It's Oct 31st, he might be busy- it's the day I read that Ex-JWs were supposed to visit a KH and show them how great they are doing without the WT religion. Costumes were optional.
Watch the complete fragmentation of the Watchtower begin
by Dogpatch 125 Replies latest jw friends
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AndersonsInfo
I received the following email from J. Mason Emerson this morning plus an attachment, which is a commentary breaking down chapter by chapter of the new elder's book. I looked on Freeminds and didn't see a link to the commentary as yet, so I'll put the commentary/review of the first four chapters beneath Emerson's email and if it doesn't cause moderator problems, I'll post the rest:
Here you go, folks. Just click the attachment. It's a critique/long synopsis/commentary or what-not, so doesn't break copyright and can thus be freely shared which by all means please do now with your email group/s. Also post it in full or part as you wish on websites. Viva Ray Franz and Christian Freedom! Randy Watters says he also plans to put a copy on his site and I will on mine too, that is on christianwitnesses.com, when it gets totally fixed. Sorry if I accidentally send you a double later. It's late at night here and I'm quite sleepy..... but not too late for a poem: Watchtower, Watchtower, may thine Service Desk men moan and groan, A traveling merchant thou art, from thine hideous face unto mocking snout, Watchtower, Watchtower, may thy Governing Body whine and flee, So soon shalt thou become from thine own words no bigger than a flea -- Or a fallen tree! J Mason Emerson or simply Joe P.S. How sweet as copies of this also start falling into the regular mail, the laps of regular non-JW friends as well as elders. The playing field of knowledge just go a whole lot more level. THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY’S SHOCKING 2010 “SHEPHERDING THE FLOCK OF GOD” MANUAL
Law enforcement, judges, juries, legislators and others will find of enormous value this critique of the manual which the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society over Jehovah’s Witnesses published for its elders (clergy class) in 2010. For short, here the organization is called Watchtower. The most significant chapters appear after 1 and 2, and if your time or patience are limited, then you may wish to skip those. It should also help some readers to know that the terms “disfellowshipped” means “kicked out then severely shunned,” “disassociated” means “voluntarily quit but also severely shunned.”
CHAPTER 1 begins with Watchtower telling elders (its clergy class) that Jehovah (God Almighty) has entrusted his flock to them. They tell their elders that, besides the Bible, the elders also get timely direction from "the faithful and discreet slave.” This expression entails Watchtower itself and in particular its Governing Body men at the very top. Not told or explained, but for the readers’ benefit here, is that there are numerous other corporations or entities making up an entire Watchtower (also sometimes spelled Watch Tower) chain or umbrella organization.
Watchtower adds that their year 2010 manual was prepared to help elders shepherd God's flock by providing orderly, vital information. Moreover, Watchtower’s elders are told they are to be protectors of the flock, just and merciful. Still farther along in paragraph 9, Watchtower similarly adds that elders are to be like Jehovah "with loving-kindness, impartiality, and merciful judgment.”
So, Watchtower starts the manual by making an effort to show itself as good and reasonable. That last word, though, namely “judgment” is what really shows the most in what follows. Just keep reading.....
CHAPTER 2 on page 11 is called "How Elders Work Together as a Body." In it Watchtower assures (or misleads) its elders to believe that they, that is the elders, are accepting Jesus Christ as Head of the congregation and that they are just letting the Bible be their guide, but then Watchtower says the elders must be obeying agencies used by "the faithful and discreet slave/" Watchtower notes that besides its Governing Body men in particular, that includes their traveling overseers and other appointees.
The chapter then goes on to give everyday details on things about elders' meetings, for example when to meet, what to do. All in all the details in the chapter show why elders are worn out trying to do everything Watchtower orders them to do. It notes that "If a decision is not unanimous, the minority should give willing support to the final decision." For example group overseers are to be PROMPT about informing as to whom in their groups didn’t report door-to-door time during the month. An assigned elder has to note anyone missing during meetings, try to find out why they are missing the meetings, and try to get them to turn around.
He or an assisting elder or ministerial servant (essentially a deacon or elder-in-training) is to visit all in his group to give encouragement and counsel (in other words poke and prod), concentrating on those who are WEAK or IRREGULAR in meeting attendance or field activity, ill, depressed, or inactive. He is also to review with his assistant the record cards of those in his group to determine their ministry strengths and weaknesses; to promptly get late reports in for the secretary etc. The chapter’s details paint a pictures of elders being people who follow a busy routine that can also stress and burn out.
