I remember a WTBTS letter some time ago which conveyed the expectation of elders maintaining a weekly contact with all those individuals assigned to their group. Following the letter I noted my group overseer would text me were I to absent myself from a meeting. Since the letter I have had 3 requests to make myself available for shepherding visits for the purpose of "encouragement" and "reaching out". The behavioural profile of the elders I know fits that of policing in the sense of monitoring. When I talk to someone in the KH, I see the same elders watching me despite their conversing with others! They lack the EQ necessary to police with finesse. I'd be more at ease with a uniformed police officer than a WT elder.
Nicholaus Kopernicus
JoinedPosts by Nicholaus Kopernicus
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PAUCITY OF EMPATHY IN WTBTS / GB of JW
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inemotional intelligence why it can matter more than iq (1996).
daniel goleman.
ch7 the roots of empathy.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
Emotional Intelligence – Why It Can Matter More than IQ (1996)Daniel GolemanCh7 – The Roots of Empathy
The “…failure to register another’s feelings is a major deficit in emotional intelligence, and a tragic failing in what it means to be human. For all rapport, the root of caring, stems from emotional attunement, from the capacity for empathy.
That capacity – the ability to know how another feels comes into play in a vast array of life arenas, from sales and management to romance and parenting, to compassion and political action. The absence of empathy is also telling. Its lack is seen in criminal psychopaths, rapists, and child molesters.”
What about the upper echelons of the WTBTS/GB OF JW? Are they emotionally intelligent? Do they evidence this by understanding empathy and by being empathetic in practice?Come Be My FollowerChapter 15 - para 7 - “Moved With Pity”
“As Christians, we are called on to imitate Jesus in showing empathy. The Bible urges us to show “fellow feeling.” (1 Peter 3:8) It may not be easy to grasp the feelings of those suffering from chronic illness or depression—especially if we have not gone through such pain ourselves. Remember, though, that empathy does not depend on shared circumstances. Jesus empathized with the sick even though he himself had never been sick. How, then, can we cultivate empathy? By patiently listening as suffering ones open up their hearts and share their feelings. We might ask ourselves, ‘If I were in their situation, how would I feel?’ (1 Corinthians 12:26) If we sharpen our sensitivity to the feelings of others, we will be better able to “speak consolingly to the depressed souls.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) At times, empathy may be expressed not only with words but also with tears. “Weep with people who weep,” says Romans 12:15.
[Footnotes]
The Greek word rendered “moved with pity” has been called one of the strongest words in Greek for the feeling of compassion. One reference work notes that this word indicates “not only a pained feeling at [the] sight of suffering, but in addition a strong desire to relieve and to remove the suffering.”
The Greek adjective rendered “fellow feeling” literally means “suffering with.””w02 4/15 - Empathy—Key to Kindness and CompassionWhat Is Empathy?
“One dictionary says that empathy is the “identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives.” It has also been described as the ability to put oneself in the other fellow’s place. So empathy requires first of all that we comprehend the circumstances of someone else and second that we share the feelings that those circumstances provoke in him. Yes, empathy involves our feeling another person’s pain in our heart.
The word “empathy” does not appear in the Bible, but the Scriptures do refer indirectly to this quality. The apostle Peter counseled Christians to show ‘fellow feeling, brotherly affection and compassion.’ (1 Peter 3:8) The Greek word rendered “fellow feeling” literally means “to suffer with another” or “to have compassion.” The apostle Paul recommended similar sentiments when he exhorted fellow Christians to “rejoice with people who rejoice; weep with people who weep.” Paul added: “Be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves.” (Romans 12:15, 16) And do you not agree that it would be practically impossible to love our neighbor as ourselves if we did not put ourselves in his place?
Most everyone has a degree of natural empathy. Who has not been moved when seeing heartrending images of starving children or distraught refugees? What loving mother can ignore the sobbing of her child? But not all suffering is readily discernible. How difficult it is to comprehend the feelings of someone who is experiencing depression, a concealed physical impediment, or even an eating disorder—if we have never had such problems ourselves! Nevertheless, the Scriptures show that we can and should develop fellow feeling toward those whose circumstances we do not share.”
