from a reliable source:.
a young cobe - late thirties, maybe forty - has resigned in december 2015, both as the cobe and as an elder.
word is that he is a man with a young family who is stressed out and has had enough.
There are many good things about this.
One, if elders start stepping back it makes it ok for those other elders who are on the fence to do the same.
That momentum once it gets going will be devastating to the good ole boys running this Org.
They will try to react in such a way as to stem the tide but the rank and file pubs are getting a little uneasy with this new style of reactionary leadership already.
Once the herd grows uneasy it doesnt take much for them to bolt.
wow, 4 years!
it has been a real journey.
going from a devout jw, to having a close call with a loved one possibly needing a transfusion, to researching the heck out of everything, to letting it rest and go back to sleep for a while, to moving states and almost going crazy knowing all the bs they were speaking from the platform.
Beautifully written. I am happy for you lambsbottom (Jake).
I especially liked what you wrote about things getting simpler. I can see that happening in my own life to. You are right.
Life is so much more now.
put aside all the stupid rules,beliefs,doctrines and practices of the jehovah's witnesses.this is one of the main reasons why i stopped attending all meetings!
boredom.
monotone speakers.
i used to enjoy being able to distinguish different local accents, but for some reason i've got worse at it.
i was thinking about this today when i was listening to bette midler on the scottish radio.
i thought to myself i quite liked her accent and also that it reminded me of someone else.
I always liked Ben Cartwright on the American TV series "Bonanza".
He sounded so "sure" of everything he said and his voice was deep, rich and dignified.
Funny thing, I think he was actually Canadian maybe?
just joining this site i'm not going to give you my personal history because you already know it, you lived it.
anyway been df'd for about 18 years just curious are there any people out there from the richmond va area.
i read crisis on the conscience and i am about to start, "who wrote the bible?
" does anyone have a list or great books to read for anyone searching for the real truth?
i've only ever seen the world through a jw lens and i am excited to see what other view points are out there!
Ruby456
viva - I'll put that on my list.
thedepressed soul - any book by Karen Armstrong is great - she has such a zest for humanity. I spent ages wondering how she could call herself an atheist and still be so open minded about religion.
I appreciate this suggestion Ruby. One of the things that makes exploring the idea of atheism more laborious is the dogmatism one encounters along the way.
The lack of easy conversation on the topic exceeds that of so called "religious" people in its zealous close minded-ness.
I really was surprised by that. I thought atheists would be easier to talk to than religious people but so far its like a new religion in how it affects many.
"If you dont accept MY view of things YOU are an idiot" is exactly like thte JWs and not an appealing approach to people who are raw and healing and wanting to just look at new ideas.
I will check out your suggested author. Open mindedness is refreshing.
.just plucking up the courage to introduce myself....living in ireland but from the uk originally.
..drifted away due to depression (from all things truth related lol and bereavements and my m.s husband cheating on me and leaving !!
) few years ago but they recently hunted me down (they contacted me the day my other half was diagnosed with cancer!
Hi Lost and adrift,
You are having to face so much at one time. What is truly important now is your fiance and YOU.
This little religion whose global size is smaller than Istanbul (a city) is proving itself increasingly unable to monitor its own policies. Their own code book says not to bother disfellowshipping people in your position. Perhaps sensing no reprisals from the beleaguered headquarters, local elders pretty much do what they want to..
You have been caught up in that. I am so sorry that happened to you and for the pain it is causing.
Stay with us here and read when you have time. This place is a soothing balm to the soul and helps with getting a new and more accurate perspective than we have been taught by the Organization.
All the best to you and your fiance!
been catching up on some jw reading and found a gem in the november study wt in the first article, paragraph #11:.
yet, you might look beyond the obvious and ask yourself, does my child enjoy the ministry or only the breaks?
if you discern that the ministry could be more interesting or more rewarding for your children, set goals with them.
They wouldnt write that in a study article if it wasnt a problem already.
The fact that it is a problem getting young people interested?
Thats the good news!
i've been out a while and have only put in a rare appearance at a memorial or brief visit at a convention/assembly to keep people off my back, so i haven't kept up on the songbook.
but one thing i've noticed that the org.
has been doing that they never did when i was in is all these "supplemental songs" that keep appearing.
Wasnt there some kind of scandal over the lewd pictures on the songbook?
I guess that would have been the art department and not the music department but it did seem to highlight a lot of things changing in a short amount of time.
When you stop to think that all these talented musicians are blindly following a "conductor" whose delusion is that he is annointed by God himself, it helps to explain why it is all so "off" in a musical sense.
my congregation had four elders who had different personalities.you would see a little friction among themselves.. #1 self-righteous and the 800 pound gorilla.he would push everyone around in the congregation and even some fellow elders.. # 2 elder was around 80 years old and looked like he stuck around a little too long.it looked like he was around because he never decided to give up the position.his duty became very light as he aged.. # 3 elder was in his early 30's and newly elected.he made no waves and whatever was asked of him in the congregation he would do.easy to push around like a little puppy dog.. #4 elder (who everyone liked ) was easy to get along with and had a family who everyone loved.
he didn't like elder # 1. they had a power struggle amongst each other which everyone observed while the meetings were in session.. here are 2 small verbal fights that i observed while the congregation meetings were in session:.
while elder # 1 was giving a talk ( heavy rain storms are brewing outside with loud thunder and lightning ) the microphones and lights are knocked out.we lost all power and could barely see.
Johny Franco, you nailed it!
As the daughter of, sister of, wife of, mother of ELDER(s) at various points in my life I have seen it exactly as you laid it out in your post.
