Should I call the local elders

by joelbear 14 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  joelbear

  Witnesses always say if you have questions, you should discuss them with the local elders.

  Most of you have seen over the past few days, the 5 or 6 questions which led me to leave the witnesses and take up my hedonistic lifestyle.

  Should I call the elders and give them a chance to answer my questions? I've asked my father some of them, but it always turns into an argument and upsets my mother too much for me to really pursue the discussion as far as I would like.

  Just to reiterate.

  My questions are:

  1. Is there a logical explanation of God's justice system for the universe, which includes all sentient creatures and how they are judged?

  2. Is the claim that Jehovah's Witnesses as a group are more moral, loving and dedicated to the service of God true?

  I have other more minor doctrinal questions such as those about how the 144,000 are chosen, etc. but the first 2 are the ones that are core.

  Joel
• 

  Yerusalyim

  HuggieBear,

  What purpose would be served in talking with the Elders? Do you think they really have answers? Are you really looking for answers? Would you really want to hear what they have to say? Is this just a chance to try to expose them to "apostate" thinking, maybe cause them some doubts? I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just asking.

  YERUSALYIM
  "Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
  [Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
• 

  joelbear

  The purpose of the meeting would be to ask them the questions.

  I have no ulterior motives. If they give me satisfactory answers then I will have new information to dwell on. If my legitimate questions cause doubts in their minds, I can't help that, even if it is not my purpose. The questions exist whether they are stated or not. The questions deserve an answer.

  Joel
• 

  JerryTX

  Joel,

  What makes you believe you would get any information worth dwelling on from a JW elder? You're going to get the party line from the literature, and sadly that is all you will get. End of story.

  You would get a much more interesting and indepth response in asking these questions of a theological student/teacher, or a even a good Sunday school teacher at a local church.

  "People handle their fear of change in different ways, but the fear is inescapable if we are in fact to change."
  M. Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled)
• 

  RunningMan

  Well, first of all, I doubt whether you will find many elders who even
  understand question #1. You will have to dumb it down for them.

  I'd like to hear their responses, but I would be pretty shocked if you
  got anything more than a superficial answer that any reasonably
  intelligent person could pick apart easily.
• 

  ballistic

  We have elders here joel, why not ask them? They can at least tell you what the witness elders would say. Anyway, surely you know the crap made up of sound bites, mis-applied scripture and logic-less argumentation they come out with.
• 

  LDH

  An absolute YES!

  Why, I call them all the time.

  I call them "Asshole," "Wolves in sheep's clothing," "Untrained Volunteers," and on and on! (OK you caught me--the untrained volunteers things is courtesy of JR Brown...)

  They have not one more shred of God's blessing than any other human who is striving to live a good life....remember Acts 10:34,35 Joel?

  God is not partial.

  Lisa
• 

  DevilsAdvocate_DA

  Joelbear Sir,

  Others have given you good thoughts to consider on this posting.

  But I perosnally would like to say, as a fellow human. Go on with you life, whatever that may be, and be at peace with yourself.

  Please forgive me if I seem frank, but from the postings I have seen of yours over the past year or so , your need to let life run its course in your relations with others and yourself. Joelbear, life is too short to be consern as to what other think or feel about you, and may I add ME.

  DA

  P.S. I would like to add one thought. Whether other agree or not. Jehovah and His son Jesus has done and will do nothing but good for the human family. Joelbear, I have a bird outside my green room that that the English say it says "Drink you tea". I say it says, "What and see". His name is Rufous-Sided Tohee. Like Rufous, I am and will wait and see what my FRIEND AND LOVER Jehovah God and His Son has in store for me. I can only speak for myself. What others what to do, including yourself is up to the other parties.
• 

  DevilsAdvocate_DA

  Joelbear,

  I say, Rufus says, "Wait and See"

  I could not get the edit feature to work for me.

  Sorry,

  DA
• 

  Mulan

  Joel,
  Don't call them. They are uneducated, and ignorant, and will not be inclined to attempt to answer your questions. They will probably try to pin you down as to whether you actually really ARE gay, and it will be all about you, and getting you in a "slot", so they can label you as something.

  Leave them alone, and forget them. They aren't worth your even thinking about.

  I say this out of sincere concern and affection for you.

  Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)