Well, the WTBTS/GB of JW certainly seems to have a good knowledge of what empathy actually is. It has been researched and published in their literature. In the Come Be My Follower text, the inclusive language of “we” and “us” is used. Similarly, the w02 text uses an inclusive style too. It is out there in the public domain.
Thus, can we conclude that those brothers occupying positions of authority (Governing Body members and “helpers” etc, as well as Bodies of Elders) exemplify the showing of empathy regarding those who have experienced the macabre nightmare of child molestation?
It will be very very difficult to get an objective answer to this from within the WTBTS/GB of JW themselves. I say this because in the many decades of its existence, I cannot find any evidence of them imitating the candour so evident in the Bible. The WTBTS/GB of JW points to candour as an evidence of Bible authenticity. I have read this portrayed in its literature, and heard it in public talks, and at assemblies of JW’s. Yet this quality is strangely absent in the WTBTS/GB of JW itself. I cannot find any acknowledgement on the part of the organisation for ever having gotten something wrong! I am aware of candour in the aviation industry – acknowledgement of error and taking steps to put the matter right and therefore prevent future re-occurrences. Some other commercial entities have behaved similarly, such as a well known UK theme park operator and a more well known travel agent (latter a difficult empirical pathway but they seemed to have gotten there in the end).
A huge problem facing the WTBTS/GB of JW presently is that of child molestation. Their response to accusations and lawsuits seems to that of denial, evasion, and rebuttal. In reading of the problem on the net and newspapers I have not discerned any responses consistent with what the earlier quoted texts (Come Be My Follower & w02 4/15) portray. This must compound the difficulties experienced by the child molestation victims and exacerbate their horrendous experiences. Were the WTBTS/GB of JW to be exemplary of empathy, then they would be demonstrating this by….- Changing their policies
- Practicing a duty of candour
- Being cooperative with, rather than avoiding/obstructing the “superior authorities”
However, I have no vision of these changes being possible. I just cannot see it. I would contend that the WTBTS/GB of JW is refractory to counsel, exhortation, reason, and whatever else you can think of in that vein. I would be pleased to be wrong however. For they who so often preach the adoption of the "new personality", perhaps they should start with themselves! -
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Correlation decline JW numbers and JW broadcasting?
by Gorbatchov ini read some impressive figures here about the decline of the jw numbers in 2015.. could there be a correlation between this decline and the start of jw broadcasting?.
hence, that there would be an negative impact because the gb is standing so nearby, you can experience the idiot reasoning of their doctrines sitting in your own living room?.
the lett effect?
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
I certainly hope there is a correlation.
Congregations have almost universally invested a significant amount of money in digital projectors and screens to accommodate the narcissism of the GB, and their direct communication into the congregations does not sit well with their claim to be faithful and discreet. At the same time as their encroaching upon the congregations in this manner, the frequency of mentioning financing and contributions has increased. Prior to these changes, the matter of contributing was mentioned once per year in the Watchtower magazine. This repetitive focus on contributing (magazines, letters, videos, and now also the meeting workbook) makes folks uncomfortable.
I have never as yet sat through one of these GB broadcasts. However, those who do sit through them tend not to make it a talking point. There silence on the broadcast is almost bellowing! I believe that the GB's encroachment into the congregations is entirely counterproductive in terms of attendances (especially mid-week) which attendances the GB has for years wanted to improve.
Additionally, the quality of writing in the Watchtower magazine is truly truly appalling. My wife's friend attended a weekend meeting recently. Her attendance coincided with a Watchtower study with the contents being focused on disdain of the world, being careful of one's associations, and marrying only JW's. I could tell that this exclusivity and paranoia was making my wife's friend uncomfortable. In that the emphasis on control is now so repetitive, it is becoming quite tiresome and it is increasingly easy to just switch off from attending. The number of unoccupied seats is more obvious nowadays. So both the broadcasts, emphasis on money, and the awful quality of writing may be dampening attendance.
