Reinstatement-Curent elders please reply (page 3)

purplesofa

Wow, I am stunned that they monitor someone so closely as to watch them as to whether they are taking notes or if their WT is underlined!!!!!!

This is a continued way to show the congregation that this person is spiritually weak (as they don't comment)

Remember elders cannot read hearts,

and I think those that are the most dumb in the way of having a radar if someone is genuine need more of this

kind of monitoring to test spirituality.

It's all dumb shit.

purps

edited to add: It's very disheartening and discouraging to be treat in this manner.

And don't forget, he also can have the wonderful "privilege" of cleaning and mowing the hallowed grounds at the kingdumb hall, you dont have to underline and study for those wonderful nuggets of priviliges

pirata

Don't understand the note-taking, witnesses are encouraged to take notes at the assemblies. I used to take notes at every Public Talk, practically had every outline written out in my notebook.

Recommend getting a really loud flourescent higlighter to higlight the answers, and a red pen to underline the scriptures. Then hold up the magazine really high so everyone can see the markings. Bonus points if you write out key scriptures in the margins.

blondie

Restrictions are at the choice of the elders and can vary from congregation to congregation including the duration. I have known 2 brothers, one df'd and one reproved privately, that were not allowed to go door to door for several years (neither were pedophiles). I had never heard of d2d being restricted until I encountered these 2 cases wthin the last 10 years.

SnakesInTheTower

havent been an elder in almost 4 years (yay)

Back in 1991 I was a pioneer and MS I was accused of lying by a bunch of jealous pioneer sisters. I was removed as MS and pioneering, stopped from going to bethel as a long term temp...but the only restriction I was given was not allowed public prayer....which lasted 30 days. Hell, in the congo I was in, that was not a punishment...we had so many brothers it might have been 2 or 3 months before one could give a prayer for a meeting (other than FS).... I was given the restriction because the CO told them if they JC'd, there had to be a restriction, even if something so technically small as that.

I have a fader friend who has been inactive for several years and is done with JWs except he still is married to a JW. When he was a MS, the Einstein Elders decided it would be good to place a ministerial servant on restrictions...even though he had not been through a judicial committee....it took a couple of COs, a DO, and the Society to untangle that mess. Fortunately it was the thing he needed to get the hell out.

Snakes (Rich )

highlighted in case elders are looking over my shoulder for spirituality checks:

ps..I have heard through the grapevine that the new 2011 elder's manual is going to have more specifics about JCs and such matters. as if Unit 5(a) (b) and (c) were not enough...they need an additional 5 (dumbasses get it right) section. Glad I dont have to deal with that $hit anymore.

Will Power

not an elder's response but

Has he thought of washing their cars? or mowing their lawns?

yes master, I'll do anything, thank you so much for letting me read a word for word (slightly changed) comment.

the representatives of the representatives of Jesus' representatives deserve every inch of humble submission because I do not want to lose my family and friends.

egads, sorry about that.wp

miseryloveselders

Wow, I am stunned that they monitor someone so closely as to watch them as to whether they are taking notes or if their WT is underlined!!!!!!

Don't be surprised. I'm a younger elder, and I've never disfellowshipped anyone. Been on a couple investigative committees and judicial committees. I'd be out of pocket to speak on getting reinstated. One thing I can say though is, some elder bodies are very observant when it comes to things the average publisher may take for granted. When I was still a MS, there were times I would conduct the book study when it was still done in someone's home. The book study overseer had some health problems at the time, so I conducted more than the typical assistant would. One day, the Service Overseer visited our group, and I noticed him trying to catch a glimpse of my Revelation book. He did this several times, it was really hilarious. When I got appointed, one of the first meetings I attended was a pre-meeting elder bodies have some weeks before the CO visit. One of the things they do is discuss the pool of brothers in the hall to see about recomending any of them for MS or Elders. One of the main questions considered in these meetings is how prepared they and their families are at meetings. Its common to hear an elder state, "his book is hardly ever studied. Neither is his watchtower." "I noticed his wife rarely ever comments." "He's quite unreliable as a reader, and thats probably due to his lack of preperation as his book is never studied." They really do pay attention to that.

Another thing, reinstated ones and reproved ones can always go out in service. Always, maybe with the exception of their offense being public knowledge. If their offense was something the average joe wouldn't know about, they can go out in service. I will admit, several months post reinstatement seems a tad bit long to withhold commenting privileges.

freydo

What a sick organization

Why are newspapers et al not filled with stories that just lambaste this kind of abuse?

What does commenting at meetings have to do with the Bible?

dozy

re underlining , I remember a sister who used to underline (with marker pen) her Watchtower in the ladies toilets during the public talk if she hadn't had a chance to do it beforehand so that no one would notice that it wasn't studied. And for years I used to quite often mark mine up on the car on the way to the meeting , or I would drive and my wife would "study" hers (and sometimes the kids as well). Our elders often would volunteer to be a microphone handler so that they could see whose Watchtowers were underlined & whose weren't. Once after I read the Watchtower (as a MS) an elder approached me afterward and said that he had noticed from his seat in the KH that my Watchtower wasn't underlined and that I wouldn't be allowed to read again if I didn't study in advance. I got my Watchtower and showed him that it was underlined (in soft faint pencil) so that I could easily read it. I suggested a visit to the local Specsavers. He was a bit embarrassed by his stupid comments and I dined out on the story for years later.

re reinstatement , quite often once the individual is reinstated , they kind of drop off the radar screen - there are always other problems for the elders to move on to. They might even have forgotten that the person is still under restrictions. Alternatively the person is expected to show a bit of public humility , so (for example) rampant note taking during the meeting in a congregation where very few take notes is probably seen as a sign of pride. I would get them to ask the CO at the next visit what the situation is and that they are feeling discouraged by the continuing restrictions. I would guarantee that the CO would tell the elders to remove the restrictions , especially if quite a few months have passed by.

Its common to hear an elder state, "his book is hardly ever studied. Neither is his watchtower." "I noticed his wife rarely ever comments." "He's quite unreliable as a reader, and thats probably due to his lack of preperation as his book is never studied.

I agree - heard these comments over & over again in elders meetings or elders gossiping together (and shamefully I made these comments myself on several occasions).

dozy (ex-elder - not current)

babygirl30

Isn't that sad that the level of someone's spirituality is based on whether their Watchtower is UNDERLINED or not???????

Reinstatement-Curent elders please reply