freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  22

  C.O.'s: Why Are Elders Such Cowards?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the stories never stop.

  abusive, egotistical, demanding, ungrateful and arrogant circuit overseers all over the place and "men" -the elders - take it.. i have seen a number of these itinerant predators offend entire congregations with their behavior and i can count the incidents where elders actually showed some b@lls and stood up to them on one hand.

  why are elders such cowards?

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  freddo

  If you believe jw doctrine and "being appointed by holy spirit" of the CO and yourself - and I suppose most elders sat in a meeting with a CO do - then that puts the brakes on them speaking out. If a CO rides roughshod over a body of elders in those circumstances then anyone speaking out will be quickly crushed by the CO's "authority" and the elders compliance with "Jehovah's arrangement".

  If you don't beleive all the above rubbish and you're still on the body then Jeff T's "middle manager" scenario in his post above is absolutely spot on. I know this from being in exactly that position. When I resigned as an elder in around 2004 it was due to a strong difference of opinion with the CO and the other elders simply did a lot of handwringing and basically said they would keep their heads down for a couple of years and wait for the CO to "move on." When he left they actually asked me to go back on the body but I was free and clear and still well thought of in the congregation so declined.

  Back then I still beleived (gullible fool that I was) enough that if the Holy Spirit was really involved then that CO would be removed at the end of his three year slot (which was due up in 2006) because his behaviour - arrogance, going overtime bigtime, shouting on the platform - was being whispered about in all the congregations in our circuit and being brought up with the DO and the branch. But no ... He went on to another circuit and did exactly the same and has just been sent to another one where he is up to his old tricks again. (Ecclesiastes 8 v 11 )

  So for me, standing up to the CO was the best thing I ever did - I resigned from being an elder on the service committee and had no more group to look after or regional build responsibilities - and just sat back. But if anyone wants action taken against a CO they'd better have big gun back up and a cast iron case of almost judicial proportions.
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  51

  help me please

  by recovering in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom just called (she is an active jehovah's witness) she basically has very little to do with me.

  however she want's to come and visit me and my wife on christmas day .

  she lives in another state and wants spend the night.

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  freddo

  Have her over and let her stay overnight at your house but you and your wife go to your grown childrens' house for dinner as you planned and your mother can stay at yours and watch the TV!
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  39

  Will the 10th planet cause an "Armageddon"?

  by HappyGuy in

  1. social
  2. current

  i hope this dude is wrong.. http://www.kkglorychurch.com/z-the%20end%20of%20the%20world.htm.

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  freddo

  I think the 3rd planet is more likely to cause Armageddon (for itself) than the 10th planet.
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  13

  USA vs England: Will you still like us when this match is over?

  by dissed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  group c - england vs usa.

  "englund!

  " boom,boom - "englund!

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  freddo

  Oh, forgot to add:- England will comfortably beat USA ... and so they should. (Unless it goes to penalties of course!)

  But it's a bit like the US Navy beating the Royal Navy - a foregone conclusion - we might get a few of your ships but you'll still have a dozen carriers left while ours are playing at being permanent submarines!
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  13

  USA vs England: Will you still like us when this match is over?

  by dissed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  group c - england vs usa.

  "englund!

  " boom,boom - "englund!

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  freddo

  Poor old England! David Mellor one of our ex-politicians said of the England team something like "We never seem to reach higher than the upper slopes of mediocrity."

  I reckon that since the World cup win of 1966 with chants of "Two World Wars and a World cup too!" (towards West Germany, the losers) from the less reverent fans that England fans are desperate for success. But save for one brief flurry of hope in 1990 (?) where Gary Lineker was captain and they got to the semi-finals, it's always been "out on penalties" (England are pretty consistently rubbish at penalty shoot-outs) or crash and burn in the early stages.

  Whereas Britain punches above her weight on the world stage of politics, England always punch below their weight in footie! (Soccer)

  I really really hope and pray that England reach the final next summer, so that I can drive on empty roads to the beach and get some peace away from it all!
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  14

  The Story of Megan, a JW teen from the BBC

  by boyzone in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  have a look at this video, its about megan, a 13 year old brought up by strict jw parents.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p4dyl.

  waddya think?.

  i had to admire the parents and how they realised the damage they were doing to their daughter by the amount of control they subjected her to.

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  freddo

  If they are active baptised jw's then that programme alone is a one way street to a judicial committee.