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Bethels all downsizing within a year?
by Formerbrother inwhy is there a huge cull going on of all bethels around the world?.
about 80% cull within the next year?.
some have been in bethel for decades and will be sent packing, the 20% of bethelites who stay will have to do their own food, laundry and clean their flat.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
Re London: letter from branch says the project will be "reduced in scope" - whatever that means. I'm guessing they did not get the response they hoped for from their requests to congregations for more funds.
I do know for a fact, that the Bro responsible for the finances associated with the project has been sent home. If it were going ahead even "reduced in scope", his skill set would still be needed. The awake Bros I know locally do not believe the project will continue and the "reduced in scope" language is just a nonsense, like so much else they say nowadays as well!
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My experience with a Judicial Committee, when in my early 20's
by Dunedain ini joined this wonderful site, only a few weeks ago, although i have been away from the borg, for almost 20 years.
i didnt introduce myself, on a personal level, but i jumped right in, commenting, making threads, and just immersing myself in this community.
what a time, indeed, to be here, its almost as if i was "called" here, because the week i lurked, and joined, was when all this recent stuff came out.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
I remember a Yorkshireman CO stating that if a shepherd kicks a sheep, it will always remember and thereafter avoid that shepherd. From your account, it sounds like the illustration is very apt. That they are referred to as shepherds however is a gross linguistic generosity. Their behavíour is more like that of the temple police and reflecting the abusive disposition of their superiors - Caiaphas, Ananias, and Annas (malevolent chief priests).
Elders are supposed to be a "hiding place from the wind". The reality is that they tend to blow a gale. In my congregation in the SE of Enghland, I know of one elderly sister brought to tears by them and another sister who had to consult her GP and was prescribed antidepressants following their unwarranted intervention. Yours Dunedin, is another experience in a veritable encyclopaedia of the most licentious examples of abuse of authority.
That this behavioural profile and dispoisition is so widespread is not acknowledged by the WTBTS and nor is there a means by which such abuse of authority is held in check, held to account, or prevented from re-occuring. Thus, elders tend to be among the foremost examples of a lack of emotional intelligence and end up destroying goodwill. It is like a slow process of demolition. An utter mess!
That the elder in your case used his position behind the lectern to say what he did was truly eggregious! It is helpful to me to read of your experience. Thank you for sharing.
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Bethels all downsizing within a year?
by Formerbrother inwhy is there a huge cull going on of all bethels around the world?.
about 80% cull within the next year?.
some have been in bethel for decades and will be sent packing, the 20% of bethelites who stay will have to do their own food, laundry and clean their flat.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
I would be grateful if anyone could share knowledge of how the Philippine branch is being impacted by the downsizing. It has two large residential blocks both of which are especially built with Japanese knowhow to resist earthquakes. Also, the population is poor on the whole, and not everybody has the resources to obtain tablets and smartphones for a digital ministrty. Any information would be appreciated.
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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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Nicholaus Kopernicus
Interesting perspective. Most of the BoE in my congregation are "born ins" as you put it. There are 4 or 5 ex-elders who like me, were proselytised. Of the ex-elders, one was deleted due to DF, and one deleted for sponsoring his children for a higher education, but the others resigned. Two of the resignations were due to abherrant BoE behaviours.
I have refused several shepherding visits which they said would be focussed on "reaching out". I explained that the visit would be a waste of time as my reaching out is now dead and without hope of a resurrection. They were so shocked that I said this but they have not approached me since.
I would contend that being an elder is (in the medium to long term) inimical to the maintenance of good physical and mental health. A quite risky occupation in many respects.
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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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Nicholaus Kopernicus
I am aware that many churches have designated individuals responsible for child protection - not necessarily the priests/pastors/ministers themselves.
The training is widely available and can be fine tuned to a particular organisation's structures. Whilst there is no legal requirement to undertake such training by church representatives to the best of my knowledge, yet I'm aware of lay church members seeking it with clergy approval to forestall the risks identified in previous enquiries.
