This just happened to us:
My son (an MS) meets his childhood "best friend"(an elder) at a gathering. "Beast" friend says to son,"So how are you?"
"I'm fine; how's everything with you"?
"Great" says the elder. "And how have your parents been"?
"Oh, they are fine. A few health problems along the way, but nothing too serious."
Elder says sympathetically,"Oh really?sorry to hear about their problems. Do you get to see them often?"
My son replies:
"About once a month. Not as often as I might like, but we are all busy,you know."
Elder says(in his mind) "GOTCHA!"!!!
Says out loud, "Ohhhhh,Michael(not real name), We have to talk about this."
Michael asks,"What do you mean?"
Didn't you read the August Kingdom ministry?"
Yes.
"And didn't you read about that brother and sister who called their mother right after an assembly to cut them off?"
"Yes, so?"
"Well, Michael, she came back into the truth because of their stance"
Michael is now very irritated with the bait and switch that just took place and the toes that are being stepped on at the moment.
"Are you CRAZY?!!, he says. Do you think my parents would come back because I cut them off? That is the most INSANE reason for anyone to want to come back. I am not about to cut my parents off!"!!!!
"Michael, we are going to have to talk more about this later, why don't you call me."
Michael,blew it all off. (but best friend calls elders at Michael's hall to REPORT the SIN.)
Michael goes to a meeting and gets called in the backroom. OH OH! What could possibly be wrong?
"It has come to our attention that you have been seeing your parents",Brother Himler says.
Yeah so? Michael responds.
"Well, as a servant you need to set the example for the congregation"
"Are you kidding? You want me to stop seeing my parents? Are you crazy? I am not going to stop seeing my parents! They are my parents,for God's sake!.
"Well, this is a bigger problem than we thought; we will have to get a commitee together to determine what should be done."
"Done? What is to be done?"
Well, we cannot have someone in a position of responsibility going against the direction of the faithful and discreet slave. You must realize that a ministerial servant has to be beyond reproach or the rest of the friends might follow his lead."
"Hey! You do whatever you need to do. I AM NOT GOING TO STOP SEEING MY PARENTS!"
"Michael, I am afraid that you are displaying a spirit of hostility. I wasn't aware that was one of your personality traits."
"Listen, you just told me, (basically)that I have to give up my parents in order to keep my position in this congregation,, and you can't understand why I am a little upset?"
"Michael,we will give you time to think about this. In the meantime,we will schedule a formal meeting."
Michael leaves the KH., (goes home)talks with his wife, who agrees that if it means he loses his "Position" so be it, they were on the same page with this one.
A meeting is scheduled, it is not over yet,(new gun- ho CO coming next month)
In the meantime, Michael calls that old x-best friend and leaves this question on his answering machine,"WHY did you do that? What possible motive did you have in in feigning concern for my parents and calling my elders behind my back? Are you that desperate to get me in trouble? Do you want me removed, is that it?
Why? I just want to know why?"
X-best friend never called him back(the coward).
So he visits us, a week after this pow wow, and I mentioned the AUG KM. He says, "you know about that"?
I say, "Of course I do. I still have one of you in the religion. I am going to do my best to learn what the "current" mindset is within the org.
"I have lived with this Sword of Damocles since August, wondering when my call would come."
'It won't,Mom. I am not about to give up my parents, even if they do remove me."
I said, "Michael, that may not be all."
"What do you mean?"
"They might DF you for this."
"No, "They wouldn't do that."
"Michael, I believe the AUGUST Kingdom ministry says that you are FORBIDDEN from shopping,going on a picnic,having a meal in a restaurant,watching movies, etc."
"No, it doesn't"
Yes,it does."
"It says it in one of the questions at the bottom of the page."
"THE KM doesn't have questions."
I know that, but the August KM does! And it says FORBIDDEN.I believe it asks the question,' WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE forbidden......" And the paragragh makes it clear that you cannot go to a restaurant with us, vacation, or even visit anymore. THE Society never went so far in specifying such things but they have now.
"I think you are wrong ,Mom. I have the KM in the car; let me get it."
He looks at the bottom of the page, "You are right, there are questions, I didn't even notice that before. He reads the question. FORBIDDEN jumps out at him. He proceeds to read just what is FORBIDDEN, and his face is frozen in place. He didn't smile once after that.
He just shook his head and said,"I don't believe that."
"We are to be treated as the tax collectors, Michael."
He responds by saying that ,'Jeus ate with tax collectors.'
"Well, that was okay for Jesus, but you will not be allowed to emulate his spirit on this one."
"THEY don't have a scriptural right to do this to us!"
"I know, Honey. But they have the legal right. And they are planning on enforcing this, so be prepared."
My son lost sleep over this when his position as an MS was at stake, but he didn't realize that he might face far worse consequences than that.
The sword continues to hang over my neck ,because he is going to be forced to choose between Jehovah and me.
This whole thing sickens me, and reminds me of something I read about some of the Hitler youth. These young boys were each given a puppy, to live with ,to train,and to bond with. (Anyone who has had puppies can understand the special love that can develop in a year's time)
At that point ,the boys' loyalty was to be tested. They were each told to shoot and kill their dogs.If they couldn't,they proved their disloyalty to the "cause" ;if they could, it was clear that they could be trusted.
Discern the fruit discover the tree. Same spirit! UGGH!!!!
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