DID AN ELDER EVER HELP YOU? (page 3)

orangefatcat

Yes twice. One said he was talking to me not as an elder but as a friend and I was touched by his sincereity because he was a real nice person. He and my father also an elder had had a major disagreement and the other elder left very unhappy yet continued to live in our territory but he and his family travelled about 20 miles to another hall. Sad.

The other one was in Montreal. A very nice brother also kind and and sincere.

I was in the organization nearly 37yrs and I have seen many elders and I can only think of just two and that is sad.

Prisca

There have been a couple of occasions when elders have helped my family and I out.

One notable one was close friends of my family. His wife took turns with my dad to sit with my mum when she was in hospital in the final days before her death. He and his wife gave us much support after Mum died, and they were like second parents to me and my sister.

This same elder was very helpful when I was having problems with my father and step-mother, particularly when I was kicked out of home.

There was another elder, a Scottish one, who had a great sense of humour, and had an "open door" policy, meaning you could come and visit them anytime you liked. They were very kind people.

It is these same ones that have the hardest time trying to exercise the love of Christ, whilst adhering to the Pharisaic rules of the WTS.

anglise

There are good and bad elders.

Unfortunately the good and kind ones are in the minority and most of them end up resigning due to the the pressure of going against the WTBTS official tide.

Soon there wont be any kind elders left just society men.

Bye the way WELCOME to the board/family CFREE

Anglise

Dismembered

I have to say that most "elders" that I have known, have helped me.

They in large part have helped me see the error of my way. It took awhile, but, they were so patient.

I can't thank them enough for the HELP they gave, (and freely I might add, not like the churches of

Christendom) and the contributions they made in HELPING ME see that the organized religious cult

known as Jehovah's Witnesses is just that. Appointed by holy spirit my ass!

Dismembered but not Dismembered

Edited by - Dismembered on 16 August 2002 10:39:13

kat7302

I think people lose sight of the fact that a lot of elders are just normal human beings who are trying to work hard for something they truly believe in. Altho their convictions may be misplaced and we may not agree with their reasons, they are really pawns to a wider picture.

That is not to take away of course from those guilty of child abuse, lying, deceipt etc.....but just that I guess some are decent good blokes. Ive known elders that I really looked up to and also elders who are hypocritical and self absorbed, worse in some cases. Isnt that true of everything tho? Couldnt we apply this question to C/O's, P/O's, Pioneers, Bethelites, Studies etc etc........this is the case right across the board and in life as a general rule. There will always be good and bad.

NeonMadman

I can think of some elders who were nice guys and, I thought, genuinely tried to help out with problems. But they would turn on you in a heartbeat at the slightest hint of disloyalty to the Watchtower (i.e., asking too many of the wrong kind of questions).

And, no, in retrospect, I can't think of a single problem in 30 years in the borg that ever got better because the elders got involved. I can think of many that they made a lot worse.

Lady Lee

Well I thought I knew a couple of nice ones. One I still think was nice. The other grew horns and a tail

ANSWER = NO

saltiest

Yes, there were a couple elders that really helped me. It was frustrating, growing up with my dad and his temper (found out later he was bipolar like myself), because all most of the elders did was suggest to my dad to pray more, to have a better relationship with Jehovah, blah blah, when in reality, he just needed a few more pushes towards getting some help. He had his issues, yes, but I feel most of the elders just pushed him a way and made it worse.

Anyhow, I had little trust for elders in general because of that, but there were a few that actually earned respect from me. I genuinely looked forward to talking to them at the meetings (not the meetings themselves, though, lol) and hearing what they had to say to me personally. There was one I had great respect for but he lost it after the way he treated me at a meeting ("counseling" me on my rapes) I've mentioned before.

The two that really stand out in my mind were Br. Hagbloom (sp?) who has died. He was the sweetest old man, and even one of the elders who went over the questions with me, and he was like the grandfather I never had. I really did miss him when he was gone. The other is Br. Wright (sorry, don't know your screename). When my sister told me him and his family were "out", I was so very happy. Our family attended book studies at his home for a few years and he was the most encouraging and understanding elder I've ever encountered. Even when he was counseling he was never condescending and there was always a little joke in there somewhere.

I am glad I'm able to say I had some good experiences with elders, though I have to say the negatives ones are what helped me escape. So in their own way, those experiences were beneficial as well.

Alicia

DID AN ELDER EVER HELP YOU?

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