Just bringing this to the top.
This deserves to be read!
DECEPTIVE JW ELDERS - CASE#3
by Amazing 16 Replies latest jw friends
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TMS
Just a quick observation about the file being kept to determine a "pattern of conduct". Since "practising sin" is a key component of non-repentence, it becomes important to establish repetition of the wrong. One slick, heartless elder I was acquainted with liked to skillfully link unrelated incidences over a period of time into a more generalized category. Bingo! A practice!
Thus, a youth caught in petty vandalism one year, a year of two later over-drinking at a party, which he tried to cover up("collusion"), now becomes guilty of "practicing" the broader sin of "loose conduct". So, in effect, two unwise actions become three instances, when the individual sins are isolated, which are now linked semantically into a broader category for judicial purposes.
TMS
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Amazing
Hi TMS: You make an outstanding point!!! I have known Elders who have done exactly what you say. They link acts together to get to a pattern in an overall category. I knew an Elder, who, when a JW received JC discipline, would also engage in 'ex-post-facto' prognosis to show how the person receiving discipline what also doing many things wrong, even how they drove their car, and therefore, were losing Jehovah's spirit. He used such prognosis when determining whether to restore privileges. Thanks for making an excellent and important point. - As always - Simply Amazing
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Tina
Thank you Amazing! Your justice series is invaluable! with much appreciation,Tina
Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny...."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense,you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."
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LoneWolf
Hello, Amazing ---
I appreciated your comments. Except for minor details, Br. A's experience is almost identical with mine.
LoneWolf
Alias: Tom Howell -
waiting
hey Amazing,
I agree, most jw's wouldn't be surprised - even at 1/3 of the congregation - having notes (or a complete file) on cong. members. Many jw's are paranoid anyway, and this would play into the scheme.
However, in our area, there's a tremendous amout of "verbal notes" given on a person. Given to me recently is an example given by a disgruntled elder (usually a good source for learning elders' secret "ways"): when a sister/brother writes the WTBTS dutifully with their unsolved question or problem, the letter is usually copied to the CO for his next visit to the cong. The letter can also be copied to the PO of the cong. - both copies unknown to the writer of the original letter.
When the CO meets with the local elders about this letter writer for recommendations on how to approach the person, the elders (the disgruntled elder's cong) would forwarn the CO about the "poor sister with past mental problems." "the unfortunate brother who is materialistic." "the sister had a bad childhood, and can't seem to get past that." "the brother has always been weak - look at his field service hours." "the sister is not known to be submissive. Even other, concerned, sisters have commented on this."
So, before the CO ever meets the letter writer who may have valid concerns, he's given the lowdown on them. Now if the letter writer had valid concerns about the elders - the elders have had time to know them from reading their letter, and also refute the accusations, and last but not least, "color" the personality, history, spiritual and personal integrity of the writer.
So the CO knocks at the letter writer's door with preconceived ideas on the person - and the writer in totally unaware of how bad he already looks to the CO.
The cards are stacked very nastily against the writer.
waiting
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MissFit
Resurrecting. ..
Recent former or active elders: has there been any updating of the procedures Amazing detailed? Or are the elders following the same basic procedures 13 years later?
Ps if anyone can put links to his justice series on a thread that would be great. I think this is an important series to revisit.