by MrFreeze 150 Replies latest jw experiences
Got counseled by a fanatical young elder for saying OMG. Didn't accept his counsel and told him he was ridiculous. He later came to my house bringing it up, which led to him pounding his fist on my table, which led to me telling him to leave and asking if he wanted to continue this conversation in the yard. Look at the crazy things they would counsel people on.
Think About It
I was told to change my newborn son's feeding times so that Mrs Smith does not miss out in the 'spiritual food'. I said to him, verbatim, "You are not well" And walked away. In retrospect he was a dumb@ss anyway.
Also had council from elder,...who went to my father, the presiding overseer, who in turn came to me, so that I could council my wife, (The supper sexy Mrs Smith) that her dress moves up when my son sits on her lap, thus exposing too much leg. Which a young brother noticed and was distracted by during the Watchtower study.....
Growing a mustache, early 70s, wouldn't let me on a Circuit Assembly part unless I shaved (I was Pioneering at the time, had to be a good example) I told them No, and they said No.
How come the Mexican brothers and the Black brothers got to have mustaches and the Irish kid couldn't
Silly stuff
A week or two after I gave a talk at the district convention a circuit overseer counseled me for my hair being too short for a convention speaker. The C.O. said that he personally had no problem with the length of my hair, but was just passing along observations from the visiting Bethel speaker. That happened near the beginning of my awakening. In retrospect I think it accelerated my eventual exit. It made me realize how superficial the organization is.
I was 15 and an fellow elder pulled me aside and privately told me my skirts were too short. Now mind you my father was an elder in the same congregation and had NO idea he counseled me. I was scared and never mentioned it to my parents. Years later I was laughing about it and my Dad hit the roof because this brother had me alone to counsel me when I was still a minor and with out my Dad's knowledge.
The funny thing is my parents were strict with our dress and if they even remotely thought our skirts/shorts were too short we had to change no questions asked. The not so funny thing is, I can see how elders (people in position) could take advantage of a minor. I was terrified of this elder that he had to "talk to me" so I never breathed a word to my parents. We were raised that the elders were right VERY scary situation when you are a child. We were brought up to respect the elders and mature christian in the congregation.
Also, I was counseled by a pioneer becasue they thought Def Leppard was too worldly along with U2, Duran Duran and Madonna. I was 16 and thought you nut job you looking for stuff to tell me? lol
Hair being to short, I thought white walls were in vogue.
hair too long
hair coloured
hair too fashionable
stubble
beard
having a 2 seater sports car
not wearing a jacket at the book study (the house had the central heating on all day, even in summer and with 15 people in there was roasting)
wearing an orange tie
correcting an MS (IQ < 100) who couldn't read a rota on whose turn it was to do the microphones
not doing enough hours in FS because I refused to spent 5 hours a month wasting time by walking instead of driving to places etc.
That I should wear my school blazer on the platform (it being my only jacket) by un-stitching the school badge and re-sewing it back on after the meeting.
Someone in my KH got counselled on timing for their 5 minute talk finishing 8 seconds early! It figures our meetings never finished early and often ran 10 minutes over.
MMXIV
omg agent smith! i can relate to your wife's
counsel as a similar thing happened to me...
toddler on the lap, hem of a below the knee
dress rides up on my thigh (barely) and after
the meeting an on again off again elder tells
me to "go get your husband" and then he
proceeds to rip me a new one about how much
was he had seen from the platform.... trust me,
it barely went mid thigh IF that and i was wearing
pantyhose...
this same elduh temporarily conducted the BS
in our home and told us to get rid of the chess
game (completely overlooking Stratego) or he
would have the study moved elsewhere...
we didnt, and he was removed as an elder
sometime later and we had at least 2 more
conductors before WE concluded the "arrangement"
THEN there was the elder's counsel on a "talk"
not to use the word "fellow" as it was related
to the "fellers" in the OT.... that was the ONLY
thing he could "counsel" me on regarding my
"talk"
b
Toward the end of my Jw career - after my conscience was starting to find things that didn't add up, but before I ordered CoC - I was counselled for making a comment at a Watchtower study in which I stated plainly that it was showing a lack of love to 'slander our weak brothers or gossip about them in the car groups in service'.
I was taken to the back room after and told I was 'walking on thin ice' and that some elders might be offended because it sounded like the comment was directed at them. [It was directed at them - but not unkindly in any way]
I asked the elder what day it would be convenient to stop by his house that week to pick up my approved comments for the following week's study. I don't think he even got the sarcasm.
They are asses.
Jeff
