I have heard it, but I don't think it is enforced strictly. I have never had such calls and I have been out for over 18 years. Personally I think they do it here and there but mostly with people they think they have a chance of trying to win over.
Elders supposed contact DF&DA once every year???!!!???
by Quotes 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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tiffy0212
I walked out of the hall 21 years ago and I just received a call from them a few months ago. They wanted to come to my house I said NO. So they called again on the phone and asked how I was doing, and what I was doing. Holidays with my children and grandchildren. I told them if they wanted they could disassociate me, and they said NO. I was not the cause for leaving, it was my fanatic husband who was a elder at the time. No longer serving as elder it's a long story. He still attends, but will never be in any position because he left us. I told them I would never go back to that Hell he created for me and my children. Sometimes I think that when the CO visits he must go through files and maybe they are told to clean them up.
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flipper
Allegedly elders are supposed to do this - however if they hardly ever check on inactive witnesses, what makes us think they'll check on DFed ones ? I'm a fading inactive person and elders ran away from me out the door of a coffee shop to avoid me ! LOL! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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kerj2leev said:
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No shit! Stop bitching about not being called on. Grow up and move on!! -----
Wasanelder Once said:
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Those of you who DA'd or are actively speaking against the congregation, what makes you think they are stupid enough to waste their time? It's hardly fair to complain that they are falling down on their job when the are respecting your wishes by not calling.
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kerj2leev,
Let me be clear: I DO NOT want any elder's calling me. If you re read my original post, I think you will find it is missing any "bitching". I am simply pointing out that it appears that the elder's don't follow the "mercy rules" which they claim to follow -- the fact that this makes me very happy, notwithstanding. According to some who have responded here, the elders actually LIE to their superior (CO) to further the charade, is, IMO, significant.
I have no doubt that if we were talking about Catholic Priests not performing some act of shepperding, yet claimed to their congregation that they did that particular act, and even lied about it to the Bishop, this dereliction of duties would be spamvertised at every chance the Watchtower gets in their vacuous monthly rags.
Wasandleder Once,
I agree, likely there may be some subjective sorting of who will get called and who won't, based on the elders perception of the situation.
But IMO that is a weak defence. Firstly, the whole (alleged) point of the program is the see if the person's situation or attitude has changed. If the elders decide, a priori, that the person's situation hasn't changed, and they don't make any attempt to find out, then they will never know if/when it happens. IOW this subjective selective sorting befuddles the entire point of the program.
Secondly, it is a case of special pleading. Why can they make subjective descisions to judge the heart condition of these former members, without enquiry, and yet the general public never gets the same consideration? For example: a non-JW householder could say, plainly, "I am and will always be a Unitarian. There is no need to come back to my house. I will not change." And yet, every time the territory is worked -- sometimes as frequently as every 3 months, sometimes every few years -- that Unitarian householder will have the JWs knocking on their door (unless, of course, they are savvy enough to explicitly demand to go on the Do Not Call list). In fact, the whole "we never know when someone'e heart may change" is the standard rejoinder to the complaint "Why do you keep calling on me?" So to say it is OK for elders to be subjective in one situation, but not another, is, IMO, special pleading.
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Gordy
I stopped attending meeting in August 1999. Waited for the Elders to call. Nothing.
I did not even get an invitation to the Memorial the following year either.
It was September 2001 before any Elder called.
Then it was because they were having a campaign to get "inactive" ones back, because of falling numbers.
Soit was not out of any concern for me that they called, I was just a number.
Thats when I decided to DA .
So since September 2001 up to now, I have not had any contact with any Elders whatsoever.
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Quirky1
They'll only contact me once.............
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Fatfreek
A WT article was quoted in its entirety on the second page of this thread. A key statement of that article follows:
*** w91 4/15 p. 22 par. 11 Imitate God’s Mercy Today ***
It would not be fitting even for elders to take the initiative toward certain expelled ones, such as apostates, who ‘speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.’ These are ‘false teachers who are trying to bring in destructive sects and to exploit the congregation with counterfeit words.’So this is where they draw the line which they don't want their elders to cross -- apostates. Let's say you've DA'd. Well, to them, you've crossed the line by submitting a letter stating all your objections to being part of their flock. You've, in essence, attempted to teach them your way of thinking, you wicked apostate!
They are rightly scared witless (pun intended) by apostates. Their leadership and followship places their tail between their collective legs when they see you around -- a mall, parking lot, coffee shop. They want nothing to do with your thinking.
DF'd sheeples are something else. Perhaps they stopped smoking or drinking or such, but never expressed negativity toward WT teachings. Those are the targets for annual return visits by the elders.
As we've seen by many experiences here, most elders appear chicken to do even this menial duty.
Len
ps: I've said this before and it bears repeating. The WT wants you to DA yourself if you think contrary to them . This allows them to place a virtual fence (shunning) around you to protect their remaining membership. By simply fading (my choice if I were to do it over) you are a threat to the flock as you could discreetly make your anti-WT views known.
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babygirl75
No, I have never been contacted.
I've even found out that some of my family that doesn't live here called around to several congregations and asked for the elders to call on me. Out of four congregations, not one elder has called me or come by the house! Even after they promised my sister they would. They think I have refused to meet with them ( I probably would) but that's not the case!!! Guess they think I'm just too far gone for them to save!!!