Good point Somebody. It is incredible to think that a pedophile is treated and respected in the borg while someone who buys a lottery ticket every week or so can be DF'd.
And Room215, yes, the "knowing too much" about the Society is certainly a major part of it. It's ironic that for years we have been taught that one of the major reasons to believe in the Bible is that it is honest and shows both the good and bad of people, NOT like worldly sources that often only show one side of things.
They want us to know about every detail about God's people in biblical times, what they did, how they succeeded, how they failed. But when it comes to an analysis of God's people in modern times, it's so hush hush. If you know too much you are often viewed as a threat.
The point about the J W Judicial system is that it is just that - a legal system with it's anomaly's just like any other. As time goes by , it veers further and further away from the simple Christianity as recorded in the Scriptures, and becomes more complicated.
Eyeslice might understand when I recall being a young,idealistic elder who was scared stiff about sitting the first Judicial Committee and feeling inadaquate to judge his brother. What did one do? You follow what the others do and let the experienced ones guide you. As time goes by your thinking becomes molded in the way of the Borg , and you really believe that what you are doing is right
If you are lucky ,something happens to shake you out of that thinking and you start to question things. For so many though they just drift along enjoying the prestige of the job.............
"....I recall being a young,idealistic elder who was scared stiff about sitting the first Judicial Committee and feeling inadaquate to judge his brother. What did one do? You follow what the others do and let the experienced ones guide you. As time goes by your thinking becomes molded in the way of the Borg , and you really believe that what you are doing is right."
I may sound mean, but I could NEVER go along with something that I felt was wrong. Elders are playing about with people's lives. On a mere whim, you can destroy a person's name and character. You cannot simply hide behind an organisation and say that you 'had to do it'. I would rather stand out as different and step down - not that I ever got the chance - just a sister with no real mind of her own, you see. It's a cop out to say that you had to follow others.
Ray Franz in COC well describes how he got caught along with even being on the governing body, but in the end, making a stand becomes a matter of principle and conscience.
Though I was part of the judicial system, the question I always asked myself was; "if I had lived in the days of the Spainish Inquisition, would I have agreed with torturing and murdering people in the name of Christ?". I am sure there were some "sincere" inquisitors and possibly some of them were good men in their own way. But they allowed religious ferver to blind their consciences.
I believe some elders, by no means all or a majority, would be the sort that could go along with inquisitorial atrocities if they believed this was truely what the organization demanded of them. Others like myself and BluesBrother come to point a point where we have to say; "stop, this organization has gone too far".
I take your point eyeslice, it must be difficult to stand out and refuse to go along with the crowd. However, you and Bluesbrother had the courage to say enough is enough - what about the rest of the elders who don't? As far as I am concerned, if a JC is biased and kicks someone out of the congregation because of the elders' own petty prejudices, the whole body of elders is guilty. If there are some who feel uncomfortable with the hypocrisy that permeates many congregations, they have a mouth in their head and should use it. An elder is in an ideal position to right wrongs. From my own personal experience, many elders are big-headed and proud and there are others who are weak and spineless and don't speak out. Do any elders or ex-elders here realise how frustrating it is to be a woman in this organisation?????
I continually speak my mind, get taken into the 'back room', and generally am disliked for being mouthy. But I don't care and will continue to act this way whenever I think an injustice has been done. I think the elders in my congregation will breathe a sigh of relief when they realise I'm not going back any more. I really don't need any more of their insults or lectures.
