I am not trying to be sly or trick you. These questions are the ones that I would love to ask the elders that occasionally come to visit me. Ones that I wanted to ask years ago when I was a Witness. I have not asked them, because I don't want to be disfellowshipped-it would make my elderly mother's life much more difficult.
First background-when I was a Witness, there were obvious problems with the judicial procedures and the way the elders handled many things in the congregation. Many publishers were concerned and unhappy. Those that went to the elders were "marked". They weren't called on at meetings, people "forgot" to invite them to social events in the congregation. Some were put on "reproof". There were some disfellowshippings.
We received many, many talks about "respecting Jehovah's organization", "not questioning Jehovah's governing arrangements", how elders are anointed through the influence of the Holy Spirit, how the elders answer to the Society and the Society answers to Jehovah. These were slipped into almost every meeting. I especially remember talks about Miriam and how she was struck with leprosy by Jehovah for speaking against Moses. The allegory was that Moses represented the Society and anointed elders and Miriam represented those who were questioning the elders.
This went on for several years. Eventually, as I became an adult, I drifted quietly away.
My Mom, who is still a very active publisher in the same congregation tells me that things are better now. At least one of those elders was removed from service. One went to another congregation. A couple died. My Mom has discussed the situation of that time with the elders who are serving now and she has discussed it with the Circuit Overseer. She tells me that the elders are human and imperfect. She tells me that Jehovah has handled the situation. She tells me that Jehovah was allowing Satan to test the congregation.
Here are my questions. How can the elders claim things both ways? How can they be appointed by Jehovah and therefore must be followed without question, yet also be human and therefore prone to mistakes? Did the Holy Spirit allow men who were not qualified to be anointed as elders? If Satan was testing the congregation, was he allowed to influence the anointing of unqualified men as elders? What about those who were disfellowshipped for questioning mistakes being made through the human imperfections of these elders? Weren't they right, after all? Who caused these disfellowshippings, Satan or Jehovah's Spirit? If Satan is allowed to use Jehovah's organization to "test" His people, how do we know that any article, appointment, prophecy, or arrangement is by Holy Spirit and not actually influenced by Satan? If Satan can use Jehovah's organization, is it truly Jehovah's organization? Or Satan's (at least sometimes?)
I am not being facetious or sarcastic. These are the questions that I had as a teen and continue to have. They are the ones that caused me to leave an organization that I couldn't trust. I would sincerely appreciate a reasoned response.