One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo 426 Replies latest jw friends

  • Scarred for life
    Scarred for life

    Great thread, everybody. Fascinating.

  • happy2bfree
    happy2bfree

    I would like to thank you Barbara for your great contribution to this board.

    We are all much better informed thanks to your participation.

    My acquaintance with Ted was more than casual.

    He has always been, first and foremost a company man; more suited

    for the military and the discipline style of the forces. He was/is a

    very efficient, regimented character.

    To him and probably most of the GB members, the organization

    was paramount, not the people. The organization had to be kept

    “clean” even if it meant cruelty to individuals. Under the pretext of

    not bringing “reproach” on Jehovah’s name, their main concern

    was avoiding bad reflection on their name, not God’s.

    As long as you go along with the policies imposed by the GB,

    and stay on the prescribed track, you will feel the warmth,

    but woe to you if you happen to disagree with them.

    If you question procedures, or prefer not to go “beyond what is written”,

    your days are numbered. You have a choice, obey the organization’s

    rules or accept the consequences. Ray Franz and others are to be admired

    for their stance. They obeyed God rather than company directors.

    After number of years in the organization, I began to realize that you

    can’t be a follower of Christ and have the organization as your master.

    I too was being “groomed” by Ted for a time.

    I started falling out of grace when, publicly, in my talks

    before the ’75 debacle, I began to caution the brothers

    not to set their hopes on 1975 because our Lord said

    “the day and the hour………….”. I do not need to enlarge the

    outcome; I soon felt the official chill coming my way.

    Since Ted and the others of the GB claim to be Christian, why do

    they constantly go beyond what is written? Don’t they realize

    that they may incur God’s curse? Gal 1:6-9. Rev. 22:18, 19.

    One day they too will stand before the judgement throne and will have

    to answer for the harm they have done to so many innocent people.

    Unfortunately, Ted was the wrong man for the wrong job. His appointment

    was NOT a “spirit directed” choice.

    Michael

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    Totally riveting!

    To him and probably most of the GB members, the organization

    was paramount, not the people.

    Another poster said this before. This is classic Rutherfordism. He must have repeated it many times but it first caught my eye in one of the Vindication books (can't find the reference now) - individuals aren't important; the organization, the collective is.

  • Marjorie
    Marjorie

    Barbara:

    Dan began to talk about how he knew Jehovahhhhh Godddd through his Holy Spirit was with elders in judicial hearings. He was sharing a story of how well a certain "sister's" problems were handled by the elders even though her life was in turmoil and she was in and out of judicial hearings. It was, he said, because Holy Spirit was there to help the brothers and as he continued to extol the virtues of judicial hearings, he began to change. It was while he was saying he could actually feel the presence of the Holy Spirit at this woman's hearing, he seemed to slip off into an outer-worldly thingy experience or something. His voice became different. Hard to describe what we saw and heard. At the time, I thought of the Apostle Paul and the 7th heaven experience.
    All five of us sat there listening and staring at him for what seemed to be an eternity, but really only minutes, when his wife Marina said (I kid you not): "God damn it, Sydlik, stop that; get off your high horse and come back down to earth." He blinked a few times and returned back to normal. If that wasn't the strangest thing for the five of us to observe. Then we all mentally shook ourselves and continued on with conversation like nothing happened.

    Barb, to me, that experience sounds anything but holy -- especially when you take into consideration the various unscriptural beliefs that the WTS has espoused.

  • Gregor
    Gregor

    He's doing a little better today, he was able to flash the big "W" gang sign.

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    Thank you Barb yet again for yet again a window into the WTS and GB.

    Like many fundamentalists I suspect Sydlyk went into a trance state. Your description sounds very similar to what I have seen in the office with people who are familiar with the levels of dissociation beyond the norm. I think anyone who claims to soime higher calling in the WTS must experience dissociation beyond the norm.

    I posted in a couple of other threads that over 45 years ago when I was abused the elders chose to hush it up and get rid of the victims. My 13 yr old aunt was sent to live with a non-JW relative and at 12 I was sent to foster care. The abuser remained in the cong - not baptized but studying and going to meetings regularly. And those decisions were made in consult with the PO.

    The cover-up policy is nothing new. Jaracz did not invent this wheel. He might have reinforced it but he didn't start it.

  • Homerovah the Almighty
    Homerovah the Almighty

    He's doing a little better today, he was able to flash the big "W" gang sign

    Dam , there goes my job opportunity, stupid advanced medical system !

    Oh Satan where are you ? we need you if your not up to anything !

    This situation carries its own ironies since he denounced and demeaned people pursuing advanced education and the people that

    are now keeping him alive probably spent 10 years in medical school to be capable of doing just that.

  • villabolo
    villabolo

    Good point Lady Lee on the trance state. I was going to point out something similar. From what I've researched about religious experiences as a neurological phenomenon it sounds like a case of Temporal Lobe seizure. Also, though this may be a stretch, those linotype machines have a pot of molten lead. I remember using one in high school-the lead pot was exposed. I don't think that inhaling those lead fumes is good for the brain. There is also the possibility that the stroke may alter his personality probably for the worse.

  • ziddina
    ziddina

    BonaFide wrote: "Another thing I think is interesting is that in my understanding, brother Jaracz refused to have his life story published in the Watchtower.... I think I remember only brother Jaracz and brother Henschel refusing. The others gave photos and experiences and were happy to have their article published.

    I just never saw brother Jaracz look for personal glory...."

    I dunno.... To me, that says, "Guy with a deep, dark secret" ,not "Totally selfless guy who thinks he's actually serving God..."

    Zid

  • truthsetsonefree
    truthsetsonefree

    Mind you on his allegedly not letting his life story be published, sometimes these cult leaders have a kind of 'mock humility' where by appearing to not want glory they get glory from those around them. Who knows? That may be the case here.

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