by wheelwithinwheel 21 Replies latest jw friends
I'm a little lost here.
Isn't holy spirit directing the men who strive for an elder appointment ????
And if the jw religion is true, , why would they have to ask AFTER a person appears to be capable for the position ?
legalistic terminology that further proves to me that this religion is a total snare and a racket.
lost for words.
elder-schmelder
Ultimate Reality saw the light. It's a lawyer's gadget. It seems pedophilia trials suck the most of the Wanktower Society's pockets so they need to take some measures...Though it won't help them much...
"Is there anything from your past,
even before baptism, or in your personal or family
life that disqualifies you or that would prevent you
from accepting this appointment? to me this question is stupid and should not even be asked or answered since if repentent Jah forgives everything. why should u ask me about my past? is there a trust issue?
dear DanaBug...
"Relying on pedophilias to turn themselves in...are they stupid or evil?"
if they're REALLY all being "honest to God" within the WTBTS structure then shouldn't there be a number of yes answers to the last question(3)? how would they handle a situation where the lambs were NOT silent before God or man? that could be a very powerful moment.
love michelle
"Have you ever been involved at
any time in the past with child sexual molestation?"
How would this affect a person who was a victim of child sexual abuse? How would this affect a whistle blower? Would a former victim or whistle blower NOT be appointed as an Elder?
dear darkuncle29...
that was what I was wondering...what if they were confronted with a victim that wanted to be a elder. what value would the org put on that victim and if there are many...then what?(I'm sorry that this sounds so impersonal to the victims of abuse)
love michelle
every one of these KS10-E threads is why the Watchtower Society don't want the secret JW elders book exposed to public scrutiny
"sunlight is a powerful disinfectant"
Interesting read, that top-secret manual.
I have a kind of subsidiary question based on my own experience. Many, many years ago, before I got involved with the WTS, I was invited to the home of a man who was at the time not yet In The Truth but who would a year or so later become a Jehovah's Witness and in due time would become an elder, as he is to this day. When I arrived at his door he called out for me to enter, then called out that he was upstairs and I should come up. At the top of the stairs I encountered the open door of the bedroom the man shared with his wife and, looking inside, was greeted by a naked, smiling man laying on top of a bed. He invited me to join him. I turned around and walked down the stairs to the sound of his laughter.
Now, I'm not expert in the doctrines and beliefs of the WTS but I think this little incident probably qualifies as a no-no. Would this man have had to confess this particular misdeed before he was appointed? I assume, since he has never apologised to me or has even acknowledged that the incident ever happened, that seeking forgiveness from one who was "wronged" is not a prerequisite to elder status?
I don't believe they're worried about the victims
They're worried about the perpetrators wearing their 'elder's badge.
I believe they need to ask the question to newbies for the following reason:
If the brother answers "Yes I've molested someone." He doesn't become a legal liability for the WT because they will certainly not give him the 'clergy privilege'. If they are in a state that requires reporting all they will say is "Go to the authorities so we won't be obligated to be the ones to report you"
If the newby answers "No" and there is abuse later on when he has the WT's 'clergy privilege' they will be able to say, " We are very concerned about this growing problem in today's society. Before this person received his elder's status he was questionned on the subject and he assured us he had never been involved in abuse. We are as shocked and dismayed as you all are by the recent allegations against this individual. "
I believe the question is not to be asked of former elders in case they answer "Yes, I was". Let's just call it opening up a serious "can of worms". The WT immediately puts itself in a position like the Catholic Church knowing one of it's members was a molester while he served on their 'clergy class' It is now a major problem because they KNOW.
