Elders - Law Enforcers or Loving

by Jim Dee 101 Replies latest jw friends

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  acsot

  In your congregation - How many depressed, mentally ill, suicidal people do the elders visit to try and offer practical help - answer? The majority cannot be bothered - but they will chase you up if your report is late

  That is not only true, but I doubt they even stop to think about whether a report could be legitimate, as long as they receive some numbers next to a person's name. A dead person could "report" and the elders would probably accept it.

  The reason I say this is because my poor ol' mum has had two strokes and a heart attack in the past 8 months. I've been caring for her, and because she's been a "faithful witness" for over 40 years, I wasn't about to let her good record be interrupted (only because it would be important to her, I don't want her feeling like a failure to Jehovah at this point in her life), so I phone in fake reports to the service overseer (mine are fake also, have been for over a year - I am working hard at screwing up their total annual report).

  The thing is, if the elders had any type of brain cells working or compassion about the elderly, they'd wonder how on earth she could manage to get time in, since her speech has been affected by the stroke. Carrying on a conversation, going from Point A to Point B is almost impossible for her, I can understand her but she wouldn't be able to "witness" coherently to anyone. Naturally, the only thing that matters is her service report. But as long as they receive those numbers, they are not about to waste time and effort figuring out how it's even possible for her to do so.

  And no, she has received no shepherding calls - one elder dropped by once as he was passing our house, and that's it. I'm actually glad to see their indifference, it certainly has helped me in my decision to leave the borg, and my mother is kept busy with a Seniors' Centre and nursing help at the house, so she doesn't miss "association" with the JWs.
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  Mr. Kim

  Jim Dee,

  Most (not all) elders have misused and abused their authority. Your post is "right on."
• 

  Badger

  If I have problems or doubts in the congregation, I rarely go to an elder, but instead to a former one. These "Elder Emeriti" usually have seen so many things and tried to blend compassion with counsel that they burn out and step down. One I befreinded kept me from going completely off the deep end and quitting everything during my divorce while the active elders fiddled. I told him my doubts, fears, desires and he never once reported me, acted shocked or shouted me down, even if he did disagree with me.

  Plus, the tone of the elder body can also be penned on the staunchness of the hardliners in a congregation. These are usually the ones who carp to the CO about a progressive and good-hearted shepherd ("or "overly permissive," in thier words). The bottom does influence the top, folks.
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  Room 215

  Badger..... you're observation about the value of compassionate former elders driven out of their positions by burn-out or political machinations is dead-on accurate. Often, they're the most accessible and level-headed resource available to the dubs.

  The only thing the Society-loving goon elders -- unfortunately ascendant these days -- excel at is making a bad situation worse.
• 

  SanFranciscoJim

  In your congregation - How many depressed, mentally ill, suicidal people do the elders visit to try and offer practical help - answer? The majority cannot be bothered - but they will chase you up if your report is late.

  Let me tell you about a personal experience I had in the mid-1970s. I was self-employed (so I could pioneer) and was starting to have financial problems. I was growing depressed and nervous that my business would not be able to sustain me. Eventually, I suffered a nervous breakdown while driving home from an especially difficult client. I was taken away in an ambulance, hospitalized, and later released with a prescription of valium.

  The Saturday morning after I was released, my doorbell rang. It was two elders. "A shepherding call - how nice!" I thought to myself as I opened the door and saw the two elders standing there. I invited them inside. This is how the conversation went:

  Elder: "We miss you out in field service."

  Me: "I'll be back once I'm feeling better."

  Elder: "What happened to you exactly?"

  Me: "I suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized."

  Elder: "Have you been prescribed any medication?"

  Me: "Yes."

  Elder: "What medication are you taking?"

  Me: "Valium."

  Elder: "Hmmmm.....We're going to have to put this in your permanent record. You know, you will no longer qualify for Bethel service. Bethel does not accept anyone who has ever taken medication for mental illness."

  The elders got up out of their chairs, told me that they expected to see me back at the Kingdom Hall very soon, and that I would need to put in additional field service to get my hours back up to "where they should be".

  During the entire conversation (which lasted all of 5 minutes), not once did either elder express concern for my well being, nor did they ask how I was feeling. They were there as a tribunal to enforce Watchtower Law, and to witchhunt more dirt to put on my permanent record.

  Bastards!
• 

  stillajwexelder

  They are Law Enforcers, judges and better magazine and book sellers than the average JW
• 

  Jim Dee

  Body of Elders commitees are always as follows

  1. Lesser sin (Smoking, Confession (please forgive, Snogging and groping etc). 2 Younger Elders and 1 hardline (always the head of the committee)

  2. Fornication, adultary - 2 hardline elders and one younger elder

  3. Elders children, elders adultry, major cases, apostasy -then you get the 3 hardline elders whose mission is to "keep the congregation clean"

  NB These 3 elders will be the ones on circuit/district assemblies - thats how you progress as an elder, be hardline on judicial matters

  Jim
• 

  hillary_step

  Jim,

  I have to say that I found your opening post a little south of extreme.

  I have known, and continue to know many who are elders and who are decent, kind and very loving people and display this in the way that they deal with others. I have been in congregations where the body of elders to a person are throughly likeable and caring people. Of course I have known many that are tyrannical, brutal, arrogant and uncaring but I suspect that had these persons not been Jehovah's Witnesses they would very likely have been the same kind of people.

  I honestly think that these threads are not terribly helpful as they concentrate on people and personality rather than doctrine. One would need to ask themselves, if these elders that you allude to became loving, caring and gentle, as some might in time, would it make the body of teachings of the WTS correct? Of course, it would not.

  Best regards - HS
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  stillajwexelder

  honestly think that these threads are not terribly helpful as they concentrate on people and personality rather than doctrine. One would need to ask themselves, if these elders that you allude to became loving, caring and gentle, as some might in time, would it make the body of teachings of the WTS correct? Of course, it would not. NO TRUE -- but it would show that they are whatt they claim to be -- Gods loving organization --1 John 4vs 8 - it would show they practice what they preach -- so loving elders/CO/DO/Branch/GB is a good step in the right direction
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  blondie

  The scary thing are the "good" elders who commisserate with you privately, one on one, about how unkind Brother Steamroller is but then when Brother Steamroller rolls over you in front of Brother Good Elder, BGE stands there and says nothing.