by minimus 25 Replies latest jw friends
If you were ever brought before a judicial committee, and were about to be interrogated by the elders, just remember...you owe them nothing. They are mere men and no better than you!
Even if it wasn’t a judicial interrogation , you should never feel obligated to them. Elders are asking questions so that they can build a case against you or someone else. They are not speaking for God in their roles.
Do not fall into their trap!
My spouse and I did exactly that. Gave them NOTHING!! They tried. Still NOTHING!! They were very perplexed why we didn't cower to their "invisible authority." lol
Once we let our family know that we no longer believe this, everything went out the window. NOW, we don't care, we tell em WT is a fraud!!!
One thing I might try: Speaking German. I doubt anyone in my area understands that language, and if they ask me to speak a language they understand, all they get is an answer "That is too bad if you don't understand" in German. I doubt they will find a judicial committee that can decode that, especially given the lousy education most hounders have these days.
Just don't try it with Spanish, since there are quite a few Spanish speakers in many congregations (in northern New England and the New Orleans area, French has this issue as well). I have seen people in my congregation that spoke decent Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, but none that could speak even a word in German.
I agree that we owe no one, including a group of elders, an explanation for what we believe or feel!
I personally don't have any animosity toward any of our local elders. In fact, most of them are/were very good friends for decades. I hope that eventually they will one day wake up like I did. 55 years as a loyal jw. As many of us on this forum know, it's a very difficult, gut wrenching time when we decide to walk away from the wt. For the most part, it's not the individual jw's, it's the fu*cked up organization that we walk away from.
I've had several "former fellow elders" come and visit me since I faded (I attend about 2 meetings a month and the assemblies and conventions. No fs for the past 6 years at all). I give them the same "explanation", namely that I just don't see any urgency in our times. I use the recent building project up in Warwick as an example.
"If the times were so urgent, the Organization sure as hell wouldn't be using millions of man hours building but would be preaching!"
That pretty much puts their arguments to rest!
just saying!
"If the times were so urgent, the Organization sure as hell wouldn't be using millions of man hours building but would be preaching!"
That pretty much puts their arguments to rest!
I have tried this as well, but any JW that is more witty will usual answer that the ORG is building this so that it can be used after the BIG A, in order to organize the survivors.
In my mind a better challenge is about how JWs are not reaching the majority of humans with their message. Many countries in the world that together hold the majority of humans have close to zero representation of JWs, with no preaching. How does this square with the idea that this work is supposed to be supported by a God that can easily do anything he wants? Why isn't the ORG sending missionaries in droves to those places, with the confidence that God will protect them?
Just give name, rank and serial number.
Rub a Dub
And by the way, don't even show up. If you show up, you are already recognizing their authority.
I know some that I feel showing up gives them the upper hand as in the accused. Personally I wouldn’t show up either they have no authority over me
if elders ask you why no FS or meeting attendance--just say you dont feel like it at the moment.
My mistake was to be honest, trusting, and friendly. I was DF with no tangible evidence bar my own admittance that I had had a meal with my wife's carer in broad daylight (deemed to be 'brazen conduct') to repay her care and ,often unpaid, help. In hindsight, beneficial I know, I should have not played their game and made them ashamed of their unfounded accusations. One of the elders on the JC has since been removed from the congregation and transferred to another far away, as a result of his habitual interference in other's family lives...
