I am at home now, my family knows that I am out and it's somewhat ok.
During the time I spent here, I had the interesting pleasure of talking to an elder who I've known since childhood. Just for the background, he always regretted not going to university and there where also issues with military service. But this discussion was kind of, well, interesting. (And sorry, this is not so easy to translate.)
- We talked about, why I am not going to meetings anymore. I told him one point was the way I was treated, he understood, but said imperfection of men should not keep you from rejecting god's organisation. He said as an elder he has seen many bad things inside, some are saying that you should not employ fellow brothers, but this doesn't keep him from trusting "the slave".
- Later we talked about changes in doctrines. He said, he knows things change constantly, for example the revelation book. He doesn't even listen to it, one shouldn't look to the details and overall it's much better than the catholic church who never makes changes.
He said he remembered '75, and it was a huge issue in his congregation, many where disgrunteled, angry, sad. But those who kept things in perspective thrived afterwards.
- I asked, if doctrines and rules change, is it still the "truth", was it all the time the truth, even if it was wrong later? He: Yes.
- I asked, if one shouldn't look for details, how do we know this is god's organisation.
He said, you have to look at the big picture.
I asked, what is the big picture, if doctrines and rules can change, and if he admits, there are issues with the love that is not shown as it should be.
He said, look at the work, at bethel, all the printing.
Me: Even if they print things that are wrong?
He just shrugged the shoulders.
- At some point he said, one doesn't need to be informed to know that this is god's organisation. One doens't need to know the history, only look what is now. Forget about 75 and other things it's not a big deal.
- We talked about child abuse. He said he would do anything to protect children. He hadn't heard about the Conti case. He said, if he had a case of child abuse in the congregation, which he thankfully hadn't at the moment (from which I concluded that there must have been something in the past, either before I was born, or something that was kept secret) the brother in question would never get any privileges.
Then he said something that made me speechles: in any case, if there is a case of abuse/rape there is always some joint guilt at the victim or the parent (they just haven't protected thair children well enough).
- We talked about why god is portraied so cruel in the OT. Apperently he had read an article, that said, in a conflict civil war the hatred is passed on from the parents to the childre, therefore it was the best Jehova could do for his people to order them to kill the children and women with their enemies, or to kill them at the flood.
I asked him, how he would feel in the situation if he was about to kill a child?
He said, well they will be resurrected anyway.
I asked, even the ones from the flood or Sodom and Gomorrha?
He said yes about the flood, and about Sodom and Gomorrha he wasn't sure - but he said, they were bad through and through anyway. And for sure all the children would probably be the same way.
Sorry, this is not very well written down. There were more things, but these were the main things I remember. We didn't end on a bad note, he seemed really confused though.
