Two Local Needs Parts Last Night
Last night our congregation had two local needs parts. They said it was important so they shortened the book study so they could give two needs parts. One was about youths not living a double life and the second one was about how to treat removed people. I already knew going into it that I was not going to feel comfortable because when they made the announcement last week that a young guy was removed it felt super triggering. Then when they said they were doing this and sent an announcement about how they want all young people and kids to be at the meeting in person I knew that it was going to be based off of him.
It’s just horribly uncomfortable when you hear people crying and sniffling around you when they are doing these talks. Then you have the elder who literally cries on stage giving the one of the parts and it’s just silently you feel bad for them but at the same time you know all the rules are bullshit. The one elder who gave the part about not living a double life had mentioned how when he was younger he got kicked out of his home at 16 from his worldly family and he was likening it to how if a worldly family can have rules and kick you out for having a double life so can the congregation. Now I feel bad that had happened to him but it’s definitely not the same comparison. I don’t know what he did to deserve to get kicked out, but sometimes we are alienating ourselves from people who are literally doing nothing wrong scripturally simply because they don’t believe in the same organization as we do. It’s ridiculous and not loving no matter how much they try to gaslight you into believing it is.
The second talk was whatever I thought it was just to go along with the first one about how you can only give a greeting and make sure you aren’t doing any prolonged conversations. But when I got home my family was talking about it and they were like, our elders act quick because didn’t you see on Sunday and how all these people were hugging and talking to do and so who was removed? Then they were like I wonder if so and so was there and I did think I saw her there but they also continued by saying how they bet the elders warned her they were going to do that talk because they think it was about how everyone was talking to her and how they don’t understand why people would talk to her and they are glad the elders said something. I literally just left the room and shut the door because I didn’t want to hear it. It’s so weird they get excited about shunning people. It feels so unnatural and just absolutely ridiculous. They claim to promote peace and love and misrepresent Jesus because Jesus did eat with sinners. He never looked at someone and said no I will not give you the light of day. I’m not a believer but even I feel like I understand the Bible more than they claim to do.