Latest Study Watchtower - JW's NEED to confess to elders

by The Fall Guy 38 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  LongHairGal

  THE FALL GUY:

  There is no confidentiality in the JW religion. Anybody who makes the mistake of confessing anything to these men is guaranteed to have their private business, faults, etc. gossiped about for decades in the hall and eventually neighboring congregations.

  In the Catholic Church a priest generally only talks to other priests - an elder talks to everybody including his wife.... A priest has higher education - not necessarily an elder....A priest is generally a priest for life - not necessarily with an elder...If an elder steps down or is removed, what happens to all the secrets he has been told? Is the elder bound legally to secrecy like a doctor or lawyer?.. No...That means everybody is at the mercy of the elder's discretion - assuming he has any.

  All this will do is increase the gossip that is already off the charts. The religion is nothing but a chaotic mess.
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  just fine

  Control, it's all about control.
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  DwainBowman

  A sister I knew had gotten into trouble as a teen 30 some years before and was DFed, for a one time thing. 30 years later, thing's happened and she messed up, after her x showed up, and beat the crap out of her, and forced himself on her. She lived on a old dirt road with the nearest house being 3 miles away. She did not scream for help, and they brought up what happened in the past, and said this proved, that she was never repentant way back then, and DFed her again. They also told her not to worry about turning in a letter until one of them, let her know it would be open to consideration! 5 YEARS!!!!!!!!
  
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  ToesUp

  I would take a bullet to the head before I confessed to one of thos ass hats!
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  steve2

  As LongHasirGirl says, at least priests have some higher education. To that I'd add some basic grasp of responding to complicated scenarios.

  Not so JW elders who bring a black and white template to human foibles and relationships. Theirs is an unhappy mantra about doing more to get back in the good books; usually, pray more, study more, attend meetings more and, if that "privilege" has not been suspended, witnessing more. More of the same to cover all manner of complicated and sad scenarios - with little, if any, grasp of the psychology of personalities and relationships.
  
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  Doubtfully Yours

  I shall not trust, much less confess anything to mere imperfect humans such as myself. Poor fools think they have been appointed by God, with special curative powers.

  Many a JW are of this opinion.

  DY
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  ttdtt

  LongHasirGirl - I have to disagree a bit. I think the confidentiality depends on the congregation and the elders.

  I was an elder a long time, and we did very well not talking out of turn.

  True it's not foolproof, and some people like to show they are big shots about what they know.

  I think what happens more often is that people put 2 and 2 together and think someone f#cked around. And that's true 90% of the time.

  Don't get me wrong - JWs are the BIGGEST Gossip Whores you will ever find.

  I have experience that to a large degree after fading.
  
  
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  freemindfade

  nice write up
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  UnshackleTheChains

  I was an elder a long time, and we did very well not talking out of turn.

  True it's not foolproof, and some people like to show they are big shots about what they know.

  I think what happens more often is that people put 2 and 2 together and think someone f#cked around. And that's true 90% of the time.

  Don't get me wrong - JWs are the BIGGEST Gossip Whores you will ever find.

  I have experience that to a large degree after fading

  Hey ttdtt

  Thanks for your comment. There is a lot of truth in what you say. I don't doubt the sincerity of many elders as confidentiality is a must. However. Having experienced the star chamber myself, I can only say that my experience felt like an interrogation. I also felt that it was very intrusive. The questions asked of me were unbelievable. Having been through a JD in the past has been really off putting. Matters should be kept private. No one else's business. Announcing that someone has been reproved before the whole congregation for a one off sin is disgusting and wrong. It flies in the face of scripture. The GB have their policies upside down. They need to read their bibles and get it right.
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  Chook

  I magine a catholic attending a confessional booth and finding three priests waiting, I could promise future confessionals would fall off cliff.