A Concerned Elder Speaks (page 11)

The Finger

Franklin Massey

"Lets say that they love 99% of what the religion has to offer, but just don't know of the end is really so near."

I like alot of what JW's teach. When I first had a problem with the teaching I felt I could stay. I told my father in law, "No i wouldnt leave it" A couple of years later I had the elders visit me (long story) I offered them the opportunity to disfellowship me. The wiser of the two said "No need" However as much as I wanted to stay I couldn't.

I have been back and tried again but I cannot go against my conscience. It's not a case of waiting on Jehovah, it's whether my health would allow me to compromise my conscience my believes.

99% is not what is required. It's 100%.

parabola

...I am new here and thrilled at the prospect that I am in company with many similar types. I too am lurking within the KH, in "good standing" i suppose we all have our reasons for hanging around these terds. Just a side thought, I wonder what would happen if everyone just came out and said what they really think. Interesting thought huh? Anyway,

At the last CA I puked in my mouth as they were bashing higher education. Makes my blood boil. Thanks for sharing all of your experiences

Carry on my friends, carry on...

steve2

The astonishing irony is that, every now and then, there's a JW in excellent standing with the organization who pursues higher education and may even have a tenured position at a university and the rank and file JWs are in awe of him.

In my old congregation, there were two JWs in good standing - one an elder, the other considered good "material" for a MS - who were never harassed or questioned about their university posts (I know because the elder was a friend of mine when I was in good standing).

I suspect that, among other things, their siginifcantly higher salaries compared to the janitor-scrapings most JWs earn silenced the local JWs (i.e., they made big $$$ contributions to a new kingdom hall that was built). Whatever your shade of religion, money talks.

leavingwt

I like alot of what JW's teach.

Are these things that you like unique to the JWs? Or, are they found among various other religions?

The Finger

leavingwt

lol. Your right.

I really don't like alot of what the JW's teach. I suppose I was thinking that they believe in God, the bible, good morals, etc. But these things are not unique to JW's.

I think it was just more comfortable for me to stay as a JW. It had been my way of life. The trouble was that in not agreeing with things. The organization made it more uncomfortable for me to stay. They wanted me to join in and support the field service, something I could no longer do with a good conscience. When I explained my reasoning and questions, it led to the few friends we had disappearing.

joeblow

I'm one of the rebels that got a university education... the ONLY one in the congregation I grew up in. Seriously, I'm the only one of the various children that were there in the 70's and 80's that was "allowed" to go to university... and that was only after I spent almost 4 years post high-school convincing my parents to allow me to go. Yah, I know I could have just gone at 18... an adult etc etc, but university is expensive, and I absolutely had to have their buy-in and support to be able to manage it. I paid for it myself through loans etc, but I still needed help (they filled my refrigerator with food once per month during my university years, and helped put gas in my car).

The flak I took for my decision to go to university was stupid... I wasn't "marked" but I certainly was treated differently... not in a good way. but I survived :-) It was actually one of the things that convinced me I was not cut out for cult life.

The scary thing is now, even with my BSc, it's not enough in the real world. The vast majority of jobs I am looking at now all require a Masters (minimum) or PhD (preferred)... granted I'm looking at some very specialized jobs (that I'm qualified for through experience but not formal education) in very specific parts of the world, but the reality is... getting any job above a "janitor" usually requires a lot more than just a college diploma. It's a tough fast paced life out there, and you have to keep up.

DesirousOfChange

How will the congregation react when it becomes known that a long serving elder gets removed for letting his children go to university? Has anyone experienced that? Please relate.

Personally, I think this will only be used against elders/MS's if their kids are in or have gone to college AND the kids are not "progressing spiritually". That is to say, a kid in college should already be baptised (maybe even back when he/she was 10 or 11 yo); should be a good publisher who aux pioneers in the summer (and this coming April); should be attending meetings and walking the mics or even MS.

Further, acceptable going to college/university does not mean pursing "career" such as law, medicine, PhD, etc

JMHO

steve2

Salary-power talks loudly and has the potential to erode rigid beliefs about education. Locally, JWs quietly go about increasing their education anyway. I'd say as time passes, more and more elders will do what is best for their children and just be passively-aggresively disobedient. Besides, I don't see a queue of brothers waiting to fill the shoes of elders who step down .

Seeker4

Seeker4 here - I haven't posted for a year or two, but found this post interesting.

I was an elder for many years, but left in the mid-1990s when the first 1914 generation change came through.

I saw it then, and I think it's probably worse now, that the WTS loses its best and brightest. Clamping down on eduction is a surefire way of being left with the lowest level of leadership in the congregations and at Bethel.

All the better, I say, though it is so hard on the brothers that they have to put up with this kind of idiocy.

S4

DesirousOfChange

I saw it then, and I think it's probably worse now, that the WTS loses its best and brightest. Clamping down on eduction is a surefire way of being left with the lowest level of leadership in the congregations and at Bethel.

Maybe they prefer to work with those who are unable to think for themselves????????

A Concerned Elder Speaks

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