Who the hell are "the elders"? Being an elder is supposed to be a "privilege". Elders are supposed to be "shepherds" who care for the flock. They are supposed to "serve" the needs of the flock. I do believe some men are sincere about their appointment but unfortunately being an elder means simply being an "Organization Man". A "good" elder cannot decide for himself that a person is truly needy or sorry about a particular act. He needs to get the body of elders to be involved. Doing something for someone without permission or approval from the other elders is a no-no. That's called "running ahead, independent thinking" and not "waiting on Jehovah".
What was supposed to be a "gift in men" has turned into a bureaucracy. Meetings are set up to determine whether you should be judged as unrepentant or not. The elders exert so much control that they can make your life a miserable nightmare! If you "question" the elders on a matter or hint that you might disagree with their viewpoints, you are labeled as "disorderly, immature, weak, or apostate".
The Theocratic Organization made mere men believe that they are something special, appointed by God and his holy spirit. These very imperfect men forgot who they really were. They bought into the hype of "being used by Jehovah". Questioning them or their authority is the same as questioning Jehovah God Himself.
When I look back at my years as an elder, I can't help but see how foolish we all were! We were no different than the priests of Christendom. At least most of the clergy have a degree and went to school and became educated. Witness elders are proud of the fact that they wash windows, floors and toilets by day and wield enormous power by night. It's a huge head trip. Thankfully many of us have seen the error of our ways and with humility have recognized how dumb we were really were.
