hey all,.
i have noticed many of the elders in my hall are now calling the wtbs "mother" from the stage during their talks now.
it happens at least once per meeting.
It is a big thing around NY and the 3 branches. It seems that when people leave Bethel and filter back in the US, they take that terminology with them.
It was used regularly in my old hall.
I remember a bro saying that's the term they used at bethel, and it's usage spread quickly around here.
as an ex- elder, i can look back and see all the power and control we had as "shepherds".
when i was an elder i genuinely tried to comply with anything "mother" demanded of us.
i would reason that since "mother knows best", i would comply with the organization, even if it didn't quite seem so fair or right.. as time went by, i could not help but see the unfairness of soooo many rules and regulations.
Smart wives knew the real truth about their husbands and you'd often see that look from the wives if someone noted how wonderful their elder husband was.
Haha, this is so true, I've seen that look many times.
this is terrible.
i stumbled across it whilst searching watchtower.org for their 'new light' on the faithful and discreet slave.. it seems to be instructions from 1995 as to how to deal with an accusation of child abuse, i have bolded the parts i found sickening.
when the samaritan came along, his heart went out to the wounded man.
Do any in the Christian congregation have such disturbing thoughts? In a few lands, yes,
SO it only happened in a "few lands"
have sometimes proved to be accurate. For example, after insurance adjuster Frank Fitzpatrick "remembered" being molested by a certain priest, almost one hundred others came forward to claim that they too had been abused by the same priest. The priest reportedly admitted to the abuse.
They only give an example of it being true when it involved another religion, not JW's!
It is noteworthy, however, that a number of individuals have been unable to corroborate their "memories."
Imagine that! Most people can't even prove it!
Can we doubt that the Devil now plays upon child abuse and the "downhearted spirit" of many adults who suffered this (or are troubled by "memories" of having suffered it) to try to weaken the faith of Christians?
So it probably didn't even happen. It's just satan persecuting you!
After the passage of some time, he may be in a better position to assess the "memories" and decide what, if anything, he wants to do about them.
take your time.Eventually, you may be content to let the matter drop.
The society really prefers if you just let the matter drop. They have no concern at all that the perp is free to harm others.
Remember the dubious nature of some "repressed memories" when it comes to identifying the one suspected of being a perpetrator. In such a situation, as long as the matter has not been firmly established, keeping contact with the family—at least by occasional visits, by letter, or by telephone—would show that one is trying to follow a Scriptural course.—
Unless you can prove it. It would be un-scriptual for you to cut off contact with your abuser.
Or perhaps the one accused will confess, and a reconciliation may be achieved. What a blessing that would be!
Yes, every victim would be thrilled to kiss and make up with their abuser! (This one just boggles the mind)
If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19) Even if more than one person "remembers" abuse by the same individual, the nature of these recalls is just too uncertain to base judicial decisions on them without other supporting evidence.
So you need 2 witnesses unles it's child abuse ........................ then 2 witnesses just isn't enough proof.
as an ex- elder, i can look back and see all the power and control we had as "shepherds".
when i was an elder i genuinely tried to comply with anything "mother" demanded of us.
i would reason that since "mother knows best", i would comply with the organization, even if it didn't quite seem so fair or right.. as time went by, i could not help but see the unfairness of soooo many rules and regulations.
You can be considered a GREAT elder by being super busy, even if your family sucks, and the CO's will just accept that as a collateral damage. Your family be damned, we need your husband/father as an elder... Sorry!
Neglecting your family is a prerequisite for becoming an elder.
as an ex- elder, i can look back and see all the power and control we had as "shepherds".
when i was an elder i genuinely tried to comply with anything "mother" demanded of us.
i would reason that since "mother knows best", i would comply with the organization, even if it didn't quite seem so fair or right.. as time went by, i could not help but see the unfairness of soooo many rules and regulations.
Even as a true beliver, it used to turn my stomach when a twenty something bro would get appointed.
But most of the congo simply saw that bro as uber spiritual.
If you are male, your seen as a spiritual weenie unless you "reach out", and you never will get any respect.
My X-husband would lock horns with the elders on a regular basis, he even had the nerve to call our PO out on the carpet for allowing his daughter to date a man who was not yet baptised and not yet divorced from his first wife. The rest of the congo politely looked away, but not my ex!
He was not a good ol boy, or a company man, he called BS when he saw BS. The elders thought of him as a spiritual weenie and regulary told him so. Another time an elder went into a screaming rage in front of the intire congo because my ex dared to step behind the book counter to pick up his own literature.
My ex didn't seem to mind being the pariah, but he was a pretty unique individual anyway. Most people would want to tow the line to be accepted.
I know I would have.
as an ex- elder, i can look back and see all the power and control we had as "shepherds".
when i was an elder i genuinely tried to comply with anything "mother" demanded of us.
i would reason that since "mother knows best", i would comply with the organization, even if it didn't quite seem so fair or right.. as time went by, i could not help but see the unfairness of soooo many rules and regulations.
as an ex- elder, i can look back and see all the power and control we had as "shepherds".
when i was an elder i genuinely tried to comply with anything "mother" demanded of us.
i would reason that since "mother knows best", i would comply with the organization, even if it didn't quite seem so fair or right.. as time went by, i could not help but see the unfairness of soooo many rules and regulations.
Min and Jeff,
You both have made some really good points. My desire to knee an elder in the nuts have somewhat lessened.
Besides, I would have let my children die for want of a blood transfusion, An elder being a jerk kind of pales in comparison.
ok so once again i was thinking (damn i know i should stop doing that!
) and this is what i was thinking about!.
the jw religion is very much like a drug.
In the meantime, those getting free of the wt addiction go through many stages of varying degrees of dependencies; religions, jesus, food, ego trips, booze, drugs, collecting things etc, etc. The thing is, to not get stuck at one place for too long. A site like this is able to help those who dare to move further down the path.
Yes, I agree, after leaving the dubs, life can get very bumpy.
But that's just normal growing pains.
It doesn't feel that way while it's happening though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3gusmjryq0&feature=related.
OMG I love the 12 year old boy one, she's great!
...or are there a lot of "cougars" cruising jwn.
.
concerned jwn poster..
I'm not offended by the terms MILF, couger, chicks or Broads.
Never cared For the term "split Tail" though.
