Most of you will remember that I'm not a Witness and never have been. I've attended many meetings and conventions usually with my mom (I miss her terribly) while she was adding to her research notes. I have relatives who are Witnesses, including some who are elders.
Okay, got that? right. So of those, only one was ever disfellowshipped. He was an abusive drunk who went through two wives, tried to beat one of his sons and ran a fraud through his company. He turned to drug use. Eventually he was fired, blew through about four million dollars and put a bullet in his brain. I understand shunning someone like this. Or someone like Lloyd-Boy. Sunning is scriptural whether we wish it weren't or not. As practiced by Witnesses it has elements that do not seem scriptural to me. The latest change remedies most of those.
Attending meetings has left me with the impression that there is a noticeable lack of love and some have seemed positively unwelcoming. Last memorial I attended with my oldest sisters, both Witnesses. I found a seat and remained in it. None of the elders greeted me, even though I was an obvious stranger. In fact no one spoke to me but one elderly 'sister' who knew my mother and read her books. This is not as it should be.
I should amend the last paragraph. One 'brother' who used to be an elder spoke to me at length after the meeting. When he was an elder he tried to interfere with my mother's teaching, contacting the principal to have a book banned from mom's class. He's a creep, elder or not. The principal reminded him the class was an elective and he simply did not have to enroll his son in it. He makes my skin crawl, but he at least spoke to me.
I read as many of the Watchtower's internal documents as I can. As I see it their education system is poor. [My qualifications to express this opinion? Come June I'll have my MA with a double major; education and history.]
The problem with Witness education is that meant for elders is procedural and not scriptural. Where is the intensive chapter by chapter consideration of the Bible? They rely on the curiosity of appointed men, not on an education system that requires them to focus on scripture. The Governing Body and their assistants are allowed intensive Bible study. Mary Witness is not. She is confined to Watchtower publications. That's fine. They contain their doctrines and understandings. But that's nothing like an intensive study. I asked one of their long-serving elders a question about something in the Book of Hebrews. His answer, "I don't remember ever reading that scripture."
How can Watchtower clergy counsel, act in scriptural ways, teach, without having been thoroughly taught themselves? Because their education system fails in this way, one sees elders adapting Governing Body guidance to fit their own, often faulty, understanding of Scripture. Why is this?
The new guidance is a step toward scriptural responsibility. Its a good one. Not quite far enough, but good.
There are many things I like about Watchtower theology. Some I do not like. The Faithful Slave concept twists those verses to give stature to the Governing Body. Of course others also twist scripture: Trinitarians, Hell-fire believers, Catholics whose church is a remake of ancient religions layered over with Christian terms. Any who rely of patristics instead of the Bible alone.
I watch a few of the anti-Witness videos and come away with the same feeling. They turn insignificant elders' letters into a mountain. They're smarmy. And some who try to refute the NWT ignore current scholarship to do so. So both sides are 'black' here. A clergyman's videos I sometimes watch are continuing exposures of other clergy's behaviors. But his own beliefs seem extra-Biblical.
In the face of this, I can tolerate some Watchtower practices.
On this discussion board I find those who practice ad hominem: "Wash towel" "Jehoober". Please! You hate the Watchtower. Fine. You show yourself as incapable of anything but school-yard insult. No one needs a reason to leave the Witness organization. A simple, "I don't like this and do not want to follow this path" is enough.
Sorry for the long rant. I'm not done by any means. But this is enough.
Annie [AKA Anastasia Marie] and NOT "Hey Dude"