  My money is on active and drifted over a few years or a "progressive" bible study that has jw connections who got really keen for a few years with no baptism then suddenly decided "no that's enough!" and went back to their previous lifestyle. The no contact with the cousin for 4 years fits in with this. But as mentioned, the martial arts thing doesn't.
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  22

  How Good Was/Is Your Singing Of The Kingdom Songs?

  by finallysomepride in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  mine, this is self explanitory, i hated it & just moved my lips but nothing came out..

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  freddo

  FOKYC - I can only surmise that your congregation is a "market town" (with market town mentality) from the Midlands/South West England or possibly the Welsh marches with two opinionated elders on the service committee that rule the roost! I can just see them getting together to write to bethel and working out every last "unchristian" thing that they can say about you. They think they are so immune that even data protection doesn't matter to them until it bites them in the rear!
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  50

  The Caring Elders

  by cantleave in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i would be interested in your opinion of the following:.

  a friend told me about an incident that had happened in a neighbouring congregation.

  she told me that a sister from the congregation needed to get back to work after a meeting but discovered that she was boxed in.

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  freddo

  OK - UK ex elder here - this is my twopennorth.

  If she is prepared to "take this all the way" and is wanting to stay in the congo (and accept gossip and slander and all the snooty looks) then this is what she should do.

  Go to the brother with her case in writing.

  Bro. Rex Karz

  Looneytune Cong of JW's

  Fairyland

  Dear Bro Karz

  On Thursday last you insisted upon getting my car out of a tight spot in the kingdom hall car park. You damaged it (photo's enclosed) and the cost of repair is shown on three estimates from reputable repairers ranging from £600 to £750. I appreciate you were trying to help but the result is that I need my car fixing. According to my insurers I am not insured for this and neither are you.

  Our verbal communication thus far has proved worrying to me in your reluctance to address this matter properly and I now reluctantly inform you that I expect you to pay me the sum of the repairs as soon as possible. If you have not agreed to this within seven days then I will apply the first stage of Matthew 18. Any refusal by you to follow the steps outlined in this bible-based procedure will result in my formally writing to the body of elders to enable them to suggest two witnesses who can ascertain the facts.

  In turn, if I feel that I if am being "fobbed off", disrespected and/or treated in an unchristian manner over this matter then I will take it up with the circuit overseer or branch office.

  I remain

  Your loving sister in Jehovah's service (!)

  Minnie Driver

  (You may choose - in writing - to say that you will accept payment over say 6 months or even a year and you may agree that you were partly to blame - that's up to you - but start high I say)

  Sadly I reckon sister will get taken for a ride because she will not square up to this elder.
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  16

  about the BBC panorama expose

  by highdose in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  did anyone here actauy know the people cited as examples in that program?

  also i was wondering how much good/ bad it did?

  did it open anyones eyes?.

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  freddo

  When Panorama aired in the UK it sent shockwaves through the congo I was an elder in at the time. I went with the CO to visit some cong. members who were unsettled by it as I believe they felt that cases involving them or their family were handled in a "misguided, keep quiet and wait on Jehovah" sort of way. Later two of them went to the authorities about two different historical cases which were investigated by the police. And no sanction was brought against the victims and one of them continues as an MS to this day. I also believe but cannot prove that it was this programme that was the catalyst for one of the main victims of Michael Porter to come forward and so it got that rolling.

  The letter that was read in all UK congo's - in an unprecedented and unrepeated way they shortened the WT to 30 mins and read the letter which says that anyone may go to the authorities without fear of sanction in the congregation - was the biggest result in my view.

  I have said to anyone who wants to know (and some that don't) that that letter is extant and the policy can be viewed on jw.org even today.

  For anyone who is not utterly dependent on the elders (and sadly many are and many elders still trot out the "wait on Jah" "and don't bring reproach" lines) they now have the teeth to get the police involved.

  Good for the BBC! They have forced the org. to do what it doesn't want to do. God! I hate their supercilious handwringing cowardly behaviour that cow-tows to money and power when they should be a hiding place from the storm!
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  27

  "not a good example"

  by LoriJis in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a concern i guess or just want to vent.

  my husband and i - as most of you know - we're married just a little under 2 months and you all know at that point i was still "active" in the org.

  we had a few issues with our bridal party - namely the groom - cuz according to them he wasnt a good example and not in good status because they hadn't seen him at the meetings or in service for like 2 months.

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  freddo

  JW Weddings are a minefield. And I think they are tightening control from the top down and weedy elders lockstep obey!

  It wasn't long ago that an inactive bro. could be a best man in my neck of the woods and an unbelieving father could certainly walk his daughter down the aisle or "give her away".

  Fools.