CHAPTER 3 is called "Appointment and Deletion of Elders and Ministerial Servants.” It starts on page 30. Watchtower says before elders recommend that Watchtower appoint a person as a ministerial servant or elder they must see if he is qualified. Those appointed must be "spiritual" men as shown for example by attending and participating at meetings, zealously going to preach at doors, help his family members do the same, etc. For him to be considered, either his wife is to be a similarly zealous baptized Jehovah's Witness or else he must be assisting her to become one who is. He must also have his kids under control, and they must be believers. Too, did he ever get into trouble before, especially so concerning adultery or other marital problems?
In paragraph 16 Watchtower moves elders against appointing any Jehovah's Witness man who has allowed a disfellowshipped (shunned) or disassociated family member to move back into his house. In fact if an already active elder does this then the other elders are to review his qualifications too. Watchtower tells elders to consider if the real motive is so the family can associate with him, and Watchtower also says his allowing the son or daughter to come back home might be so disturbing to the congregation as to cause a number to lose respect for him.
This attitude of Watchtower makes it look like its concern is large for its supposed great image of super holiness, but appallingly thin in concern for the benefit of flesh-and-blood humans. This is seen beyond the manual too as when for example an elder had a son who had been disfellowshipped move back into his home so that the son would not be homeless and could get help with his clinical depression and suicidal inclination. Watchtower moved against that elder after he showed his compassion for his own son.
Continuing, paragraph 17 says an elder or ministerial servant can be removed for declaring bankruptcy. Watchtower directs its elders to for example consider if the person lacked self-control in spending or “failed to use reasonable foresight in his business decisions." So how well an elder does or doesn’t run a business he may have will determine if he gets deleted or not. The other elders will judge him whether they know a thing about his line of business or not. Is all of this reasonable? How can they really know if HE ran the business right or not? How can they actually know if they could have done any better??
Possibly to try to confuse judges and juries, Watchtower on page 30 paragraph 2 tells elders "The Governing Body and its representatives rely heavily upon your good judgment and spiritual discernment in making your recommendations." This may be a way they can get readers to think the Service Department in the headquarters is not so legally liable or responsible for the appointing of ministerial servants and elders. The reason they would want that is because being liable means having to pay out for settlements and satisfying court rulings about cases that come due to the misdoings of some of the elders on things such as child molestation. If so, they fail in the effort.
Quoting precisely Watchtower’s words: 19. “If it comes to light or an appointed brother confesses that he has committed a disfellowshipping offense years in the past: The body of elders may determine he can continue to serve if the following is true: The immorality or other serious wrongdoing occurred more than a few years ago, and he is genuinely repentant, recognizing that he should have come forward immediately when he sinned. (Perhaps he has even confessed to his sin) seeking help with his guilty conscience.) He has been serving faithfully for many years, has evidence of God's blessing, and has the respect of the congregation.”
This can mean for example if about three and a half years ago an elder went to a massage parlor, had sex with a prostitute, etc, but he later confesses it to the rest of the local Body Of Elders, that Body can let him keep being an elder if he cries about it and they know he has been an elder a long time, and few to none of the other Jehovah’s Witnesses in the congregation know what he did. This is a wide-open loophole by Watchtower letting elders from the local level up into the Service Department and Governing Body to get away with “serious wrongdoing.” That way Watchtower retains more elders and keeps quiet what they have done so that it also protects “Jehovah’s” glorious image, that is Watchtower’s image. Watchtower’s Governing Body, Service and Legal Departments seem keen to keep even the worst such elders partly to keep more elders around since so many have been quitting.
Watchtower on page 20, paragraph 3 says “the sin may involve past child abuse, and this would likely disqualify him for many years.-w971/1 pp. 26-29; w77 pp. 697-698. 38 "Shepherd the Flock of God-l Peter 5:2.” But before saying “that sounds reasonable,” note that it does not say he would definitely be disqualified from being an elder. It also says that even if disqualified, later after “many years” he can then be eligible again to be an elder. Watchtower again fails to truly protect Jehovah’s Witness children (and the Public’s) from molestation. They like to give the impression that they do while in fact not doing so.
On the other hand Watchtower tells its elders in paragraph 21 that if the wrongdoing occurred in the past few years while a man was a ministerial servant, he is disqualified from serving as one since he is not "free from accusation,” and the situation might be dealt with by a judicial committee. So, too bad for him he didn’t get all the way up to Watchtower’s clergy position of elder before what he did was found out; for under Watchtower’s rule, as said, he could have been totally forgiven. Watchtower in this little paragraph is trying to seem more even-handed, but “trying to seem” even-handed is exactly the point.
Indeed, Watchtower makes it as hard as possible for an elder or ministerial servant to resign. At paragraph 29 it orders that information concerning the deletion of an elder or servant should be retained indefinitely in the congregation's confidential file. This is to include “S-2 forms and S-52 acknowledgment letters from branch and related correspondence.” Watchtower tries to pass this off as simply for keeping information in case the elder were to ever be recommended for appointment again.
