FOR LURKING JW ELDERS- REVISED LIST (page 2)

Had Enough

Hello jst2laws:

I've never been an elder, "being only a woman" but I just want to say I'm so glad to see you pursuing this list. It shows to me, and I hope to other of the r&f, that those "in the know" who are privy to much more inside info than we are, have left the organization for noble reasons....not just to "go wild and live loose" as the borg would have everyone believe. And I hope, as you do, that more questioning and lurking elders will see that there are many more who feel the same way as they do. Thank you jst2laws.

Hello Amazing:

You said a powerful lot with this statement:

....there are two distinct religions ... the one on paper for public consumption, and the JW religion that can only be known in private, directed by oral instruction ... and a religion that is wholly outside the scope of anything I would call Christian.

In the past year, I have had many conversations with my non-jw husband about my reasons and feelings about leaving the WTS. He has a difficult time understanding my strong emotions about leaving. Just recently, I was finally able to put into words to him and to myself, just that very statement of yours that I highlighted.

Before, whenever I talked to him about beliefs etc., I was so very guarded in what I said so that I would give the "right" impressions of "how wonderful our religion is and how much better it is because it's the truth", and how I would leave out details that smacked of arrogance and fanaticism. I now realize (and can finally put it in words) just how much I had to do that so that he would see the picture of the "good religion" and therefore be interested in joining too. I was afraid to be honest with him (and I guess myself too) about things that seemed so unfair and unloving.

I have now been able to show him examples of how the WTS uses coersion and innuendo to keep followers in line. You know the drill, right?

So my point is that, if those of us of the general rank & file can see the hypocrisy, how much more so can you elders see it. You were and some still are, the ones privy to the closed-door discussions and have proof of the private religion and the public one.

And a sincere thanks to all of you who have shared with us so many details of these "goings-on". They have cemented my conviction that I have done the right thing in choosing to leave that which was my whole life, my foundation, my security.

I now am on a new path of discovery and want to say thanks to so many ex-elders, either having physically left the WTS or those who choose to remain for their families' sake but have left in their hearts. All these ones have so kindly shared their 'elder' experiences with us and given us an insight as to the inner workings of the WTS...details so many of us r&f would never have known.

You ex-elders, together with so many ex-ms's and the ex-general r&f pubs, all who share their experiences, feelings, and knowledge...all together I hope, can feel proud of your contributions to this site.

Thank you all,

Had Enough

roybatty

Field Service hours, Meeting attendance, work on remodeling the K-Hall, Upcoming Assemblies, CO visits, and Judicial matters, etc. all seem to take front stage, while concern for the individual JWs was and continues to be in the background.

Hey Amazing: Yup, it was troubling to see how the personal needs of the congregation were pushed in the background. What I find most disturbing is that the other elders I served with were genuinely nice guys who were concerned with the members of the congregation but were boogied down with what the Society considered important. We would try and get together one evening a month to make shepherding calls but even this was with the purpose of getting people to the meetings or out in service more. I shudder to think how other congregations with "I-could-give-a-rats-ass" elders faired.

You are 100% correct about there being two different religions within the JW organization. Ive always thought to myself if the average JW truly knew how things ran, many more would leave.

NewYork44M

I was an elder for 3+ years in the mid 90s. My e-mail is included in my profile.

ThiChi

I regret to report that I was an Elder too. Sorry!

Englishman

We weren't called elders when I was a dub, we were called "servants".

I was in charge of accounts and also Magazine / territory.

In 18 years, out 30 years.

Englishman.

jst2laws

OutaService, DocBob, Salud, D.Wiltshire, Mackin, ThiChi, NewYork44M

You have been added.

I copied this from the other post which hope will go away. One is enough

So the women will know how I feel here is a comment to the ladies.

(((repost)))

Beck, blondie, and pomegranate,

I'm am truly sorry for appearing to once again ignore the wives of elders.

You ARE a unique group and I think you SHOULD start a seperate thread. I can't remember seeing a thread about waiting in the KH parking lot for your husbands in unscheduled elders meetings, or playing games with confidential material laying around the house or the sence of being of little importance in your husband's life because he had important responsibilities.

The purpose of this thread is to reach a unique group. I suspect you too could relate to a unique group of lurkers. Go for it.

Please consider though, for a sister to take the lead in a matter of this nature I believe it would be appropriate to wear a head covering.

Jst2laws

Don Smith

I think a more appropriate ? is after one sees first hand the how the elder body handles problems in dealing with the brothers and sisters who stumble as we all do , the elder WT policy book ,although quoting many bible versus the underlying message is to keep the cong. clean and after 40years , holding all positions in diff. Cong. in Canada i became so disgusted with the way they treated a younger sister whom i had studied with and the committee wanted to make an example her for the others although i felt she was truly repentant. No mercy.

My mother pioneered for many years and brought 20 familys into the Org. and asked me to study with the 2 children of 1 the familys . And when i began to see the hard heartedness i began to ? if i should stay, but as time went on it got worse .I saw those jockeyiny for positions so they could lord it over the sheep ,like it was an ego trip and it got so bad they would start devouring one another to claw their way to the top.

The WT began a campaingn where they said elders have to exercise control over their children ,short skirts girls ,long hair boys and removed many elders . This happened to a fine bro and i felt it unfair and expressed my opinion The elder body accused me of speaking against the elder arrangement and asked me to step down and when i refused they said they would then remove me ,which Ironically they lost so many elders because of the short skirt long hair policy the WT recognized faulty policy and elder body wanted to meet with me reinstated and i declined

I bided my time untili got all my immediate out of the wt and dont have a single regret in leaving the WT Org Jesus said by their fruits you will know them and thats the underlying reason why i left

Hopes this is of some help and most elders i talk to feel the same way Don Smith

Pork Chop

You can add me to the list.

Winston Smith :>D

Wow, nice resuscitation Don!

Mulan

What makes elders leave the organization?

Since Dave (bigred) is asleep in front of the TV I will answer this for him.

He was the TM School overseer for 15 years, and then the WT overseer for 10. He was a diligent student of the Bible and very carefully prepared for those meetings. He began to see many things that didn't add up. A close friend, another elder, would come over occasionally and they would go into his office for hours talking about their concerns for "the truth". Unbeknownst to me, they were reading Ray Franz' books and many other things considered to be apostate. He shared many things with me and almost ruined our marriage, until it all started to slip into slots for me. In 1995 we began to plan our slow fade, and it worked.

He also said he had to deal with many very rigid, cold hearted, CO's, and DO's. He did temporary construction at Bethel several times and was very upset by the things he saw there, and always came home discouraged and depressed. I was mystified. I thought it would be an amazing, upbuilding experience. But he said it was all political and definitely a power situation, not spiritual in any sense of the word.

I guess you have to be brave enough to "go there" and ask the questions, instead of putting it on the shelf.

FOR LURKING JW ELDERS- REVISED LIST

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