Do Jehovah's Witnesses keep records on people?

by inquirer 47 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  geevee

  lifesagarden...

  When you move a letter of introduction is sent to your new body of elders. In that letter, the old body [usually the secretary] composes some thoughts that may be "helpful" to the new body. Perhaps some of your weaknesses, or problems they "had" to deal with in relation to you. These may or may not have been on the congregation file. Depends if you were reproved by a JC or if the individual elder was eldering on behalf of the body of elders and made an official report. Passes the dirt around and reminds you to keep your place, cause BIG Brother[s] are watching you.

  As far as keeping an eye on dead DFed people, yes. We had one die. His DF form had to be sent back to Bethel notifying them he had died, according to some authors, these are then kept of file still....perhaps in the ressurection they will have to answer for their sins... What I loved about this guy was when the JC went to call on him he was at home. He continued to cut his toe nails while they tried to talk to him...he didnt have a chance. They must have been infuriated at him! Didnt he recognize that these men were God incognito?
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  IT Support

  Hi,

  You may also be interested in the following recent topics:

  • Help from former elders/those in the know of inner workings requested.
  • To what extent do the elders keep information on us?

  Regards.
• 

  Miss_MG

  Welcome Inquirer and welcome to reality you will be well informed here
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  Raphael

  Absolutely true...they love their records...

  Many years ago, back in a local congregation in South Africa, I was befriended by an elders son...he openly admitted to me that when dad was away , he would secretly break into the cabinet where the files were kept and read up on various committee cases...he would give us all the gossip, who had been commtting fornication and adultery , who had had been privately reproved...also a case of incest, a ministerial servant had made his 16 year old step daughter pregnant and he was also caught having sexual relations with his own daughter who at the time was probably around 11 ..WE WERE LATER TOLD HE HAD MADE HIS OWN SISTER PREGNANT years earlier , they had ,had 5 children together...this man had been raised as a Witness!!

  Of course when it had come to light that my buddy had been breaking into the cabinet..he was reprimanded, but as dad was an elder he got off lightly...if it had been any body else , I'm convinced it would have been a severe reproofing.

  I would therefore advise any who plan on confessing some grave sin to the elders to think twice...it's likely to come back and bite you on the ass...when u least expect it.
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  Dansk

  I was asked to meet with three elders (the service committee) who said they wanted to discuss why I hadn't been appointed an elder at the last COs visit. I was told that because I'd had an argument with an elder (who, it must be said, apologised to me because he was in the wrong) this had gone against me. Now, this is all very interesting - because the altercation was TEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY!!

  I sat there gobsmacked and quoted 1 Cor:13:5 "Love...does not keep account of the injury." Their faces were a picture - they couldn't argue against scripture and knew I had them. So, they then said I'd also had a more recent argument with a brother - which was completely untrue. No such event ever happened!

  So, YES, records are kept and if the elders feel you're a possible threat to their comfy life and positions they'll use anything they can dig up against you.
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  POs Son

  I recall when my father was PO (hence the screen name), he had a file under lock and key with all the secret stuff in it. He also had some floppy disks in the file. He hid a key somewere in the house, and had a note in a sealed envelope describing the location of the key, just incase he died and the records had to be transferred to another elder. We never snuck in to look at the records. (I was a good boy then!)

  Also, when he went out a-sheparding or counciling (beating the sheep into submission), he would leave a phone number in an envelope on his desk in case we needed to call him in an emergency. It was always a secret who he was seeing. We also had no answering machine (to prevent accidental recorded confessions at the elder's house) and 50% or more of our incoming phone calls were "Is Brother So-n-So avialable." If he was not home, we were not supposed to try and take a message, but tell them to call again.

  Regarding records on file - - yeah, they keep notes on everything. But every religion does. Frankly, while counting hours in service is silly, the publisher card and appointment letters and such are 'good' files to keep. Every church I know of keeps records of who was ordained when, who was baptized when, and who is a deacon/elder/servant etc. The truth is, I keep better records of my customers in my office than most congregations keep on the sheeps. Bu then again, I never shunned a customer for his choice in R-rated movies!

  The Son
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  upside/down

  This thread really gets me PISSED OFF!

  I always suspected they kept "records", but didn't know how this really worked. I resent having a "file" on me and my family with large "black marks", written in permanent ink. This is WRONG.

  I'm tempted to go to the hall and steal that damn file cabinet and burn it! Is there any way to get at or destroy such files?

  u/d
  
  
  
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  Raphael

  Actually , I was told the details on the files are very graphic ...if for example it's a case dealing with fornication...they make a note of what positions the act was in, how many orgasms...was it one or were they multiple...how long the act took place...

  I suppose they try and determine the extent to which the couple enjoyed themselves...so I'm guessing some of these file read like an xxx - rated bodice ripper ...
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  upside/down

  I'm sensing a "voyeuristic" trend here. I'll bet these guys all have the "good" cable channels. hehehe

  u/d
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  codeblue

  Welcome Inquirer

  Well by now you certainly do know that the JW's keep an extensive record of your field service and your "sins".

  I find it very interesting when they don't apply this scripture about record keeping:

  1 Corinthians 13: 4, 5 (shortened): "love.....(5) does not keep account of the injury".

  As a person raised as a JW and lived it for 36 years, it simply amazes me that they would keep account of our "sins". When the scriptures tell us not to.

  A person's slate can never be wiped "clean". It is used as a control method.

  Just another sign of a "cult".

  CodeBlue