My theory regarding elders are that there are 2 types of elders- the born in's - most of whom believe every word coming from 'WT' to be the correct way of dealing with matters ie Jehovah's way in accordance with WT interpretation of scripture and have been brainwashed from knee high to a grass hopper to be loyal company men. There are however some awakened ones amongst this type who for similar reasons to the OP can't conscientiously serve as elders. The other type of elder are the ones who became JW's who have experienced life before being held captive to the WT. Many of these ones will have been experiencing doubts and more inclined to question WT policy, though some of these too will be company men through and through. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but think that most born in's who are elders are more likely to feel most comfortable in their role as elders by pushing 'doubts and critical thinking' to the back of their mind and simply get on with it!
Truthexplorer
JoinedPosts by Truthexplorer
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One Reason Why I Could Never Again be an Elder
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inthere appears to be several crises inflicting themselves upon the wtbts all at once.
the crises are likely related....financial difficulties - hence the increasing publicity given to contributing money.
reduced production - probably related to above (literature and building principally).
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Is it true? Heard a rumor WT postphones Disfellowshipping until further notice!!??
by Olivia Wilde ini am not sure if it's true but i heard from a good source that wt has given instructions to elders to postponed disfellowshipping members from wrong doing/gross sin until further instructions given by headquarters.
i heard some jws were just reproved either privately or publically.
has anyone else heard anything like this recently?
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Truthexplorer
The internet spotlight continues to focus on everything Watchtower does. The heat is on. The WT leadership will likely be taking advice (as we speak) from paid strategists, and worm their way to a more mainstream religious organisation. It would not surprise me in the least if WT start getting rid of the very things that 'portray' them as a high control religion. -
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Which bible character do you hate the most?
by Bonsai inthe more i think about it, the more i feel an extreme dislike for the apostle paul.
he was on par with hitler in his treatment of the jews before he "saw the light".
he replaced jesus teachings of love and mercy with a more legalistic, pharisaical concept of devotion to god.. any evil person can come to believe in god and worship him if the scales were literally and miraculously removed from his eyes.
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Truthexplorer
Most definately Satan - Its because of him we are on forums like this. He has confused Christianity -
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3 words to describe.....
by punkofnice in..your experience with the watchtower corporation:.
i'll start...... bully boy elders.
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Truthexplorer
Very Controlling Organisation -
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Magazine Demo
by OzGirl intwo sisters did a magazine demo recently.
one used her tablet to show a scripture to the other one.
the second one said: "that looks easier than trying to find it in a book.".
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Truthexplorer
could you imagine Jimmy Swaggart 'tablet' thumping! -
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Handing out candy
by mikeypants ingrowing up my parents would barricade our home off by parking vehicles bumper to bumper - you would have to crawl under the cars or over the bumpers to get to our door.
also, we would turn off all the lights and hide in the back room away from the street.. that was the norm for me.
isnt that insane?
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Truthexplorer
I used to go guising as a child long before I became a Borgite. It was a laugh at the time. The wife will usually keep soom sweets aside to give the kids coming round, she even arranges the xmas party for a charity beleive it or not. Yet she will give me the 3rd degree if I talk about the borg negatively. Oh the hypocricy lol
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Where are you from?
by BeautifulMind ini know we are all anonymous for our own personal reasons, so i understand if you would rather not say.
but if you don't mind sharing that would be cool.
i currently live in georgia, usa.
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Truthexplorer
Somewhere in the Uk -
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Anyone got pictures of the interior of Bethel NY
by Truthexplorer injust wondered what bethel in ny looks like from the inside.
i would like to get a real sense of what the corridors of bethel looks like now or in the past.
i have seen the odd pic here or there, but would like to see more.
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Truthexplorer
Lol...thanks wing Commander.
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New Watchtower Propaganda and hate speech destroying families (Feb 2016 WT)
by Daniel1555 inthe following is a paragraph from the new february study watchtower article "learn from jehovah's loyal servants.".
7 a conflict of loyalties may arise when a close relative is disfellowshipped.
for example, a sister named anne [1] received a telephone call from her disfellowshipped mother.
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Truthexplorer
FOR ALL THOSE LURKING AND INDEED TO THOSE WHO ACTUALLY WROTE THIS WT ARTICLE. HERE IS AN EXTRACT FROM 'CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE' A BOOK WRITTEN BY EX GOVERNING BODY MEMBER RAY FRANZ ON, THIS VERY PARTICULAR ISSUE. (Note: I underlined the bit about the mother)
'In many cases it was not some unkind treatment they themselves
experienced that disturbed them; it was seeing such treatment
meted out to others, seeing people suffer because of the rigidity,
narrow-mindedness, even arrogance of men in charge, elders and
others, or recognizing the hurtful effects of certain edicts of the
organization that did not rest on a solid Scriptural foundation.
Rather than disgruntled, vindictive complainers, they have simply
pleaded for greater compassion, a closer adherence to the example
of God’s own Son, the Master of the Christian household of faith.
