Elders authority over non JW's?

by figureheaduk 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  figureheaduk

  Just been looking at E-watchman's mailbag (a bit one sided to say the least.........), and there was a question from a girl who is studying with someone else who she's fallen in love with. It seems that she's been told that they can't date until they've both been baptized - so she asked the E-watchman his advice. The first sentence of his reply was "The elders in the congregation don't really have authority over those who are not part of the congregation". Please tell me that those running this (dodgy at best) organization/cult/money making scam honestly dont believe they have any authority over the 99.9% of the population that are not JW's.

  I might have read into this the wrong way, but that's what it seems to be implying to me.
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  Lady Lee

  oh lord yup they actually do IF you want anything to do with one of them - a sort of controlling the influences

  They want to know who their members are hanging out with and whether you are corrupting converting them (the only reason for a JW to hang with a worldly person donjaknow)

  Also when people are turfed out the JWs think they still have control over them telling them they should obey the rules about not talking to their members (I obeyed for a while but finally realized they had no control over me so I talk to whoever I want when I want)
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  Nathan Natas

  I would guess that most JW elders understand that they have no authority over people who have no interest in the WTS. There may be a few who haven't figured this out.

  But when a person "expresses an interest" in the WTS, things change. The elders are "spiritual authorities," after all - THEY have been selected by God's Holy Spirit(tm) and they represent The Truth(tm). So in the cases of such "interested persons," yes, the elders expect to exercise authority, and they take submission to such authority as an indication of a "good heart condition," spiritually speaking, on the part of the submissive one.
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  gumby

  she's been told that they can't date until they've both been baptized .

  She studying with someone who isn't baptised? She studying with a study?

  I was baptised and dated my studying future wife. The RULE is......a baptised witness does not become unevenly yoked with an unbaptised person. As far as two unbaptised people dating and wanting to get baptised and studying......the are given council and how to stay morally clean and their actions on this could determine if they are "ready" for baptism......so yes.....elders do show authority over them in that sense.

  Gumby
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  Elsewhere

  That is true... they have absolutely NO authority over anyone who is not baptized in association with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.

  That is why they are demanding that they girl persuade her boyfriend to get baptized... so that they will be able to control him too. These men are control freaks. Control over the members of the organization and those poking their nose in the organization are their primary goals. Its all about control.

  This is also why they make their members shun former members. They know that these people have knowledge that can reveal how crooked and evil the elders and GB are, but at the same time, they know they cannot gag someone who is not a member... so they use their control over the members to make them shun the person they don't want to have a voice.
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  A Paduan

  "and if what the prophet says doesn't come to pass, do not fear him"

  It would be a wrong thing and beneath human dignity to let them have that sort of control

  Edited by - a paduan on 2 February 2003 9:48:45
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  blondie

  These are all such excellent scriptural comments. It's just like NOT being at the KH. I look forward to more and I'm saving all of them. May need them in the future.

  Blondie(using scriptures with elders is like pearls before swine)
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  peacefulpete

  In a discussion with a branch elder once this topic came up.. It was his position that all theocratically apointed servants and elders are in line for prinely rule in the new world. And that their present authority, like Jesus', is merely resistd by the unbelievers. In other words they DO have the authority to rule/govern but due to the present allowance of wickedness on God's part they do not have the right to insist on their authority before God's appropriate time. And therefore their tolerence of disrespect is in imitation of God's and Christ's. This may or may not be in print as I don't have the resources to check.
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  figureheaduk

  In other words they DO have the authority to rule/govern

  Yeah, right. As if I would willingly give my obediance to an organization that:

  1) Has falsely predicted armageddon a number of times since the late 19th century, and then blamed their followers for reading into things the wrong way.

  2) Forbids it's followers from joining the military, while coining it in from it's association with people like Rand Cam

  3) Has switched back and forth it's doctrines (i.e. the blood issue, UN involvement etc) many times over the years

  4) Forbids it's followers from having association with former members (including family members). How much heartbreak and misery has this caused over the years?

  5) Often contradicts what science and history can otherwise prove true

  5) Protects child molesters by using bible verses that basically say "it didn't happen if the bad guy doesn't confess, or if there aren't at least two witnesses" How many child molesters do you think will own up, and how many acts of child abuse do you think have at least two witnesses? And how many poor, innocent victims have been ostracized by their families and congregations due to this lunacy, while at the same time the violator is free to roam possibly targeting other youngsters?

  The Watchtower makes me sick. How they can get away with it all is beyond me. Thankfully, i have never been a part of it, and luckily, never will be.

  "Their tolerance of disrespect is in imitation of god and christ's "

  Could you ever have respect for this kind of thing. I know i couldn't!
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  OUTLAW

  The elders have no authority over non-dubs.They are not however,above dirty tricks.The girl wants to date the guy,she has to get baptized.They`re using the boyfriend for bait and pretty soon the congragation will have a new fish..Another ruined life...OUTLAW