Viviane - Well done and Thank you. Your letter inspired me to send this letter to Mr. Stewart. This is from a personal family members experience.
Mr. Stewart,
I hope you doing well today. I just wanted to thank you for your excellent work and questioning of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past days of hearings.
You have done your home work and actually know more about this organization then most J.W’s. Since most of them have never seen ALL the elders and branch letters brought to the attention of this commission. Also, no regular member of the congregation would ever be allowed access to the Elders ”Shepherd the Flock of God” Book.
When a member of the congregation is asked to speak with the Elders. Many of them do not know the rules or the procedures, but the Elders do. It is a one sided process. I have a family member that took a problem to the Elders to be helped, within a few days a J.C. meeting was conducted and they walked out disfellowshipped. They were shocked, they thought they going to get comfort and consul from the bible. Instead they were kick out to fend for themselves. They had to beg and plead for over 2 year to be reinstated. Their crime, sleeping with their boy friend before they were married. She felt guilty and kept it quite for a few years after they were married. Then took it to the Elders.
This brings me to the one issue in the Flock book that really highlights the double standard of the Elders and the Watchtower’s men in power. Please refer to the Flock book page 38, par 19 and 20. The topic. If it comes to light or an appointed brother confesses that he has committed a disfellowshipping offense years in the past. The information states if a elder has committed a wrong doing and some time has past (more than a few years ago). And the Elder has not come forward and reported his wrongdoing to the body of Elders (he hid his sin). Well since some time has past, he can remain an elder? This is a get out jail free card given to the men in power and not to the regular members of the congregation. My family member was D.F’d, if she was a male and an Elder, she could have kept her wrong doing secret for a few years, then confessed, and still continue to serve as an active Elder in Judgement of others.
It would be wonderful if you could use this information in your case to highlight and broadcast this information so ALL of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the general public would know what really goes on behind closed doors.
Thank you for your time.
I must remain anonymous or I will be removed from the Congregation for my views and expressing them.