This feeling for others is, I believe, a decisive factor as to the
genuineness of motive. Similarly, a concern for truth, a concern not
to be guilty of misrepresenting God’s own Word, a concern not
to be hypocritical in appearing to believe what they do not believe,
support what they cannot conscientiously support, condemn what
they cannot see that Scripture itself condemns—such concern is, I
think, also determinative as to genuineness of motive of any taking
such a stand. I know many persons who clearly evidence such concern,
yet who are labeled as “apostates,” “antichrists,” “instruments
of Satan.” In case after case after case, the sole basis for such con
38 CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE
demnation is that they could not honestly agree with all the
organization’s teachings or policies.
I feel an obligation toward such persons. In virtually every
instance, a small group of three to five men (a “judicial committee”)
met with them in secret meetings, where those who came as witnesses
could only give their testimony but not stay to witness the discussion.
Later a brief disfellowshiping announcement was read to the
congregation that presented none of the testimony and none of the
evidence in support of the disfellowshiping action. After the reading
of that announcement no Witness was supposed to talk with the
persons disfellowshiped, thereby shutting down any possibility of
their expressing themselves by way of an explanation to friends and
associates. For them to have done so before the disfellowshiping
would have been counted as ‘proselytizing,’ ‘undermining the unity
of the congregation,’ ‘sowing dissension,’ ‘forming a sect.’ For anyone
to talk to them afterward would jeopardize that person’s own
standing, make him liable for similar disfellowshipment.
An effective “quarantining” is thus accomplished; a “lid” is placed
on any discussion of the matter. The record of the disfellowshiping
hearing and any claimed evidence now resides in one of the many
voluminous files at the Brooklyn Service Department (or the files of
a Branch Office), stamped “Do Not Destroy.” This file containing the
charges made against them, like their hearing, is also secret, not subject
to review.
The Scriptures tell us that, “A true companion is loving all the
time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress.”33 I once
thought I had many, many such genuine friends. But when the crisis
reached a decisive point I found I had only a few. Still, I count
those few precious, whether they said little or much on my behalf.
Because of past prominence, people inquire about me. However,
almost no one ever inquires about the others who lack such prominence,
although they have suffered through the same experience
with essentially the same costs and agonies.
What must it mean to a mother, who has seen a baby daughter
come forth from her own body, has nursed that baby, cared for it
through illness, has trained the young girl through the formative years
of life, living her problems with her, feeling her disappointments and
sadnesses as if they were her own, shedding tears along with her
tears—what must it mean to that mother to have her daughter, now
33 Proverbs 17:17.
Credentials and Cause 39
an adult, suddenly reject her, and do so simply because her mother
sought to be true to her conscience and to God?
What must it do to a father or mother to see a son or daughter
marry and be told, for the same reason, that ‘it would be best if they
did not appear at the wedding,’ or know that a daughter has given birth
to a child and be told that they should not come to see their grandchild?
This is not imagination. Exactly those things are happening to
many parents who have been associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Consider here just one example, from a mother in Pennsylvania
who writes:
I have children in the organization, married, who at the time of my
disassociation even offered for me to come to their home, for a rest,
and their opinion of me as a person was not altered. When the
information came through later [in the September 15, 1981, Watchtower
which set forth detailed instructions as to association with any
who thus disassociated themselves] I’ve been shunned by them ever
since and they will not talk to me on the phone or have contact with
me. I’ve got to do something about it but I don’t know what. I make
no move lest it be a wrong move and alienate them further. I don’t
phone them for fear they’ll get an unlisted number, and I don’t write,
as I said, for fear of saying anything they might construe as offensive.
I’ve been hospitalized during this time for emotional exhaustion and
I suffered an additional crisis all within a short time of each event
which proved, unfortunately, overwhelming.
Perhaps you share this experience. I do not know how I am going
to handle the loss of my children (and future grandchildren). The loss
is monumental.
If my past prominence could now contribute in some way to the
conscientious stand of such persons being considered with a more
open mind and could aid others to revise their attitude toward persons
of this kind, I feel that such prominence would thereby have
served perhaps the only useful purpose it ever had.
I think here of Paul’s words when he says:
What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain in your
conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,
but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you
can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in
what is in the heart.
Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we
have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to
condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our
40 CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE
hearts that we would live or die with you.34
If the information presented in this book could help toward one such
mother being viewed by her children, not with shame, but with pride for
staying by her conscience, all the effort involved would be worth it.
That is basically why this book will present things that I saw, heard
and experienced during my nine years on the Governing Body of
Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is evidently necessary in order to get at the root
of what is a heartbreaking problem for many, on both sides of the issue.'
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Anyone got pictures of the interior of Bethel NY
by Truthexplorer injust wondered what bethel in ny looks like from the inside.
i would like to get a real sense of what the corridors of bethel looks like now or in the past.
i have seen the odd pic here or there, but would like to see more.
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Truthexplorer
Just wondered what Bethel in NY looks like from the inside. I would like to get a real sense of what the corridors of bethel looks like now or in the past. I have seen the odd PIC here or there, but would like to see more. If you have any pics to share of the tower, that would be great.