Posts by Lee Elder

20

WT Advance Directive - Just the Facts

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

wt advance directive.

there is substantial discussion of this topic in a previous thread that contains the opinions, some informed - some not, regarding the validity of the directive.

i believe that a useful place to begin is by reviewing the medical literature.

Lee Elder

anewperson:

Clearly, you are someone who appreciates straight talk. In my opinion, someone would have to cut off your head for you to be any dumber.

Lee

20

WT Advance Directive - Just the Facts

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

wt advance directive.

there is substantial discussion of this topic in a previous thread that contains the opinions, some informed - some not, regarding the validity of the directive.

i believe that a useful place to begin is by reviewing the medical literature.

The card is only an issue if the JW patient is unconscious. If they are transfused while unconscious, they face no judicial sanctions. Incidentally, JWs who unrepentantly accept prohibited blood products are no longer disfellowshiped but rather show by their actions that they no longer wish to be considered Jehovah’s Witnesses and have “disassociated” themselves – they effect (shunning) is the same.

AJWRB.org website hangs there in cyberspace doing a fine job for those who happen to find it there, but out in the real world are doctors and judges who do not know about the disfellowshipment duress and therefore let JWs die! Why don't you phone and write the judges and doctors?>

That is impractical for one thing but more importantly, doctors would not be receptive to that kind of approach. AJWRB medical advisors have strongly emphasized that the most effective way to reach physicians is through publications and conferences.

Wayne has done an outstanding job as AJWRB’s Public Affairs Representative. I know of no one, who has sacrificed more to support the cause of reform of the Watchtower’s blood policy.

I’ve done my best to push AJWRB’s agenda forward as has Wayne Rogers, Dr. Osamu Muramoto, Sam Believer and dozens of others. We have worked on the preparation of a dozen or more articles in various medical journals. Sponsored exhibits at two major medical conferences. Prepared, printed and distributed tens of thousands of brochures. Responded to thousands upon thousands of emails from medical personnel as well as current and former JWs. Plus numerous other reform efforts.

If anyone who is capable wants to jump in here and do more, I’m certainly not holding them back. I sincerely doubt that you have any idea what is involved in getting an article published in a medical journal – try it sometime. We have a major article that we have been working on for over a year that will be published next month in the U.S. - another is in the pipeline.

A handful of “core” AJWRB members have borne the vast majority of the expenses associated with all of AJWRB’s activities. Members have donated their time and paid their own expenses to travel to medical conventions and help man information booths.

I could have spent an hour this evening working on an article for another medical journal but instead I responded to your comments. Probably not the best use of my time but if it motivates you or someone else to pull out your checkbook and make a donation than perhaps it wasn't a waste afterall.

Lee

20

WT Advance Directive - Just the Facts

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

wt advance directive.

there is substantial discussion of this topic in a previous thread that contains the opinions, some informed - some not, regarding the validity of the directive.

i believe that a useful place to begin is by reviewing the medical literature.

Lee Elder

WT Advance Directive

There is substantial discussion of this topic in a previous thread that contains the opinions, some informed - some not, regarding the validity of the directive. I believe that a useful place to begin is by reviewing the medical literature.

The Western Journal of Medicine published an article that devotes an entire section to this topic. Follow the link below:

http://www.ajwrb.org/wjm/wjm.htm

and scroll down to the section:

“Ethical and legal issues of the blood card and informed refusal”

AJWRB has extensive resources available on this topic. The link below will give you a list for your research.

http://www.google.com/custom?q=advance+directive&sa=Google+Search&cof=GIMP%3ABlack%3BT%3ABlack%3BLW%3A400%3BALC%3ARed%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fajwrb.org%2Fimages%2Fheaderblck.gif%3BGFNT%3Agrey%3BLC%3ABlue%3BLH%3A100%3BBGC%3AWhite%3BAH%3Acenter%3BVLC%3A%231C1200%3BAWFID%3Aabbb452c1f8c4c66%3B&domains=www.ajwrb.org&sitesearch=www.ajwrb.org

If you have a problem reaching this page, go to the search engine on our main page and search the site using the words: advance directive.

Lee

83

no blood cards this year!

by DIM in

jw
friends

last night at meeting they told us to just use our blood cards from last year.

in the past they've always told us how important it was to get it signed every year so that people could see our current views as jw's.....doesn't this new arangement negate everything they've ever said in regards to this?

absolutely nuts!.

Lee Elder

There is more to this story than meets the eye. We'll be publishing something soon. Be sure to go to our website: www.ajwrb.org
and scroll down to the bottom and subscribe to our newsletter

Lee

45

Do you think JWS are a cult?

by Trixie in

jw
friends

do you think that the jw religion is a cult?

i believe that it is, but i wanted to get other people's opinion.

