I met Jaracz back in 1974. At the time he was new to the GB, having been appointed the previous year. I didn't think he was anything special. Jaracz impressed me as a typical Watchtower company man. But like Lord Acton said: "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely." Jaracz and his GB buddies proved Lord Acton right.
Athanasius
JoinedPosts by Athanasius
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14
Elder is going to visit me....
by DannyBloem ina few weeks ago on the convention i met this elder, and he wants to visit me to talk.. he was quite liberal.
his daughter has been df-ed and she was going to meet him at the convention.
she came when we were still talking.
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Athanasius
During 1984, my last year as an elder a couple of individuals told me of their doubts about the Watchtower and the "apostate" source of their information. At the time the Organization was becoming very opressive as the era of Watchtower Vatican II had ended. I knew that if I reported them to the BOE, which is what we were instructed to do, they would get into serious trouble. So I cautioned them not to talk about their doubts to others, especially to the other elders. My advice to them was that if they no longer felt this was God's Organization, then to leave quietly and gently fade into the background. That way they could avoid being DFd and shunned by their JW family.
Though I resigned as an elder that same year and faded, I kept their secret to this day. Unfortunately they must have talked to someone who put organization rules ahead of compassion, as both were DFd within two years of my departure.
At the time I knew a couple of elders in other congregations who were also compassionate in dealing with those who had doubts. Nevertheless, exercise caution when talking with this elder. His heart may or may not be in the right place.
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Athanasius
I took part in several of the special tract distribution campaigns in the 1970s. Same old JW stuff, just in condensed form.
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5
How did you treat the kids of faders?
by Mysterious inif you were a jw as a kid how did you and the other youths treat the kids of those that were fading or inactive?.
i remember one remembrance day all the jw kids were in the library while the assembly was on and the kid of fader parents was there and i was asking the other kids in front of him what is he doing here implying he had no right to be around us.
then we started pressuring him to come to meetings even if his parents weren't and he kept making excuses saying he didn't have a suit that fit..etc.
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Athanasius
At the KH I attended as a kid we didn't treat those whose parents were faders any different than those whose parents were active. In fact we were encouraged to help them. But that was a long time ago. Things have probably changed a lot in the congregation since my departure.
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42
Who Pioneered?
by sass_my_frass inmy two sisters did the right thing, pioneering straight out of school, janitoring to pay for the petrol (one didn't even bother with her final year of school).
it was this kind of fine example that got me guilt-tripped into auxiliary pioneering just after getting baptised at age 20. i only lasted six months; i took a holiday in queensland and returned not knowing much more about life but at least that it's bigger than my little congregation.
i despised the field service, i dreaded the daily schedule and every morning i was on my way out there was this awful countdown from the alarm going off to the first door opening, knowing that it's just a big setup to another depressing humiliation.
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Athanasius
I Pioneered for a couple of years back in the 60s. That is when we were required to spend 100 hours a month in FS. Not the best years of my life.
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Elders Are Closing In....
by daniel-p inwell, it's been about 6 months or so since i've turned in a time report and things are heating up a bit.
i still attend the meetings with my wife - i am still "visible" - but i have not gone out in service for a conspicuous amount of time.
just this afternoon the po called and wanted to meet with me.
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Athanasius
In one of the congregations I attended there was a sister who had a very bad experience in the FS. Though she wasn't physically harmed an opposer verbally abused her. She was so unnerved by the experience that to my knowledge she never participated in FS again.
You could tell the elders that you had a similar experience and that you would prefer not to engage in FS for a while. This might get you off the hook.
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Athanasius
Happy Birthday!
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21
Are You Tired of Hearing JW News or Do You Want To Hear The Latest??
by minimus inpersonally, i'm grateful to hear the latest.
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Athanasius
Since I still have family who are active JWs, its nice to know what the Watchtower is up to.
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12
Were you ever jealous of ones that left????
by mama1119 ini always wondered how they had the balls to do it.
and especially if they seemed happy with no remorse, and were able to celebrate holidays and live "normal" lives.
i remember wishing, in my early twenties, that i had the strength to do that.
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Athanasius
Not when I was a JW. Those who left before I did didn't come across as happy. Many had made a mess of their lives, and especially if they had been canned by the judicial committee, wanted to come back into the so called spiritual paradise. However, I was happy to fade beginning in 1984. Since then I've met many who like myself are are also happy to be out.
But today I'm still not jealous of anyone who leaves the Watchtower, only happy that now they enjoy their new freedom.
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60
Would You Stop Going To Mel Gibson Movies???
by minimus ini wouldn't.
i don't care too much for spike lee but i like some of his movies.....i just think mel needs some help.
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Athanasius
Nope.