Confessing Sins to Elders for forgiveness, Can Elders Forgive Sins? (page 2)

Junebuggie

From what I have heard, those sins are actually recorded on an index card ( or similar to) and kept on file at headquarters. I guess they do that so Jehovah will have the GB say so on everyones sins. The GB can add to those cards and make it really hard for any of us to be forgiven. LOL! Seriously tho, I have heard that everything a person is disfellowshipped for is on record.

LoisLane looking for Superman

SanLuisObispoTruthSeeker ... Do you understand now, 20 years later, that those Elder's were jealous of you?

I would think they were in awe of you. lol And maybe, they still are.

I know it must have hurt you at the time, thinking Elder's were to be trusted to keep private affairs, private. I am sorry that their lack of decorum, hurt you.

I hope you can, in time, think of you and those lovely ladies, with a happy and contented smile, as I am sure, that is how, they are remembering, you.

LoisLane

Stand for Pure Worship

Elders cannot forgive sins, but the can keep the congregation clean, and readjust errant ones spiritually, bringing them back to their senses.

SanLuisObispoTruthSeeker

That makes me feel better :) Lois your funny!

I think it's not normal to ask questions about "Oral or other types of sexual positions or what was done", what benefit are those details going to provide someone coming forward trying to make things right? Unless they are perverts, there is no reason to ask to describe in details everything I could possibly recall and did the girls enjoy it and how long did the sex acts last"? Some elders must enjoy hearing the details because it's as close to legal porn-talk they are going to get with a clean conscience?

"Stand" Why do elders need to know all the graphic sexual details of the event, why do they push everyone away by getting "weird eyed" after a boy or girl confesses their sins? It's not normal, I doubt a worldy couch-doctor would delve in to that far of a persons psyche to help "the errant one become whole again". What's the reason for this, if Catholics are not asking for details what gives us the right to probe around?

LoisLane looking for Superman

SanLuisObispo , Referring to your opening paragraph, about your wife finding out what her husband was like 20 years ago, from the mouth of an Elder's wife, whose husband did not keep your secrets, secret.

Many, many JW's do not know what personal boundaries are. I am flabbergasted, that this Elder's wife, felt the need to, what? Tell on you? Or gauge your wife's response, and possibly initiate a little wife swapping on the side, or even set up your wife, to feel her out for a possible 3 some?

You never know.

People are people. Many JW's have a "Kingdon Hall" persona and a separate "worldly" one, too.

Live and learn.

LoisLane

SanLuisObispoTruthSeeker

Lois, we had elders I thought were perfect turning out to be bad guys. I am willing to bet nobody has ever seen a elder run off with another elder and leave behind two crying women. The Kingdom Hall is presented to the pubic as "the safe place to be" or "a family stayed home from meeting and their kid was killed in the street by a man who escaped a mental facility, if they were obeying Jehovah their child would still be alive!"

The Kingdom Hall is said to be a "Paradise or Lagoon of safety for sea-tired ships and vessels", my experience was the Kingdom Hall made you feel you were never doing enough and if you thought you were doing enough, there is something evil or sinister brewing inside your arrogant mind! How dare we think we did enough for Jehovah, we can't ever pay him back for our sins but it's best to error on the side of "die trying to pay him back with Field Service hours and time spent on Organizational building projects or donated professional time. Did you ever feel like you measured up with our Organization?

Sammy Jenkis

James 5:14,15 is all they need but you're right. Tell them something and the whole congo knows about it before you even get home.

stillin

Yes, what Sammy said. The elders use any tidbits discovered among the flock to elevate themselves in the eyes of the other elders and if possible, the Society. (Oh, sorry, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses inc)

the juicier, the better.

Really, most elders can't handle the truth.

Fernando

Personally I find the Watchtower only differs cosmetically (outward appearance) from those they criticise:

*** w85 12/1 p. 6 Righteousness Before God—How? ***
As a Catholic, Luther had learned that man’s justification involves baptism, personal merit, and good works, as well as the sacrament of penance administered by a priest, who hears confession, grants absolution, and imposes compensatory works that can involve self-punishment.

In his efforts to find peace with God, Luther had expended all the resources of Roman dogma on justification, including fasting, prayers, and self-punishment, but to no avail. Unappeased, he read and reread the Psalms and Paul’s letters, finally finding peace of mind by concluding that God justifies men, not because of their merits, good works, or penance, but solely because of their faith.

Dis-Member

mindnumbed I think they use Matthew 18:18 to justify this.

“Truly I say to you, whatever things you may bind on earth will be things already bound in heaven, and whatever things you may loosen on earth will be things already loosened in heaven.

and James 5:14,15

Is there anyone sick among you? Let him call the elders of the congregation to him, and let them pray over him, applying oil to him in the name of Jehovah. And the prayer of faith will make the sick one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

These scriptures actually say nothing of confessing the details of sins to anyone.

Confessing Sins to Elders for forgiveness, Can Elders Forgive Sins?

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