The WTBTS on the other hand is so highly centralised, insular and pyramidal that they are remote from best practices, lack sensitivity to others' needs, and do not yield to evidence. Their risk management skills are focussed on property rather than on protection of children.
The child protection training is legally mandated for many health/care professionals. Any such professionals who are beneficiaries of this training and are sware of the policy/practice of WTBTS will become conscious of the huge shortcomings in WT practice and process. Their stance is very distant from any paradigm which could be considered Christian. That's why I opined that love is sinking in the organisation. Legalism is dominant.
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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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Nicholaus Kopernicus
There 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)
- love shortage - focus on caution with and separation from Bro's and Sis who dissent in any way and/or defer to scripture above WT literature and pronouncements therein
- child endangerment - corporate interests of WTBTS take precedence over child safety and which in itself is a sign of love shortage
Level 3 mandatory training provides a thorough understanding of child protection by covering a breadth of topics relevant to anybody with a responsibility for safeguarding children and young people. This includes... child development and negative influences on it; parenting capacity; the forms of abuse and signs of abuse; recognising and responding to abuse, with specific guidance on note taking and recording your concerns; lessons learned from recent serious case reviews; the legal framework; working together and good practice.
Level 2 mandatory training is designed for anyone who comes into contact with children through their work or leisure activities and aims to provide a practical awareness of the issues relating to the protection of children.
BoE are not provided with any of the above levels of training (including level 1 not mentioned here). They have a policy furnished from the USA and which likely does not reflect the legal nuances of protection legislation outside the USA (nor perhaps inside the USA!). BoE are instructed to approach their branch upon receipt of any allegation of child abuse. There is no indication that those in the branch who might receive such a call are themselves the beneficiaries of any of the training levels mentioned above. The policy which is put before elders to follow, is one which has empirically demonstrated the priority of protecting the want of the WTBTS for secrecy, rather than protection of the child. This in turn is giving rise to very polemical controversies and causing some governments to give attention to the WTBTS which attention they'd probably he happier not to receive. So too is it engendering consternation on the part of many brothers and sisters who become aware of the situation and contributes to them embarking on a path of dissent by stealth.
I have recently undertaken level 3 mandatory training and would like to share just a little of the content which serves to show the gulf between the thinking and likely actions of child protectors, verses the callous and didactic self interest pursuits of the WTBTS.
Definition of child abuse:"The abuse of children ocurs when there is deliberate or non-deliberate mistreatment; or when the direct or indirect actions of an individual or organisation fail to protect children from significant harm or affects diversely their physical, psychological and emotional development of wellbeing".
Readers may readily see the WTBTS fitting into that part of the definition which I've highlighted in bold. Were the WTBTS the example of love which they so frequently assert, then their present functioning would not so readily fall into place in the highlighted definition surely.
Hidden child abuse:"One of the biggest problems in determining the presence of child abuse is the fact that much of it goes unnoticed or unreported."
The way the WTBTS deals with the matter is such that it reinforces abuse events being unreported. The channel of communication is designated narrowly as the BoE and the branch legal desk. There is no evidence that this channel of communication serves to protect a child at risk.
The trained carer vs the untrained elder:"There may be occasions when a vulnerable child discloses to you about abuse that he or she has suffered. In this situation, you must remember that there are specialist police officers and social worers trained to investigate such disclosures.
In such circumstance, you may want to ask the child a lot of questions about the alleged abuse that has been disclosed. You must remember however that this is not your role.
In a situation where a child discloses, your role is to find out just enough about the alleged abuse in order to make a decision whether or not the disclosure should be referred. You may need to ask the child to clarify what is being said. You must ensure in these cases that you never use questions that would lead the child to give you a certain response.
It is essential that you do not 'contaminate' any of the evidence provided by the child by asking leading questions or putting words into the child's mouth as this could affect the case, should it later end in court.
If possible, you should write down phrases and words whilst the child is talking. These will be useful to trigger your memory when you come to recall and record your full notes following the disclosure.
