by Julia Orwell 43 Replies latest jw friends
"Welcome to the borg. They do that all the time. They will never tell you the real reason for a meeting beforehand and always camouflage it by something innocent sounding. "
So true! They are never up front with you. They can't look you in the eye and give it to you straight. They have been groomed to be cowardly, corporate minded yes-men. They don't willingly give details because in their minds you do not deserve them.
Good for you for staying one step ahead of them.....elders hate that and hate thinking people. Good job for irritating them!
I hope hubby will wake up soon!
G
Nice story Juan- thanks.
Juan, that is an AWESOME experience. It really should be published in the WT yearbook. LOL
Julia, sounds like you handled it the best that you could have. If it comes up again, maybe you could redirect them from "doubts" to "unanswered questions". And the approach I often use is that these are questions you've encountered while trying to preach to neighbors, workmates, and relatives. In my experience, I'm then able to use the line, "that reasoning may work on us JWs under the threat of being disfellowshipped if we don't accept that answer, but what do you think a non-JW is going to think when you use that answer?"
Great story Juan, thanks for sharing!
Hey guys,
Thanks for all your support! I must credit this site and certain people who've emailed me with much of the defence I made, mostly regarding foreknowledge of the things I knew would incriminate me.
The preppy young born-in pioneer elder serving where the need is great in our cong used analogies to do with challenging university curriculum and not believing the content of a Technical Institute course. BIG mistake! I was 5 years at university, and worked 5 and a half years in a huge technical institute, and am into my third year of secondary teaching. I KNOW these sectors, especially technical education, inside and out, and he revealed his ignorance and should not have chosen that line of reasoning with me, who works in education! He got very shirty. Well, that's what you get when a window washer comes head-to-head with an educated professional.
As for my husband, when the elder asked me why, if I don't believe a lot of the JW doctrine, do I even bother to go to the meetings and still be called a JW? Why don't I just disassociate myself? And I told him that I love my husband to bits, and if I DA, I will be shunned by 15 years worth of people in my life, and could lose my husband.
He didn't disagree. He didn't say anything. I'd pulled organisational procedure on them.
After they left, I started to shake and be traumatised, crying to my husband that they're going to shun me, and he will partake of my disgrace and become an object of pity in the congregation because he'll be known as 'the brother with the apostate wife', and he'll lose his privileges. He's not been in as long as me, so I told him the full extent of what might happen to both of us. He loves me and the hurt I suffered caused him great pain, so he'll see the door before long.
Thanks for your help all!
Thanks for the update Julia, so awesome to hear when an educated woman puts a JW "elder" in his place!
So glad you held it together until they left. Sometimes a huge rush of adreneline will help you through it, and then when its over you completely lose it. Things will work themselves out between you and your hubby, back off for a week or two and discuss nothing religious unless he brings it up. Allow him to process things and and hopefully he will see how bat shit crazy this religion is in due time.
Nice story JV, thanks for sharing it with us!
You did just fine, don't meet with them again or they may go after you.
Hi Julia,
So sorry that two Elders intruded into your privacy to challenge your doubts. Doubts, are what many of JW's have on their minds, and no visitation, and coercion will work to make them go away. It is a humbling experience to allow someone into your home, with less experience/knowledge try to counsel you, in fact it's a joke.
I hope that it ends with them thinking that your are depressed, and that they don't thow the book at you. Everyone, deserves the right to think for themselves.
All the best,
QB
Awww, I am so sorry that stupid head made you shake and cry. I feel for you. ((((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))).
I told my Elders that I was traumatized and they looked like they did not understand that word! Cold hearted people, have no feelings.
Under the circumstances, it is only normal to feel traumatized. I am so glad you have the loving arms of your husband, to comfort you.
Just Lois
