Do You Have the "I Was Just A Publisher" Mentality?

by minimus 23 Replies latest jw friends

  • minimus
    minimus

    .....and that's why I hate, dislike, can't stand, anyone that used to be an elder??? ..........After reading so many "bad elder" stories, I can understand why some might feel that they were just one of the rank-and-file and were treated poorly vs. someone like an elder that could have authority and try to intimidate those that they felt they could push around.

  • outoftheorg
    outoftheorg

    No.

    Outoftheorg

  • Francois
    Francois

    I don't know if it was because I was living with my uncle who was the congregation overseer before the elder arrangement was arranged, or if it was because I was unimpressed by elders in general, but I never had a "just a publisher" mentality.

    My uncle predicted that the elder arrangement was going to be a failure. And it has been. The men appointed as elders are no more appointed by the Holy Spirit to be elders than I am appointed to be floor monitor in a girl's dorm. These men are not qualified to be elders any way you want to slice it.

    At work these "elders" walk around some plant or other changing burned out light bulbs. After work they're supposed to be some sort of spiritual lights? My ass. They are no more fit for leadership positions than I am for birthin' babies. The elder arrangement is a total, unmitigated failure and should be abandonded. Now.

  • minimus
    minimus

    ok, Francois. I'll get on it. Now.

  • Euphemism
    Euphemism

    My father was a prominent elder. I was a ministerial servant, on the privileges fast track, and close friend with several elders. So no, I didn't look at the elders as some separate, despicable breed of people.

    Even when I was a loyal dub, however, I realized that most of them were unqualified.

  • rocketman
    rocketman

    I used to be an elder.

  • rocketman
    rocketman

    Adding to that, having been one, I got the feeling that there was something uncomfortable about it. I always just wanted to be 'one of the boys' and to just be liked, but often times, being an elder got in the way of that to some extent.

  • Scully
    Scully

    No, because I was "just a sister".

    Publisher or not, there is a limit to what women in the organization are permitted to do. Anything we DID do that was of note, we couldn't really enjoy the accomplishment other than as something we did to help the husband progress or earn Privileges™ in the congregation. Whatever we did was a reflection on our husband or father.

    I'm SOOOOO over that mentality now, by the way.

    Love, Scully

  • minimus
    minimus

    For the record, I just realized I am now a "supreme one"......Over 5000 posts in less than a year!

  • berylblue
    berylblue

    Congratulations, Mini! I hadn't noticed you around here lately and was wondering how things were.

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