INTERVIEW: with an Elder (page 3)

The_Doctor10

I hate the fact that we'll probably never see a GB member interviewed in such a manner. Would love to see the likes of Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins interviewing a JW elder or especially a member of the GB asking them such hard questions.

Vidiot

clambake - "...An elder bragged to me about how we do this job without getting paid and I was like, 'No offence, a monkey could do your job..."

I just got the weirdest image in my head...

x

...of a pair of trained chimps, all dressed up and smiling, standing next to a singing literature trolley.

Vidiot

The_Doctor10 - "I hate the fact that we'll probably never see a GB member interviewed in such a manner. Would love to see the likes of Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins interviewing a JW elder or especially a member of the GB asking them such hard questions."

Hell, guys like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell had the balls to do it.

millie210

"It is loyalty to God's perfect earthly arrangement."

Oh really?

Magwitch

Terry, That was absolutely fantastic!!!

This elder reminded me of something Joe Grundy said on another thread......

The few (JW;s) I have met tended to be ignorant, arrogant and tell lies

TerryWalstrom

Thinking back over my encounter, I just realized something which should have stood out right away. He was carrying the NWT but NEVER OPENED IT to read a scripture!

Has the method of their madness changed?

JW's never stop flipping the onion skin pages--except this time. I'm sure my choice of topic had a little bit to do with it.

I definitely wanted to steer clear of doctrines and stay with practical everyday issues if I could. Maybe that's what it was.

It still strikes me as unusual.

umbertoecho

The questions you posed to this elder were slanted in a manner that indicated you already had an "opinion" about the JW community. Plus,your fairly strong knowledge of their workings as an organization, would indicate to this man that you had more than a passing interest in doctrine, culture and so on. If that was your intention...ie, to let him know what your position was. Then I would say you achieved your goal.

wallsofjericho

Question: "What about Jehovah's Witnesses? Do you accept and celebrate human diversity for 'other sheep', Gentiles, homosexuals, transgenders, thieves, prostitutes, etc?"

that line of reasoning was almost a bait and switch. Jesus accepted these ones and forgave them IF they repented. He never "celebrated" their wrongdoing. JW's will accept these people if they repent and align with their own teachings.

I am not saying JW's are right about everything, but attacking the JW's for not "celebrating" or accepting these types of people and equivocating this to Christ's forgiveness of such ones are two different things.

I have to admit, considering the game you played that elder did quite well. Better than most would have

Finkelstein

........ So Mr. Elder whats your viewpoint on the recent law suits filed against the JW organization for acts of negligence and irresponsibility and actually loosing those law suits ? It appears the WTS had to pay out millions in recent times being held libel .

" You know I just remembered my wife has dinner ready for me so I better go home, perhaps we can chat another time '

TerryWalstrom

I think all I accomplished (if anything) was to be an agent provocateur to the extent I might goad him into saying something incriminating.

Now, why would I?

Cognitive Dissonance allows a person to hold dissonant views simultaneously without fully reckoning with the implications. In other words, depending on which mindset the person is presently adopting, they might argue one way and subsequently argue the opposite without seeing self-contradiction as an issue!

The hard part is getting somebody to suddenly see they are on both sides and then have to grapple with what's going on.

Example:

In talking to an old JW friend of mine, I got him to state in absolute terms what he thought DF-ing policy was in the Kingdom Hall. He stated, "Nobody will be disfellowshipped if they demonstrate repentance."

Five minutes later, I brought up a case where a Brother was DF'd just for spending the night under the same roof with an unmarried girl. The Brother claimed he slept on the couch and nothing happened. The judicial committee told him it was EQUALLY BAD because it brought reproach. So, the brother begged forgiveness and cried. He was DF'd anyway!

I asked point blank--"What about that rule you stated about nobody being disfellowshipped if they are repentant?"

He sort of blinked like I'd slapped him with a dead fish.

He lamely responded, "Well, that's different."

But I could see he was rattled.

INTERVIEW: with an Elder

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