I'm a student in the FTT - AMA

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Jay

Well this is a hard thing because I feel like the elders and other members really have no business knowing about the personal lives of the saints. However in some cases from Moses Lake some wives of abusive brothers came forward for help to the eldership and were basically ignored. I know of one though at least who was told they supported her if she left her husband. But I don't think they were going to support her financially or anything like that. They just gave her the amen to leave if he was physically abusing her, which he was. But she was too scared to leave

So it's kind of a catch-22 because we don't really belong in other people's business in their personal lives. And I would not want to be in a locality that did exercise control over what people do in their personal lives. But I do understand the scenario that you're painting. You're saying that certain brothers are covered if they are viewed as very active in the church life, while others who seem more reserved might be looked at with more scrutiny. But to me this scenario you're describing is wholly wrong because my personal life and other's personal lives are no ones business but between them and God. Even Paul said he didn't want to know anything amongst the saints, but Christ crucified- 1 Corinthians 2:2

It is a catch-22. On one hand we don't want "responsible ones" knowing about home lives of the saints. On the other hand we want the "responsible ones" to show care. It's not so easy. I think that's part of what led Steve Isitt to write "In Wake of the New Way". It was from a lack of care.
There is a fine line between knowing and caring versus knowing and controlling.