More likely they want all the details kept handy as they may fear he could become a major opponent later, for example, by putting copies of (or remembered details of) “confidential” (secret) matters he knew of upon the internet. They don’t say it but would likely also want to keep him under close surveillance from then on. An ex-elder knows where the bodies are buried and so Watchtower must feel utterly frightened of what each ex-elder knows or, for all they know, just might know.
CHAPTER 4 is called “Assisting Those Who Are Week.” It starts at paragraph 1 with Watchtower telling its elders to be quick to stop non-elders from getting too "spiritually weak." This means they are to watch for any who might be going to fewer Watchtower meetings and book studies, speaking criticisms, not going out preaching door-to-door as much. Ideally elders are to make shepherding calls at the homes of Jehovah's Witness members. They need to make an appointment, prepare, be relaxed and loving, use the Bible, not stay too long, have prayer, do follow up, etc.
In paragraph 11 Watchtower tells elders that before telling a non-elder that her or his dress and grooming is or are not appropriate, at least two of the elders should confer about the person. After doing so to make sure it’s not just the opinion of one elder alone, then one of the two elders is go to the offender “without delay.”
On page 52 Watchtower’s manual begins with “Assisting Those With Marital Problems” in paragraph 18 and continues through paragraph 20. Watchtower urges elders to “modestly” meet with married couples and lovingly assist them in how to better handle their marriages although, of course, only the couples can make the final decisions. If a marriage mate is considering a divorce, the elders should explain that divorcing won’t free her/him to remarry unless there was adultery, (Matt. 19:9) and also divorce may make it harder to reconcile. Watchtower tells the elders they are not supposed to either encourage or forbid divorce or separation or divorce; neither should they forbid it. However, the fact is that they all too often do lean people toward such things.
Also after saying the decisions are supposed to belong to a person her/himself, Watchtower tell its elders the person’s “decisions in this area disqualify him or her from receiving special privileges normally given to those viewed as exemplary.” So in other words Watchtower tells its elders to say “do whatever you decide but then Watchtower wants us to punish you for whatever you decide.” Can you believe it!
Paragraph 21 on page 53 says to treat child abuse victims with extra love and tenderness which sounds great. Paragraph 22 on page 54 says elders aren’t mental health professionals or therapists so don’t try to act like one, which rings true. Paragraph 23 says to listen closely -- logical. Paragraph 25 notes "...While participating in group therapy by a professional therapist is a matter for personal decision, there could be a revealing of confidential facts about other members of the Christian congregation during such sessions if a Christian does not exercise discretion." Now, this sounds like Watchtower is scared that negatively revealing things about its elders and itself might come out that could cause them major troubles such as lawsuits and settlement payouts. Their major concern appear to be most of all for themselves not the child molestation victims and others.
Watchtower in paragraph 26 tells its elders to be careful they don’t spend too much time with those who are emotionally disturbed since their valuable time is needed to help others including their own families. It may for example be enough to just give them “brief words of encouragement” or a short prayer. This sounds like Watchtower is saying to give the people with the greatest need the least attention possible! What kind of shepherding is that?
In the section called “Cautions Regarding Assisting Sisters” starting on page 56, Watchtower in paragraph 27 tells elders to never meet a sister alone and don’t become the lone confidant of a sister undergoing marital problems. In paragraph 28 it emphasizes to never meet “alone with a sister who is a victim of abuse, suffers from depression, or for any other reason is in a delicate emotional state. A woman in such an emotional state may be more vulnerable and may be prone to develop improper feelings toward an elder meeting with her.” Since this is stating the obvious, Watchtower likely knows it happens quite often and, indeed, many long-time non-elders can tell you that they in fact have seen a lot of just such affairs.
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rebel8
Another prophecy saying the wts is going to fall completely apart, with no details.
I felt sad reading this thread.
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Think About It
Maybe the Watchtower Society got a hold of Randy while he was sleeping last night and silenced him before he could reveal the details.
That explains it. He was targeted by the WTS for termination.
Think About it
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Ding
He'll be BACK.
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Simon Morley
Thanks for this post - I will look forward to Chapters 5 - 12. What insightful work!!
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miseryloveselders
Not to be rude or anything, but I hate these kinds of threads. All they do is get your hopes up like a balloon, and then reality hits like a dart and pops it.
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Ding
Okay, Randy, enough teasing.
What are you talking about?
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moshe
The entire WT charade depends on the writing dept staying in line and putting out a steady stream of "meat in due season". It seems like the writers are having a hard time coming up with material lately and going to the public WT edition allows the writing department to dumb down their material without allerting the JWs to the fact that they are " just out of ideas" . Current events are turned into reports with a religious slant aimed towards the non-JW. I wonder, if JWs are beginning to feel the literature is a waste of time?
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Mickey mouse
*is confused*