So I agreed to meet with the elders to testify against someone.
This person is an elder, is married, but plays around and messes with sisters. That's right, he is married. By messing around I mean sending personal gifts, sending secret love messages, and trying to kiss them and eventually touch in private areas. It has happened with three different sisters over the past 6 years. His wife is in denial, and blames everyone else. The love notes he sends to other sisters? He claims they are all forged, and that a big conspiracy is going on. No one would testify against him, he has a strong personality.
I know those meetings are unfair and often ridiculous, I always tried to be fair when I was in charge of them. But I feel bad for these girls who look to elders for help and then they are taken advantage of.
So I decided to testify. He said he did visit a sister but there was nothing to it. He said the notes were forged. My testimony was that he had bragged to me a couple of years ago that he had touched a girl. I counseled him with another elder, but now recently I heard he is doing it again, and also denying it. So I decided to testify to get him to stop hurting people. During the meeting, he said he did touch the girl, but it was "over her underwear." So the presiding elder said that men and women are like watches, if you touch the watch it is not that sinful, but if you try to wind it up, that is the sin. That is porneia. He explained to us that he learned that at Kingdom Ministry School.
I was then dismissed, since I was only a witness to his earlier confession, I do not know the outcome. I saw one of the girls outside, and I told her she can sue, but another elder was standing right there and he said, "Well, we don't want to bring reproach on Jehovah's name."
If this sounds pretty ridiculous to all of you, thats because it is. I sent an email to the sisters' mother later, telling her to sue because this person is an elder, but she is reluctant. Reproach on Jehovah's name.
BF