Letting go of Highly Qualified Men (page 3)

losingit

I HATE THE WITNESSES!

These stories make me want to scream!

Ucantnome

James i couldn't have brought my kids up in the witnesses and to be an elder as well, no way. i have a good relationship with my kids. they care.

Nathan Natas

Brother Jackson, it seems to me that you have yet to experience ILLUMINATION; you seem to still be functioning as though you believe The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society is Pure Worship™.

I have left garlic bread at the altar of The Flying Spaghetti Monster on your behalf. May you soon be embraced by His Noodley Appendages.

Let this strike your consciousness like Lightning from Thor's Hammer: The WTB&TS is a man-made CULT not much different from all the other religions and CULTS that the WTB&TS condemns as "False religion"! ALL religions are FALSE!

Wake Up, man!

LET GO of your faith-based speculations, expectations, hopes and dreams!

"Thus shall ye think of this fleeting world: A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream; A flash of lightning in a summer cloud; A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream."

Quarterback

Yes, an Elder's family must be exemplary. That is written somewhere in the publications. The scriptures also speak about the condition of the Elder's family. However, that being said I find that there are two standards.

One for the Elder whose family is in the teachings, and another for the Elder of the Unbelieving wife.

No one cares about the example of the family of the Elder's unbelieving mate. He is just simply left alone.

But, the Elder who has a challenge with some of his believing children, this is shocking. "Throw that man out". "Let him learn to qualify, again, after some time has passed" After some considerable time those unruly kids will be embarassed, or moved out because of what they have caused. Perhapps those rebellious kids will have feelings of guilt. A great punishment for kids that didn't quite have the maturity, and were trying to figure out life at such an early age.

I beleve that there exists a reason for Elders to step down based on family circumstances, but, I don't think that it should be done in a Wicth Hunt mentality.

DesirousOfChange

RE: Brothers who have held prominent positions in the Organization who were dismissed not for any gross sins, but mainly for not keeping their child toeing the line.

JW children are the lifeblood of the JW recruiting system, esp in Western countries. If the WTS does not "get them" while they are still young (see all the baptisms at 9, 10, 11) they have a significantly higher risk of losing them when they become teenagers or older.

It is imperitive that Elders set the example in this so that other members will follow their example. An Elder who has children who are mid-teens or older and who are NOT baptised won't be an Elder much longer. Other families cannot be allowed to use him and his kids as an example to delay.

The same goes for higher education. An Elder who promotes that his own children go to university sets the wrong example. As soon as kids go to school and learn HOW to think and reason on things, the WT publications and WT reasonings fall apart.

It's why I had to quit serving as an Elder long before I learned TTATT.

Doc

prologos

there were at least 13 working fields for members outlined in the letters attributed to Paul.

Wt has been to narrow in monopolizing ALL these duties into the elder category.

Why would anybody that is struggling with personal, family issues want to be burdened further with tasks that may prove to serve a nefarious purpose?

Tech49

James Jackson, you are thinking about this from the wrong direction. Allow me to explain....

Firstly, let me say that I understand where you are coming from. Good men, honest, caring, intelligent men are being pushed out of the organization every day.

Those taking the "control" in the congregations are pompous, arrogant, inexperienced, and generally selfish in nature. They hurt people emotionally, sometimes physically. They take advantage of people to further their own interests, to gain power and glory... because that is what they think will bring happiness and satisfaction

I too have seen the 30-something, newly appointed elder, Mr. MyShi*DoesntStink, that badgers and berates those around him, whilst sticking his nose so far up the hind end of the COBE and the CO that no one seems to notice. Seen it. I see too Brother BeenAServantAtBethelandNowIKnowItAll. Has known nothing else, and is suddenly an elder with an attitude, and anyone else in the congregation just barely qualifies to be in his presence...Or the elderly brother, an elder who has never had family, and probably never been married, or at least divorced a long time ago, and is the expert in how to raise children and how to be a marriage mate in this difficult economy. Or the elders that just show up, warm a seat, and cant seem to give anyone the time of day, cause they have so much paperwork to do!

It's painful to watch, because we care for those who are being used up, those who are desirous of love, those who genuinely need to be shepherded, and cared for on a spiritual and emotional level. They are tired, like we were. It sickens me to see those who know the reality of where they are at.... herded, pushed, and guilted into a lifestyle they know deep down is not the way things should be, and deep down they know it is unhealthy for their hearts and minds.

Here's the difference between the masses, and the few.... they dont know what to do. They know nothing else, they are afraid of change, they can't take the wheel.

You see, at some point, it's the rare individual that just stops. Just stops and looks around. Stops and listens to the noise around his head. Only when he or she stops and listens can they truly hear what is going on. Until then, its all just a dull roar.

You see, my friend Mr James Jackson, you have stopped. You are hearing what noises make up the roar around you. You are learning to tune out the static and the screaming and the guilting and the attitudes.... and you feel like YOU are the one in the wrong. Amongst the noise, you heard a bird, you hear a waterfall, you hear the sunrise of a new day.

You are not wrong my friend. The congregations ARE letting go of highly qualified men. Because they are waking up. And when they wake up, they put themselves in a position to BE LET GO, whether its consciously or not, they put themselves in that positon. I know I did, and it sounds like you did too, as have many others.

The conflict you feel comes from the feeling that THEY SHOULDNT HAVE LET ME GO !!! I feel it too, every day.

I spent some time recently with a very good friend, currently serving as a COBE in another nearby congregation. One of the VERY few people I would ever confide my feeling to. Over a few beers, I laid it all out, from A to Z, from beginning to end. I waited anxiously for grand words of wisdom, for the spirit to move the conversation, to feel the hand of a spiritual father. His response was one that caught me completely off guard, and at the same time explained everything, and lent credibility to it all.

"Jack,I understand completely.... I just want to move far away, just me and the wife. Mexico maybe. The coast. I want to wear bermuda shorts, and fish in the ocean. Every day, every single day. And nothing else. I am sick and tired of all the politics, the backstabbing, the complaining, the drudgery of it all. We already have a plan in place, and will be there within 2-3 years, we haven't told anyone, but its where we will be....... wanna come visit?"

I was aghast, yet strangely vindicated. He was awake, he too could hear the sunrise of a new day.

James Jackson, do not look behind you. Look forward. Yep. They let you go. They shouldn't have. Doesnt make sense, dont try and make it make sense.

Too bad for them. Too bad for them......

Peace be with you and yours,

Jack Harper, Tech49

Julia Orwell

Nailed it, tech. These preppy born ins who think they're gods gift...I have a friend who has the rest of the boe against him because he became an elder because he wanted to help people be more Christian, and instead is confiding in his apostate friend about how awful the other men are...

DesirousOfChange

I'd love to sit, chat, and have a burger and a few pints of brew with:

James Jackson

Tech49

ConfusedAndAlone

Oubliette

(I'm sure there are others I'd like to invite. How about you?)

BluesBrother

Reminds me of a friend of mine once, in a congo far from here - He was the only intelligent one on the body, a man with insight . That made him unpopular with the others.

His mid teen daughter had a boyfriend in the cong. All above board and moral. Sisters grumbled that she was too young. Her father allowed it and knew how serious she felt about the lad. The body removed him for not following Society's counsel about young people dating. His appeal fell on deaf ears.

He has been a publisher now for several years, and never looked happier . His daughter married the lad when she was older and they look happy. I just wish that he had seen the B'org for what it really is......but he just blamed the local body

Letting go of Highly Qualified Men

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