Immediately following the disclosure, it is very important to record exactly whet the child said in as much detail as you an rememmber. It is very important to use the dhild's own words and vocabulary even if the words do not make a great deal of sense. It is vital that the record is of what the child actually said rather than your interpretation."
The paradigm above is one of listening and noting carefully, and being ready to refer the situation to individuals with the appropriate level of expertise - the Child Protection teams as part of local authority social services here in the UK. This paradigm serves to protect the child.
This is just a very small amount of the level 3 training. Yet it is readily noticeable that there is a huge gulf between that expected of those care professionals (listen, record, refer to appropriate expertise) who might receive a dislosure, and BoE who could receive a disclosure (contact branch legal desk). Were a member of a BoE to also be a care professional, how could he limit himself to the guidance of the WTBTS? He would be putting his professional registration at risk! Even if a member of the BoE were not to receive a disclosure, how can he continue as an elder knowing the gulf and indeed conflict between that expected in his elder role and that expected in his professional role? Surely he must conclude that the policy of the WTBTS is one which - de facto - sacrifices child safety in favour of the organisation's preferece for secrecy? Surely he must see that the "legalism" articulated by Ray Franz is alive and well in this 21st century, and that within the WTBTS love sinking? -
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THE WTBTS AND "PARTIAL DISTINCTIONS" (JAMES 3:17)
by Nicholaus Kopernicus indraw close to jehovah.
chapter 22 - is the wisdom from above at work in your life?.
paragraph 18 - not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical"godly wisdom rises above racial prejudice and national pride.
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Nicholaus Kopernicus
Draw Close to Jehovah
Chapter 22 - Is “the Wisdom From Above” at Work in Your Life?Paragraph 18 - “Not Making Partial Distinctions, Not Hypocritical”
"Godly wisdom rises above racial prejudice and national pride. If we are guided by such wisdom, we endeavor to root out of our hearts any tendency to show favoritism. (James 2:9) We do not give preferential treatment to others on the basis of their educational background, financial standing, or congregational responsibility; nor do we look down on any of our fellow worshipers, regardless of how lowly they may seem to be. If Jehovah has made such ones recipients of his love, we should certainly deem them worthy of our love."
Yet many of the "distinctions" demonstrated in the institution of Jehovah's Witnesses are not really within the sphere of influence of brothers and sisters to deal with. An example of this, is the very deep antipathy of the institution of Jehovah's Witnesses towards any of their affiliates who happen to excercise their freedom of choice to wear a beard. Then indeed there are distinctions.
Yet this portrayal of having a beard as a negative is not new. For example, In this 1942 text "The New World", Jesus is depicted having been baptized as a clean shaven, and Caucasian male.Similarly, in a slightly later text (The Kingdom is at Hand" - 1944) Jesus is again depicted as a clean shaven Caucasian...
The depiction of Jesus as clean shaven continued for some time so that in the "Paradise Lost Paradise Regained" text of 1958, Jesus is shown at the event depicted in John 11 like this...
But that was in the 1940's and 1950's! Surely the institution of Jehovah's Witnesses has graduated beyond and above such blinkered parochialism! Well actually no! When has your congregation received a speaker from another congregation wearing a beard? When have you spotted a brother with a platform assignment at an assembly or convention wearing a beard?
The legacy of the authors of literature published by the WTBTS lives on and "making partial distinctions" is alive and well in 2015. I ought to know - I've had a beard for decades and experienced this partial distinction first hand!
Thus, in that "not making partial distinctions" is equated in the Holy Bible with being the beneficiary of "wisdom from above" - then where is the wisdom of the institution of Jehovah's Witnesses from? In my experience there has been historically, and continues to be presently, significant and entrenched distinctions between clean shaven and bearded brothers and that such was initiated then, and maintained now, by the leadership of that same institution.
This is but one example. There are also partial distinctions against fathers who sponsor their children for a university education. Those youngsters who are graduates are also made to be negatively distinct from others. The leadership of the WTBTS has such a lot to answer for!