Lee Elder

This is an interesting and controversial topic. Ray Franz rejects the idea that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult. He points to similar levels of authoritarian control exercised by other groups. It’s true that Jehovah’s Witnesses are by no means alone when the “cult” topic comes up.

I’m not sure the term is very useful anymore. It has taken on such a negative connotation and stirs up controversy. It kind of reminds me of the word “diet”. The term simply refers to what we eat but in recent decades its taken on the negative connotation of a dreaded, restrictive course of reduction.

In a classic sense, the apostles and early Christians were cult members. They followed Christ and are commonly referred to as the “Christ cult” by higher critics of the Bible.

We find similar levels of control exercised by non-religious groups like the military but there are some important differences. For instance, you are not born in to the military – you join or enlist for a set period and you can leave or be discharged with honor when the period expires.

While cults have a sinister and frequently religious connotation. They can be harmless and center on politics, business, medicine, etc.

Where does the WTS fit in? In my view, they meet most of the classic criteria for defining a cult – especially for members of the Bethel families. The criteria includes things like control of information, control of feelings and thoughts, control of behavior, control of association – forbidding discussion or reading literature of former members, etc.

I think the most important aspect is whether a group becomes destructive. In the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses its fairly clear that there are destructive elements present if the form of their policies on blood, disfellowshiping, education, and one area that is frequently overlooked – finances. (The group has hundreds of thousands of members who are financially destitute because they have devoted the vast majority of their time and resources to the Society believing that the nearness of the end precludes any need to save for retirement).

There is probably little to gain from arguing that the Watchtower Society is a cult. This expression conjures up images of Jim Jones and David Koresh. That is not the kind of “cult” that the Watchtower is. Nonetheless, the Watchtower is clearly a dangerous group that definitely employs well understood mind control and thought reform techniques.

If a Jehovah’s Witness were under the influence of mind control, how would they know?

Lee

40

QUESTION: What religion are you in now? ...

by terafera in

jw
friends

this got me to thinking.... now that most of us have left the wts, i notice some have taken other belief systems.

some have come to a peace with their own ideas.. my question is are you involved with another religion?

has it brought you more peace or happiness?

Lee Elder

My experience as a Jehovah’s Witness made me very skeptical in matters of faith. I felt the need to question the very foundation of my belief system. I found that when I put the Bible under the same microscope I had used to examine the Watchtower Society, I was very disappointed by the results. I think its fair to say that I felt nearly as betrayed by my faith in the Bible as I did by my faith in “Jehovah’s” organization.

I have attended a few churches in recent years and had some interesting and pointed discussions with ministers of various faiths. I think the most fascinating discussion was with a minister from a local congregational church (United Church of Christ). A very informed and enlightened individual, in my opinion, who had an exceptional grasp of higher criticism of the Bible but was quick to point out that these were matters for debate and discussion at seminaries – not in the local church.

I guess that my exploration of these kinds of issues left me wondering about the purpose of practicing Christianity in a traditional sense. I attended a number of meetings at a local Unitarian Universalist Church. I even gave a lecture there once regarding the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their views on blood. They asked me to join but it never felt right. In fact, it didn’t feel like a church or worship service at all – more like a college lecture on religion. I must say, however, that the U.U’s have a safe environment for former Jehovah’s Witnesses to heal from their experience with the Watchtower Society.

Today I would call myself a Fideist – one who believes in God because he finds it comforting yet acknowledges that there is no established factual basis for his belief. Perhaps that is the whole point of faith. I am nonetheless awed by that which I can observe, deeply moved by the mystery of life and compelled to thank God for the good things in my life and give him glory for his works. I ask nothing of God because it seems clear to me that God will not intervene in the affairs of mankind.

I find it nearly impossible to abandon my Christian heritage. I no longer see Jesus Christ as the “Word” of God but I maintain my deep respect and admiration for his teachings and the higher principles of Christianity. I consider myself a liberal Christian – one who is more interested in the religion of Jesus than the religion about Jesus. I also sense that Jesus had some unique vision or insight into the “Kingdom of God”, I seek that vision.

I will still find my way into a Kingdom Hall or convention from time to time. I miss a number of my Jehovah’s Witness friends and acquaintances but I can only force myself to spend brief periods in association with them. I feel no need or desire to “burst their bubble”. The information is out there if they want to find it.

Over the holiday, my wife and I attended a play at a large local Church. I must admit that I was utterly swept away by the rush of emotion I experienced at different points of the presentation that touched on Christian themes. In retrospect, I feel like the victim of a cruel hoax – emotional and spiritual rape seems to describe the feeling pretty well.

