Comments on: A Former Elder Breaks Down the Highs and Lows of the 2017 Regional Convention

By: Maxine Hawker

Maxine Hawker — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:56:47 +0000

A very good friend was living with a family. She told me how she heard the mother screaming while the husband hit her. My friend under my goading went to the elders. They phoned the woman, she denied it and my friend was told to keep quiet. I couldn’t believe it. Her creep of a husband was known to have affairs outside the congregation and a couple of my friends had been propositioned by him no one did anything!

By: Robin Kish-miller

Robin Kish-miller — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 19:11:12 +0000

are you on facebook? (just wondering)…check my facebook page out and perhaps we can chat sometime. its under: robin kish-miller

By: Kaye

Kaye — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 19:18:27 +0000

Yes Robin. Very true. To be honest, when this was finally uncovered, a lot of things began to make sense to me. You never want to think that a member of your family is capable of such a thing. But alas, it really happened. Goes in line with Russell’s charges. To thing that he disrespected his wife to such a degree. It’s unimaginable.

By: Robin Kish-miller

Robin Kish-miller — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:31:38 +0000

Kaye – your experiences are beyond Horrid! And your Grandfather was a child molester? This truly brings tears. I was molested at the age of 5 by an elder. I am (54) and this was during the 1960’s. I have never committed myself to this false spiritual paradise because I knew even at a very young age something just didnt make any sense.

By: Robin Kish-miller

Robin Kish-miller — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:23:03 +0000

OMG. I thought I had heard it all. You did the right thing about speaking up for this sister that was being abused. WOW. what brain dead humans to allow this. My dad (he was an elder for nearly 40 years) passed away about 12 years ago. He wasnt happy at all with the Governing Body. He always had issues because they thought my pops was doing his own thing too much. He just thought they were all full of crap and weren’t honest. He was a good man and always helped build KH (he was on the building committee in Calif).

By: Kaye Barton

Kaye Barton — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 00:56:45 +0000

I have done it all. The note taking, being attentive, smiling when all the while under my breath I am saying that if this doesn’t end soon, I am going to stand up and shout giving everyone something to really look at and listen to. But then I would think, how could I subject these poor souls to any more torture. That’s when I started sitting at the very top of the arena behind the stage so that I could just sleep. It finally occurred to me that I didn’t have to do this anymore. The light bulb came on!

By: Kaye Barton

Kaye Barton — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 00:37:32 +0000

My thoughts exactly.

By: Kaye Barton

Kaye Barton — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 00:34:48 +0000

I will take this one step further. I found out a few years ago that my grandfather who was an elder in the congregation was a pedophile. One of his victims was his great granddaughter. The congregation knew about this and kept it hidden. This was a man that I looked up to the whole of my life. We do have the proof. My mother, that is one of the “anointed” finally coughed up the proof. There had been suspicions and talk to sadly find out that it was true. I don’t know if I will ever be normal again, but knowing that I came out of the darkness into the light gives me hope. With each day there is new hope.

By: zeb

zeb — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 00:52:59 +0000

Re write a letter. I was never given any written welcome to the cong when iwas baptised. Not a card not a letter nil, nought nothing. I was wondering why so many feel they have to write these letters of resignation. and the wt in a court case in state of Victoria in Australia the wt lawyers stated that the wt does not have members they have people doing their own personal mission. So no actual membership. Interesting. This must be some sleazy legal trick.
The descriptions of conventions is spot on. Hours of speeches by speakers who have little speaking ability using 100 words when 10 would do. Keeping our little ones settled or walked then ‘final prayers’ which assume god is an idiot and must have the entire program summed up for him; by again a speaker who is having his big moment in the sun and taking as long as he can.
You missed one matter though its trying to get out of the convention when its finally over when ‘Gordian knots’ of sisters have to meet up and talk endlessly blocking the hallways, stairways and exits.
I met a young family at the last convention I attended and they said they would never again attend any large convention after the last debacle (for them) in Sydney where it was 8.30 at night before they got back to their accommodation due to slow moving crowds exiting and packed trains. She with a little one was exhausted the little one was out of nappies (diapers) and very distressed.
Where were the organising Bethel/branch office elders? No doubt having a slap up dinner some where; and of course they don’t have kids do they…

By: stevo

stevo — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 23:46:29 +0000

Kay… your experience describes exactly what happened to me and i feel the same way that you do.
I was asked to talk to a couple of elders..’in the back room’.. i said no..eveyone knows you get taken ito the back room to receive the cane.. ( like a school boy from the 1960’s )…and even if that is not the case in reality…thats what everyone thinks and gossips about. All of this kerfuffe was about me seeing bruises and hand marks on a married sister and speaking up about it…she was censured and ORDERED to tell the ones who saw the bruises that her husband does not beat her………bastards.