My point, Mini, was that the wives had access to your information for personal reasons, not congregational, but publishers did not have the same access.
unlisted phone number
by zev 16 Replies latest jw friends
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zev
good points all.
when your "in" the brotherhood, you should have "nothing to hide" and that includes your phone number. yet if you ask, "we only have your number on a list that the elders have, " yet that information is freely available for anyone in the elders or serpants home to use, as has been shown by the fact that invitations are sent to your home address.
i know because it happened to me. that information was freely available in my home by the 2 serpants living there with me.
all one had to do was call an elder or serpant and say you were looking for so and so's number. poof, you got it.
i did find a way to "deal with" always beinjg assigned to mikes and attendents lists. stop going in service, stop commenting at meetings and tear up the list when it was handed to me. that stopped my name from being put on "lists" permenently.
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Prisca
Simplesally,
You mean to say no one in your congregation knew of your whereabouts? No one ever visited you?
In all the congregations I've been in, it was common knowledge where everyone lived and what their phone numbers were. Why be so secretative about your contact details? If you had nothing to hide, that is.
Zev,
When you gave your number to the PO or whoever it was that put your number on that list, did you specifically state that you had a private phone number, and you didn't wish for it to be given out? If you didn't, then you can't blame whoever it was that put your phone number on the list.
Again, why the secrecy?
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ozziepost
Here in Oz it's actually illegal (Privacy Act) to distribute such a list without first obtaining the express permission of those owning the info i.e. the phone number. I believe in the UK it's covered by the Data Protection Act.
Ozzie
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blondie
I found that some JWs have unlisted numbers because they are always one step ahead of the bill collector.
Some people have abusive family members who use the phone as a weapon.
Some people have jobs that put them in contact with unstable people, law enforcement, court, social workers.
Blondie
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NeonMadman
Neon, the elders should have at least pulled you into a private room just before the meeting and asked you if you wanted the appointment. Just a formality, but I have seen brothers turn down elder/MS appointments. Maybe they were afraid you would turn it down.
No, I don't think that was a concern, as I very much wanted the appointment at those times. But it still would have been nice to know in advance in case I did have any problems with it. Both these occasions were back in the 1970's; I think there was much more of a presumption then than there is now that every brother was dying to have a position in the congregation. Also, my impression is that the congregations were closer knit back then, and that the elders actually had a better sense of whether the person wanted the position or not.
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blondie
Neon, the procedure now is to take them to a private room at the KH before the school and ask them if there is any reason why they cannot accept the appointment. I know of 2 brothers who turned down the appointment to elder at least once before they finally accepted it. One brother was sorry he had and eventually stepped down 3 years later. I guess that is why they ask now, brothers have refused it after it was announced...embarrassing, eh? The CO was upset during his last visit that so many brothers were not reaching out. I guess they dont' want the hassle.
Blondie