nurturing the unthinking, uncritical acceptance of everything they say, these calls would stop.
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Violia
Many times folks calling the elders should be talking to a psychologist . However this is generally looked down on and in some cases you will be interrogated by a body of elders as to why you are seeing a therapist. So the elders end up as therapists and many times they interfere in situations they should stay out of. Married couples needing marriage therapy or maybe just a divorce end up taking up a lot of their time. Many folks are so guilt ridden they feel the need to confess if they do anything at all. I do not blame the folks, I blame the WTS who created the sorry mess.
If you are an elder and are tired of the phones calls and sad single sisters and the unhappily married, step down. These folks need someone to talk to .
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cog_survivor
Couple of things bug me about the article cited:
1) Do the readers actually look up the scriptures in context?. Paul is trying to get people to play nice because he went through so much suffering. He doesn't say to copy his behavior.
2) That last line is absolutely manipulative towards the sick and elderly. How many pain and disease wracked people will still try to drag themselves to meetings because of this type of talk?
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cedars
rocketman
The difference is that the clergy get paid.
There is another difference, and that is the raft of rules and procedures prescribed by the Society in order to run a congregation, not to mention the high expectations placed on individuals that go with the territory when you are in a high control cult. Few priests will get calls at midnight because their teenage son has confessed to masturbating, or a teenage daughter has been caught smoking. Not only are Witnesses plied with countless rules that necessitate a more numerous and vigorous clergy, they are also robbed of the ability to think for themselves and thus deal with their own situations as individuals rather than members of a "mother" organization.
Cedars
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jgnat
I see several problems with this.
- Elders try to live up to the example and burn out.
- Congregation members are cowed in to treating the elders like saints.
- The reality is so far removed from the example that this becomes yet another ideal that is talked about but never achieved.
Consider magotan and how his confession of reality has shifted his whole family to a whole other plane. An elder steps down, which I don't see as all a bad thing.
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minimus
DO MORE, DO MORE, DO MORE!!!!
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man oh man
One reason those elders run to the hospital is to guard against that blood transfusion!
We have no skinny elders in my congo.
Many are self sacrificing and do love the sheep but as shown this is inhibited by the mundane demands of mother organization! If anything is lacking it is problably taking away from their secular duties as they are so worn out.
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OUTLAW
Such efforts affect how others view our ministry."
Tired,Worn Out,then Discarded..
Is Great Advertising!..
Where do I sign Up?!
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...OUTLAW
...OUTLAW