Respect Your Elders!

by comforter 78 Replies latest jw friends

  • comforter
    comforter

    Ex-jws in this place often berate the gerontological state of the governing body. The speak abusively about the oold men in Brooklyn. Why the antipathos against the men in Brooklyn? Why focus on the old age of the governing body and how hard it is for them to swallow food when criticizing them? Can you not separate the advanced age of the body from your criticisms of their doctrinal stance?

    Most cultures throughout human history have encouraged the young to show the utmost respect for their elders. The ageism that is manifested in this place is disgusting to comforter. You people contemplate what I am saying and mend your ways. You may criticize jw beliefs and practices. But you have no right to be anti-gerontological in ya orientation.

  • Bang
    Bang

    Here's something more to their age.

    ..he transmits to his anointed ones the necessary information, and if the instructions sent out are wrong, then the responsibility is to the Lord and not to the local service committee. WT May 15, 1937 page 153, paragraph 31

    So how can someone be asked to respect that. It's as blasphemous as anything that could be found on the face of the earth (and below).

    Most cultures do include respect for elders, but their elders' authority commands the respect.
    The wtbts society elders' authority cries out for a certain investigation.

    Bang

  • comforter
    comforter

    ???i]..he transmits to his anointed ones the necessary information, and if the instructions sent out are wrong, then the responsibility is to the Lord and not to the local service committee. WT May 15, 1937 page 153, paragraph 31[/i]

    So how can someone be asked to respect that. It's as blasphemous as anything that could be found on the face of the earth (and below).???

    I would have to read that statement in its full context to avoid imputing wrong movtives to the governing body. But even if what you say is true, how does it follow that critics in this place should harp on the old age and digestion problems of the governing body. Gerontracies are ancient human institutions. Why harp on the fact that the governing body is old?

  • Naeblis
    Naeblis

    Ithink that as soon as you hit 70, you should be melted down and fed to squirrels.

  • hillary_step
    hillary_step

    I heard a practicing JW in her seventies refer to the GB recently as a 'repulsive bunch of old men'.

    Perhaps what she should have said in order not to upset your sensitivities is that they are a 'repulsive bunch of men'.

    Being the wrong side of fifty makes me somewhat sympathetic to your cause…lol It also has to be taken into account that eighty year old men, many institutionalized in Brooklyn since their teenage years, are making suspect life and death decisions for their adherents, a very worrying scenario which perhaps focuses the mind somewhat.

    Anyway, some younger blood has been injected into the GB in recent times, the problem is that theologically speaking they were all transfused with rhesus Jaracz.

    Now I have answered your question, will you answer mine? Are you posting to this board under another name?

    HS

  • Bang
    Bang

    Comforter,
    It would be an interesting exercise to find any context where that statement wouldn't be damning.

    The harp is not simply about their physical age - it includes the 'divine knowledge' that's part of the music.

    Bang

  • comforter
    comforter

    ???Ithink that as soon as you hit 70, you should be melted down and fed to squirrels.???

    "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD."

    Lveiticus 19:31

  • Bang
    Bang

    There you go with that dub-I'll-apply-scripture-to-the-flesh thing again.

    Bang

    And that's 19:32 not 31

  • Naeblis
    Naeblis

    Matthew 15:1-3

    "And in case a cry should go out from the squirrels saying, "Where shall we find the foodstuffs to eat?? Or. Our stomachs are empty with the pangs of hunger, and is there no food from God??" then this is what the sons of Israel shall do. Gather from yourselves the men of age and the women of the sagging breasts and bring them to the fire. 70 cycles of the calendar shall they see, and then to the flames, for are the squirrels not hungry? And do the squirrels not feel the growlings of the empty stomach?"

  • comforter
    comforter

    ???Being the wrong side of fifty makes me somewhat sympathetic to your cause…lol It also has to be taken into account that eighty year old men, many institutionalized in Brooklyn since their teenage years, are making suspect life and death decisions for their adherents, a very worrying scenario which perhaps focuses the mind somewhat.???

    I think that different issues are being conflated. Just because elderly men have spent their entire lives in Bethel and may have not been exposed to living in the world gives no one the reason to disrespect these men on the basis of their age. One does not have to conflate old age with the other issues.

    I have issues with the pope. He is an elderly gentleman that makes vital decisions for the catholic church. I disagree with the pope and think he is wrong in a lot of theological areas but I respect him as an old person and fellow human. You will not hear me make comments about the pope's inability to chew his own food and such nonsense. Cannot some ex-jw show the same modicum of respect?

    ???Now I have answered your question, will you answer mine? Are you posting to this board under another name???

    No I am not posting under another name.

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