In all honesty, I did some of this to myself by not leaving well enough alone. However, were it not for the dysfunctional belief system I was raised in, I doubt that I would have ever opened Pandora’s box. In hindsight, I wish that upon leaving, I would have "bit the bullet" and got my family involved with some mainstream Protestant church like the U.C.C. or the Methodists. Even if I had to fake it, it would have probably been the best move for my children and eventually their children. These groups have benign belief systems and authority structures and can provide the sense of community and support that most of us need – especially when we are young.

So, for the time being I am content to call myself a dissident Jehovah’s Witness partly to irritate the WTS at least as much as they have irritated me but primarily to work as an advocate for reform of their blood policy.

Lee

40

An Opinion Question

by DIMs Wife in

jw
friends

do you think that it is better to be disassociated or disfellowshipped or do you think that drifting away is the best option?

Lee Elder

There may be some individuals who can improve their situation by making a clean cut through disassociation - perhaps if they have only been associated for a brief period of time or have no family members held hostage by the WTS.

For the vast majority of JWs, however, the "fade" is the preferred method to distance themselves from the Borg.

By far, the best adjusted former JWs seem to be those who carefully plan their "fade" and rescue some of their family members and friends. I'm not sure if this is the selfish or the selfless course generally speaking - it all depends on the ages and circumstances of those involved.

In my opinion, there is nothing honorable about being disfellowshiped or disassociating. If there is any "badge of honor" it might be helping to free others and those who are DA or DF are seldom in a position to free anyone.

I have personally helped free about a dozen family members and friends and indirectly I've lost count - several hundred at least. Would that have happened if I had to honestly answer "yes - I am DA or DF" when asked by individuals writing to AJWRB? I don't think so.

Therefore, in short, my advice is plan your "fade". This has nothing to do with being a coward. In fact, quite the opposite. It is a brave and intelligent person who carefully executes the "fade" operation and thereby helps not only themselves but others as well.

Lee

20

MY MUMS IS DIEING O F CANCER?

by mark smith in

jw
friends

my mums in hospital in nottingham england she is a current jw and has stomach cancer.she is a lovley mum but has been brain washed not to have the blood so they left the opp to build her up.

because she would need blood during the opp if she is weak she will die on the opp table.but she has got worse and weaker so now am losing my mum through waiting.she would have had a chance.

but now it looks like she has 2 weeks of life left.why???

Lee Elder

Very sorry to hear of your situation. This must be very difficult for
you. You are certainly entitled to private time with your mom and even
the most obnoxious JW can be helped to appreciate that. Simply tell them that you need to be alone with your mother and politely ask them to leave. If they refuse, speak with the head nurse or hospital administrator.

Your mother's position on blood is unreasonable but you still must respect it. If a blood transfusion would significantly improve her chances to live six months or more you should consider enlisting the aid of her physician in the use of "non-interventional paternalism"
as written extensively on by Dr. Osamu Muramoto, who is a medical advisor to the Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood (AJWRB).

You can find extensive resources for your mom, yourself and her physicians at www.ajwrb.org

Additionally, you may contact me directly at:

[email protected]

We may have a member in your country who can be of assistance.

Best regards,

Lee Elder

29

Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

2. you are an inactive publisher and a member of a congregation.. 3. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

any congregation.

(this is a pretty good place to be).. 4. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

Lee Elder

CioPlo wrote:

"This may be nothing more than semantics, but I don't agree that there is no honorable way to leave."

From the perspective of a non-witness you are quite correct. My comment was in reference to the group structure. For example, when one completes their military service they receive an honorable discharge. They are no longer associated with the military but there is no dishonor. The same is true of most groups. No so with the WTS which is more like the mafia in this respect. Once you join, you are a member forever or you are basically dead to the group. There is no way to leave while still alive and maintain honor as viewed by family members or friends from within the group.

You are either disfellowshiped, disassociated, spiritually weak or sick, a "lover of the world", or worse case scenario an apostate which in "Watchtowerdumb" is roughly equivalent to pond scum.

The emphasis being on "dumb".

Lee

29

Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

2. you are an inactive publisher and a member of a congregation.. 3. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

any congregation.

(this is a pretty good place to be).. 4. you are an inactive publisher for over 7 years and the congregation.

Lee Elder

Hi Mike,

As an unbaptized inactive publisher, you are in a very good place. You were technically never one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Under present WT guidelines the worse case scenario for you is that two elders could reccomend reading a statement to the congregation that you are no longer a publisher of the good news. If you haven't published for a while its unlikely they would do this. If you still associate w/other JWs and they feel you pose a spiritual danger they have the option of making that announcement. You cannot be shunned like a baptized JW but some in the congregation might give you the cold shoulder. All in all you are in a good place.

Lee