I talked with a relative today, and he's a devout MS/elder and is now going to elder's school & special meetings . . .
JW: "I am learning short hand. So neat. Alot of symbols and shortened words. (gives me examples, etc.)
Me: "That's neat. It's like you are learning a new language."
JW: "Do you know why I am doing this?"
Me: (to myself, thinking, 'Oh sh**, this has to be good'). "No, what's up? You gonna be a secretary?"
JW: "No, they don't allow us to record elder school or any of our special elder's meetings. We can take notes, they don't mind it. But, we are not allowed to record it. They say the information could get into the wrong hands."
Me: "You can use your computer or I-Phone to record the meetings. I've seen a computer application that changes a speech immediately into a written document. There might be an I-Phone application for it. It would be a better use of your time."
JW: "Does this record the voice, or does it immediately just transfer it to the written word?"
Me: "The computer application that I saw put it into written word. I don't know if there is an I-Phone application. But, an I-Phone is so much smaller and no one would see it."
JW: "So, I could only do it if there was no voice recording."
Me: "So, what's wrong with recording a voice? Is what they are saying bad?"
JW: "I don't know why. I guess they don't want things to get taken out of context. You know how people twist things out of context."
Me: (Choking) "Yes. I know a religion that misquotes a lot of stuff, including medical quotes related to blood and science, biology, history, not to mention the Bible."
JW: (Silence)
Me: "How can something be taken out of context, when you have the whole tape? The person who is taped could fight it easily."
JW: (More silence and hem-hawing)
Me: "What are they saying in this school that they don't want out? (Silence) How does short hand notes differ from a real recording? Both can be completely translated and put on the Internet?"
JW: (Now really hem-hawing)
Me: Aren't you really doing mental gymnastics to learn shorthand to get around this rule? Have you asked if short hand of the entire elder's school was allowed? Short hand records are admissible in court, especially if the taker is there to testify to their authenticity."
JW: Yes, that's it. I'm doing mental gymanstics.
Me: (I don't know why he thinks Mental Gymastics is a flattering term, but he does.) So, do any red bells go off in your head that you can't record these schools?
JW: (Complete Cult Mind Shutdown). No, it doesn't cause me any bells.
Me: No bells going off in your mind that anything is wrong with this?
JW: Nope, I'm 100% confident.
Me: Well, if it was me, I'd be running away so fast... What are they doing hate speech against other religions? Trying to coach you on how to handle child abuse? Coach you on how to handle the blood dilemna? No bells or red sirens going off in your head? Have you asked about your taking short hand?
JW: No, and I'm not going to ask anyone. It's 100% fine for me to take notes. No sirens.
Me: You don't think you'd be called in for a meeting for taking exact notes, but you would be if it was a voice recording? You are not seeing any warning signs?
JW: No, I'm fine with it.
Me: Ok, well if you are fine with it, then do it with all your gusto.
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So, this elderly JW KNOWS how much I disagree with the Watchtower Society. Yet, he is so proud of his solution to this latest roadblock of his new eldership role, I point out a smoking gun, and then he sticks up for the Society? Older people are so easily taken advantage of. He wants to live in his dream world. He is so happy to be given the "gift" of finally being a respected man in the congregation (he's been in for 60 years and never had this position). He just doesn't want to hear that the King is naked. He can't admit to it, even though he can admit to it. He only sees what he wants to see.
Your thoughts?
