Comparison between jw elders and catholic priests

freydi

Aside from their theological weirdities, I'm wondering about their function. eg, If you had a personal problem who would you most likely trust for just resolution involving a confessional type situation?

SirNose586

I'd let a Catholic talk about the priests...

But with the elders, I don't know how good it would feel to talk to the same guy who could also cut ties between friends and family if he felt like "teaching you a lesson."

Wordly Andre

I'm a Catholic my experiance has been this, when you were a kid and watched tv show like Leave it to Beaver, Cosby show, etc. you know where the dad was always really nice and you wished your dad was like that, well thats the way it has always been when I had to talk to my priest especially Fr. Tim, it's like you can tell him anything and you don't feel that he is judging you or going punish you, but really is just there to listen, I think Priest are more down the earth than JW elders, in my life I've had experiances with both, I prefer to deal with a priest.

jstalin

Priests go through years of education, including counseling. I've met with a couple of priests to discuss theological and moral issues and I've always found them to be extremely professional. I even had a chat with a priest at my parents' request when they found out I was gay. They priest was completely non-judgmental and essentially told my parents to deal with it. I'm not a JW, but it sounds to me like JW elders are pretty much amateurs.

Wordly Andre

my experiance with JW Elders, humm lets see, I was accused of thinking about a young sisters breasts when I was 15, had a meeting with my dad, her mom, the Young sister, I think either 4-5 dub elders, and me they asked all kinds of questions such as "did you imagine her breast nude", "did you touch her or yourself?" "did you think about her in a sexual way?" "did you have any contact with her in any sexual manner?" there were a bunch of other questions for her and I, the meeting lasted about an hour, I thought my dad was going to kill me. This chick was only barely what I would call a GF, not anything serious as I was seeing a worldly girl at the time. Another run in with the Elders one started talking to me like we were buddies got some dirt on my dad from me in a very very sneaky way and used it against my dad to DF him. After my dad was DF'd the elder told him he couldn't attend my sisters wedding because it would make the "friends" upset, so my dad missed my sister wedding. At that wedding I flipped off an elder and told him Fuck you! that is right about the time I told my parents I was OUT!

SirNose586

Priests go through years of education, including counseling. I've met with a couple of priests to discuss theological and moral issues and I've always found them to be extremely professional. I even had a chat with a priest at my parents' request when they found out I was gay. They priest was completely non-judgmental and essentially told my parents to deal with it. I'm not a JW, but it sounds to me like JW elders are pretty much amateurs.

Funny you should mention the amateur part....in one of the CO's talks, he said that elders were not professional counselors or therapists, just there to help "spiritually."

What's really sad is when these same elders feel like they can put on those hats, and then they fail and make an even bigger mess.

wha happened?

I've heard the quote a number of times of how elders are only there for spiritual guidance. However, I also hear a number of elders that poo poo modern medicine especially when it comes to dealing with mental illness.

drew sagan

Funny you should mention the amateur part....in one of the CO's talks, he said that elders were not professional counselors or therapists, just there to help "spiritually."

What's really sad is when these same elders feel like they can put on those hats, and then they fail and make an even bigger mess.

That argument has possibly even been put forth in the magazines.

Personally I don't like comparisons like the one in this topic, they are just to broad and generic to gather real meaning. While similarities can be drawn about certain policies, the social structure of the two religions are so complex that general comparisons don't really say much about either . Just my opinion.

Balsam

Catholic Priest have training in counseling people, JW elder have zilch training which makes them a real problem. I've know maybe one Elder I though who ever gave good advice out of all the ones I knew over the past 30 years of dealing with them.

WTWizard

Generally, Catholic priests do not care what personal things you are doing. They are not going to start hounding you if you start missing church once in a while. You will not be hounded to go out in field circus. Getting an education, going online, and watching movies or listening to music are not taboo like they are in the Washtowel Slaveholdery.

Comparison between jw elders and catholic priests

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