Heavy drinking

by 5thGeneration 16 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Cygnus

  
  I would just ask the elders, "I need help, what can be done for me?

  They are supposed to minister to you judgment comes if evidence of unrepentant behavior manifests itself repeatedly after the plea for help.

  The reason I say this is, each congo is different. I would think some have elders that drink every night and some have teetotallers. When I was 23 or so it became knowledge to the elders that I liked to drink. Just one elder in passing asked, "How're you doin' with that?" I said, "Fine, fine." That was the end of it. I went on to become a full blown functioning alcoholic alcohol abuser. Big difference. I used to drink a ton but I quit and I can be around drinking or have a beer myself and have no problems "relapsing" as it were.
• 

  garybuss

  Proclaimers*** jv 182 13 Recognized by Our Conduct ***
  So, heavy drinkers do not qualify for special service privileges.
  
  And the abuse of alcohol is but one indication of lack of self-control.
  (The Watchtower, April 15, 1985, p.21)
  
  "A report from one European country indicates that at times
  some brothers and sisters arrive at the Kingdom Hall with a
  strong smell of alcohol on their breath."
  (The Watchtower Dec. 15, 1996, p. 29)
  
  
• 

  Honesty

  The elders reproved a brother and his wife for alcohol use in one of the halls i was in. In another hall I was in a brother who had problems due to military service in Vietnam was DF'd for alcohol use. He didn't drink as much as some of the pillars in the congregation. It all depends on who you are. I bet that the least you would get is reproof if you ask fror help. The a$$holes in my old congregation accused me of alcohol abuse when my ex dub wife and I staarted having problems due to my attempted fade. I had already stopped any alcohol use so they couldn't DF me.
• 

  dedpoet

  When I was in, I used to go out occasionally with some of the brothers. We all drank in moderation apart from one, who had 8 pints and a couple of double whiskies every time we went out. He was, and still is, an elder. He used to drink every day, and when we had sunday morning meetings, he used to look a bit glassy - eyed when he was conducting the watchtower study sometimes, yet nothing was ever said to him, and he kept all his privileges. Obviously, it does depend on your status in the cong as to what you can and can't get away with
• 

  Indo_Dude

  5th, the first step in the process is admitting you have a problem. How many years have you been abusing alcohol / substances?
• 

  jaguarbass

  I've been out since 83. Many of the elders I knew in the 70's and 80's were hard core Alkys and if they knew you drank they invited you to the party.

  You could smell the alcohol in the air at the Thursday night service meeting.

  Thats one of my fond memories of being a witness in the 70's all the parties. That's all we did was drink.

  Everyone had a bar in their basement. And we got together on the weekends and drank. And played bilbe games and charades and cards. I'm talking elders and ministerial servants.

  I think it was different back in the 70's because the freinds partied together every week. Thats what made it hard to leave. It was a great social network of dinner parties and drinking parties.

  But in the end they didnt have the truth and Armegedon probably didnt happen in 75.

  Another thing, there was no MAD back in the 70's. Everybody drank and drove. You never heard of cops giving people tickets for it back in Cleveland. Nowadays if you have 2 beers they take your license
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  Indo_Dude

  The elders in my hall were huge lushes. I'm sure it was to dull the pain of their insignificant, boring existence.