DID ELDERS POKE THEIR NOSE IN YOUR BUSINESS?

One in particular was very curious, in fact, extremely curious as to what I had in my CD collection. When he had visited my place, his eyes always darted to my CD rack as he couldn't keep eye contact with me while we were talking. Well, he finally asked for permission to "check-out" my CDs and being the case that I didn't have anything to "hide", I let him.

After perusing through, he pulled out all of the foreign language ones that I had collected during my world travels and seriously asked me if I really knew the content of each one. He insinuated that many could be immoral and degrading music that Satan has infiltrated and would like for me to be in his clutches in such a way. OH BOY! I thought. Another one of those demon scares initiated by the elders that I'm accustomed to hearing while growing up as a JW.

They poke their noses and try to make you feel guilty for something.

I could go on and on about countless of other episodes, but that may have to be published in a book format.

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously by WTS standards)

Finally-Free

YUP.

crazyblondeb

Where to start.........The elders in Moberly, MO made it their business to interject themselves into every aspect of your life if you were their target. And I was. I made them work for their titles! EVERY time I got in trouble for something at home, they were called. They raised us, not my parents. My stepdad even admitted he should have not acted like that a couple years ago.

After I found out I had a "biological father" when I was 8 or 9, it was to be my decision as to whether I wanted to meet and get to know him. The elders decided since he wasn't a jw, I shouldn't be allowed to. That eventually blew up in their face. Over the years in high school, he'd come from texas and visit me. I finally ran away and went to texas.

I'd have elders meetings for "flirting" too much. To them that meant I spoke with a boy for more than 20 seconds. They never liked my attitude, dress, yada, yada, yada. I'd get to for mouthing my parents. Not being a good daughter..............

When I finally came back from texas to get my clothes, an elder who lived down the road saw the car with tx plates and came right over. Wanting to know how I felt about jehovah. I told him. He told me how disobedient I was..blah, blah, blah. DF'd soon after that.

About a year later I missed my sisters and brother so much, since I had raised them, that I got reinstated. They were up my ass constantly. They couldn't stand it that they didn't know who my daughter's father was. I finally realized I wasn't raising my daughter like that, and left.

A couple months later my sister moved in with me. I drove by the hall and saw her car there at an elders meeting. I stomped in, pulled her out, and told them if they ever contacted us again I press harrassment charges. The look on their faces were priceless.

They made my mothers life hell. Looking back she was clinically depressed. They did nothing but degrade her. They allowed my stepdad, who molested me, to hide behind them and the organization.

Talk about power trips!!

Mysterious

Honestly I was lucky, they left me well enough alone when I left. I'm not sure. I guess with already having an inactive father maybe they didn't want to push my mother too far.

schne_belly

Ohhh MY GOD did they ever!!!

This is one BIG thing I resent. I should have stood up for myself more and put them in their place. I shouldn't have allowed them to make me feel like crap and like a horrible person just for being a kid!

I blame them for my lack of confidence for so many years. Growing up and being compared to "daughter elder" isn't easy. Being told anything you do or wear isn't good enough.... geez.

Don't get me started......

95stormfront

they were in my home a couple of weeks ago under the guise of visiting my wife, when in reality it was a shepherding call for me. Nosed all in my business wanting to know what my schedule was and then went into guilt-tripping mode about my non-participation in "spiritual matters" using the example of Noah and how the people of his time reacted to him. I had to keep them on point that if it ws a spiritual discussion they wanted to have......fine......but I was not going to be talked to condescendingly or chastised by them in my own home. they realized that they weren't getting anywhere trying to intimidate and assert their so-called authority over me, gave up and left promising that they would come by occasionally to offer encouragement. Told t hem I get enough WT encouragement from my wife.

earthtone

OMG, did they ever. One went so far as to tell me how to dress ( had to alway's were stocking, skirt below my new, type of shirts and dress acceptable). Mind you I was maybe an early teen.

Wordly Andre

When I was 14 an Elder acted all friendly to me, talking about stuff not having anything to do with Witnesses but was asking quesitons about my dad, like hey I heard your dad works at N------------- and I said yeah, well they do a lot of government work right, what does he do, how much does he make, what hours does he work. Not all of these questions were one right after another but I knew he was interested in what my dad did, and didn't really think anything of it.

With in 2 weeks they had a meeting with my dad and DF'd him for working for a company who makes weapons, and warefare products.

That guy used me to get information on my dad, damn him if I ever see him again I would kick his ass into next week, did he ever think of how messed up that was, using a kid to get information about my dad only to use it against him? How christian is that? Janitor moron,

Yes my dad working at a company that made airplanes for military and civilian, everyone knew it, but since my dad was better off ($$$) than most of the elders in the hall, they needed to use their power to cut him down.

Just thinking about this makes me want to go Elder Hunting!

juni

You have to be kidding, right? What really pissed me off is when they would admonish our kids before they talked to us. Long story that I won't go into, but that is not right. For example. Our daughter has very long legs. Any dress/skirt on her looked short even though it came to the middle of her knee. Elder 2 face called her in back about it w/o talking to us first and told her to wear them longer even though his wife wore hers ABOVE THE KNEES.

Juni