Shy,
Get a good education, and prepare to be finishing high school or in college at 17 or 18. If you are living on your own and attending college, you are free from your parents and building a good life for yourself. Student loans are easy to get and will pay for college and living expenses.
A responsible person can live on their own at 17. I was living on my own attending college at 17. My parents raised us to know from a young age that at 18 we would be living on our own. I consider that a good thing, as I had several years to prepare and plan accordingly.
Shy, your experience with the elders shows that the decisions of judical committees are not guided by holy spirit or Jehovah. If Jehovah was involved, then the elders could not be fooled, and there would be no wrongful DFings.
Shy, I normally recommend that you stay with your parents until you are in a good solid position to live on your own. However, living under the silly JW rules may do much damage. Or make you rebel.
Also, sometimes it is good for a person to leave home at a young age. My oldest son is 20, and still living at home. He is still in Grade 11. He is enjoying a free ride, and has not applied himself to school. Why should he? He is living a much better lifestyle than he could on his own.
If he had been kicked out at 18, I will bet that his view on schooling, etc. would be completely different. Some people only learn at the school of hard knocks.
SwordOfJah,
You have a good point. The elders did show mercy, and that is a good thing. If they are going to err, I prefer they err on the side of mercy. And us apostates do not give enough credit to the reasonable elders and JWs; this is a topic I have addressed at least a few times.
That said, the typical way of handling some cases is silly. Fornication and adultery, for example. If a grown man or woman admits to committing fornication or adultery, what more is needed? We all know what is involved with fornication and adultery. Yet, elders will ask for the initimate details. Who touch who where, how often, did you cum, how many times did you stroke his cock, etc? Why are such details needed? That level of detail is primarily so the elders can get their jollies. Many sisters have noticed the elder's having a hard-on during such questioning. The Mormons have a similar line of questioning, but hide the hard-ons: the elders sit behind a desk when holding their equivalent of a judical committee.
Also, from what I know of Jehovah, he is a complete bastard. Look at the silly rules he has, and how they fall apart under extreme circumstances. Look at the hardships JWs go through for the sake of the silly rules. I would rather die in a so-called Armageddon than serve such a heartless God for eternity. And any God that has to use the threat of Armageddon to keep his followers in line has to be a bastard. A loving God would not have to use fear. And if Hilter was a sick man for killing 10 million or so people, how sick is Jehovah who plans on killing 6 Billion?
Richard
Edited by - Skeptic on 8 January 2003 16:36:16
