A few might remember that I arranged to meet with the elders for a chat, and I hoped it might let me get off a bit steam.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/76574/1.ashx

It went great!  I thought it did anyway.  We covered quite a few subjects and they seemed quite uncomfortable, lol.  You can read the transcript at

http://www.sassquatch.com/gadget/GadgetsElderVisit.doc

Tell me what you think!

i think those elders were off their heads, totally one track mind, anything to 'get you back'... selling the party line...

17,000 apostate sites, as if! and if there were, then that just backs up your point about how many people must leave the org, if there are 17,000 sites just for apostates and only one for jw's... the math speaks for itself, hahaha!

they even think the UN official site publishes lies... if that's the case why the hell did they become an ngo in the first place!

'we're not perfect, but we are better than everyone else so buy our brand' - liked the better of two evils analogy! give it to them

'we are gods channel but we make mistakes'

'the light keeps on getting brighter'

'people digging up what russel said 100 years ago' making out as if it doesn't matter. god they are so full of it.

it sounds like the sort of thing jws say though, anything bad that happens cannot be the fault of the society, it's always an 'isolated incident' or 'individual case'

when they asked you whether you thought the society intentionally did this stuff, cover ups etc, you should have said 'no less than the catholics do' i wonder what they would have said!

anyway, i will probably post on here again in more detail, but great to see so many points put across to them, and hope you got it all off your chest!

Everytime I read a transcript of a meeting with elders it gives me a headache.

Nothing agains you Gadget.  You did a fine job.  You held your ground and didn't get flustered or anything like that.  But at the same time, you didn't make a dent in them either.  They left with the same opinion of you, if not worse, than when they came in.  Not that anyone can expect anything different from a conversation with elders like that.  They're brainwashed.  If they ever come around, it will take a series of events to wake them up.

But as I said before, those things give me a headache.  They don't let you finish a thought, they interupt, they change subjects, they beat around the bush, they know everything and you know nothing.  It's like being a Bush supporter on Bill Maher's HBO show.  You ain't gonna get to explain yourself or finish your point.

If I've learned anything about these situations, it's best to pick one subject and beat it to death.  Don't let em jump around or create red herring arguments.  They usually come in thinking they know everything, then let them answer everything they think they know about one subject at a time and don't let them get out of it.  When they try to change the subject, remind them that you aren't satisfied with answers to the first question yet.  I've learned to stick with things that are in print by the WTS themselves.  Changes in doctrine, failed dates and prophecies.  The UN/NGO scandal.  Personal experiences or he said/she said issues usually just cloud the doctrinal issues.  They'll claim imperfection on those cases and plead you to not blame Jehovah.  If you can use the WTS own words against them, they have no argument.  Of course, it'll end up just as all meeting with elders end up, them looking down on you as inferior and led astray by apostate thinking.

Great read Gadget!!! I especially like the line about how you didnt have to search for faults, you ended up tripping all over them :)

Also, at 35,000 newly baptized people a week, that makes about 1,820,000 new witness a year according to their info. You're right, there's NO WAY their numbers add up. You did a great job. You should be proud of the way you handled yourself. I'm still waiting for the video ;)

 

*muah*

Elder 1 ? Well several weeks after Paranama had to read out an apology for misleading the public.  What they had done is taken a situation and edited it in such a way as to make it sound bad.

Gadget ? I don?t know anything about that story.

Elder 1 ? The British Broadcasting Standards Agency said they had totally misrepresented the facts and it turned out that the editor of the actual programme was someone, it was a woman actually, that was absolutely nuts against witnesses and thought this was one way that she could have a real go, but she was forced to read out an apology because the facts were really a mess?.

I believe I know what the elder was talking about.  The WTS went to a government organization that watches over the media to ensure accurate reporting and complained about the program.  The government reviewed all of the information and found one small discrepancy in the report... nothing that would affect the substance of the report.

Does anyone remember this or know where a copy can be found?

 

bwahahahah....Good read gadge...You stood your ground and I hope it was cathartic for you.  At least you know they are in full denial.  I also hope they don't try messing w/your folks either, now they know more about your experience in JWland.

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

I've been doing a search for anything related to the Watchtower and the Broadcasting Standards Commission. So far the only think I can find is this:

http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040306/JWANDHITLER/205090010

Jehovah's Witness - The German Connection
Complaints

The Broadcasting Standards Commission received a complaint from the Jehovah's Witnesses Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society about unjust or unfair treatment, in Everyman: Sleeping with the Enemy, broadcast on BBC1 on 13 December 1998.

Does anyone have any information about the Broadcasting Standards Commission reviewing the Panorama program called Suffer the LIttle Children"?

I don't know, they looked so uncomfortable while they were sitting there.  I'm looking at different ways to be able to upload the vid if anyone wants to see any clips, but the whole thing is 1.1gig so I've got to rework it a bit.............

"Gadget, do you feel there will be a revisit or do you feel they are done with you ? "

I just wonder if they can disfellowship a disfellowshipped person. *wide grin*

Regards,

Jim TX