Elders searching for long disassociated ones

by Gretchen956 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Gretchen956

  I have to ask this. I have heard of a couple cases in the last year where this happened, and I wonder if its happened to anyone else.

  One of my acquaintances from another list moved from Portland back to his homestate of Maine. He moved to a small town near the town where he was associated, but had not been associated for over 12 years. The elders tracked him down after all that time and said they wanted to have a committee meeting so that they could disfellowship him. He told them to take a flying leap at which point they did it without him. Message was the same old thing about keeping the org clean.

  My cousin had a similar thing happen. An elder from our old hometown congregation in Montana was looking for her. They knew her sister lived in Missoula and found her at the restaurant that her husband owns. They asked her where the sister lived and all sorts of questions about her. She told them that she would not give out that information but would let her know they were looking for her. I guess about 3 or 4 times over a 6 month period they would come in with the inquisition. So she finally called her and told her that they were hounding her.

  So my cuz calls up this one particular elder (a real butthead too) and says, hello is this _________?
  He says yes. She says, this is ____, I heard you were looking for me, what do you want? He said I want your address and phone number. She says why do you want it? He says nevermind, I just need contact information. She says no, I'm not going to give that to you. Is there anything else you need? He says, are you a part of any other religion? (she's pagan). She says no, I'm not a part of any organized religion.

  So that was the end of the conversation, but they asked her sister AGAIN afterwards and she just told them that she didn't want to see them anymore and to leave her alone.

  So, anyone else have them look you up after years and years to try to "get rid of you officially?" Just curious as to whether this was an anomoly or a trend.

  Gretchen
• 

  kgfreeperson

  Part of the "beware apostates in our midst" campaign? It does confuse me, too--I can't figure out why it is worth the time to find people just to say, you didn't quit, we threw you out--except we threw you out because you turned your back on us! Very confusing.
• 

  Elsewhere

  I think they are just trying to increase meeting attendance and field service time by tightening the thumb screws.

  Your congregation have low meeting attendance? Just hunt down all the "weak" people and kick them out of the congregation and have them shunned. This always improves moral!
• 

  Scully

  We hadn't been to meetings in almost 8 years, when the elders showed up and spoke to Mr. Scully outside our home. We didn't give them our contact information, but I have a very good idea of how they came to have it.

  They didn't call to ask how we were doing. They didn't ask whether I was still suffering from debilitating depression and suicidal thoughts. They asked if he wanted to return to meetings and still considered himself to be a JW. They asked if I considered myself to be a JW. Mr. Scully answered for himself, and responded vaguely regarding me.

  Just this past November - almost a full year later - I learned that the meeting following this encounter, an announcement was made to the congregation that Mr. Scully had "written a letter and disassociated himself." I told the people who conveyed this information to me that I had no intention of wasting my time with people who spread lies about my husband nor would I make my children associate with people who spread lies about their father. I also said that I was glad they weren't real "shepherds" because if they were the "sheep" they lost when we left would have died of neglect and starvation long before 8 years would have passed.

  Some freakin' "love" they have for their "lost sheep". The elders only seek them out to beat them over the head with Watchtowers.

  May they rot in a special place in hell that's reserved for cowards and slimeballs.

  Love, Scully
• 

  undercover

  The "official" line that I got from some elders in an old hall that I was in is this; if the "erring" one quits associating with the congregation and has little or no contact socially with the congregation, the elders will not go after them. If the "erring" one attempts to come back or socialize with the friends while still living a "sinful" life then they will try to set matters straight.

  But what I see is different at times. I hear horror stories like the ones here and then others can drop off the face of the earth and never be bothered with again. I'm guessing it depends on how Nazi like the elders are in each individual congregation or maybe the one being hunted down has embarrassed an elder someway along the way and the elder is trying to get that revenge in, even years later.
• 

  stillajwexelder

  crazy - just fu----g crazy
• 

  concerned mama

  I recall that last year before the memorial, there was an official roundup of inactive people. I don't remember if it was from an official letter to the elders, or in the Watchtower or where, but Blondie will likely know. It was sad, because some inactive people who had slipped under the radar, had been able to have some pleasant contact with families, and were announced as DA or DF, and were subsequently shunned. So sad and so cruel.
  

  I was wondering if it was going to happen again this year.
• 

  Gollum

  My understanding of it is the same as Undercover's.

  In most of the halls I've been in, if you vanished, then there was no attempt to hunt you down. I saw this in action several times. However, I suspect it tends to be the case more in urban or other transit areas. If they run across you on the street, it might serve as a reminder and they will come after you.

  And if somebody has a bug up their ass about you, then all bets are off. Remember , in their mind they can do whatever they want.
• 

  Odrade

  I agree with Gollum about bugs in asses. And I would be willing to bet most times it's not the elder who does the investigating that has the bug. He is probably being pressured and hounded by a carload of pioneers who have nothing better to do than gossip all day and get worked up about what they think they know. Then one of them, probably old, probably single and not necessarily female, will start talking with the elders about the "bad example" and the "reproach on Jehovah" until the elders feel compelled to do something.

  Squeeky wheels, ya know? and if you're not there, you're not squeeking, so what the hell does it matter if they df or da you and tear up your family. At least it gets the resident busybody off the elder's back. I suppose there are some former elders on here who can confirm or deny this theory?

  O
• 

  A Paduan

  He said I want your address and phone number. She says why do you want it? He says nevermind, I just need contact information.

  Sounds like a section from a stalking/crime story from a tv police drama.