Mooney Guns for "Secret" Meeting in Detroit?

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Originally Posted by MissBrattified

I agree with Bro. Mooney; the secretive meetings and gathering of people to discuss what "shall be done" about current issues is nonsense.

Let them line up in front of the general board and picket and expound and plead and publicly declare a preaching strike or whatEVER--but there is no need to be secretive unless you are trying to draw people away from the organization or work some mischief behind the backs of others.

MOST of the time, what is done in secret needs to be hidden for a reason. I certainly don't teach my children to be secretive or to conceal their thoughts, words and actions. So adults even moreso need to learn to be bold and express themselves forthrightly and honestly, without subterfuge.

I did NOT appreciate how the WPF handled their mess, and I don't appreciate anyone else who exercises dishonest tactics.

Now. That said. I have no idea what the secret meeting in Detroit was about, whether it had anything to do with the organization or not, and whether "secret" is the correct term for the event. "Exclusive" is not the same thing as "secret." But, it obviously wasn't public. I have to be a little suspicious of people who exclude anyone or any group who can offer dissension or an opposing viewpoint.

I hope the men who organized the meeting were prayerful and not divisive in any way. I hope they didn't negatively discuss their elders in any way. I hope they didn't deride or mock older men of God or their doctrines. I hope they were exceedingly respectful in their discussions or planning or whatever it was they were gathered to do. ...because to do otherwise would be to alienate God from the entire process, no matter what the core motive might be.

Originally Posted by Edward Anglin

MissB,

Your principles are great, and I cannot stand hidden agendas.

I didn't like it with the WPF, and I don't like it with this group.

However, I think you're missing the way things really work.

Since when is it a crime to hold a private meeting?

Should we create a new bylaw to prohibit private assembly without prior consent from the UPCI? To me, this is about control. Some men want to control the flow of information within the org, and want access to private meetings in order to manage the conversations and agenda.

That is borg theology. That is anti-Bible. That is wrong.

You say that these guys should push an agenda publicly?

How?

They are already being railroaded, demonized and castigated before they speak one word publicly. Can you imagine what would happen if they spewed their entire agenda?

Listen carefully, Sis.

Any movement that supresses critical thinking, prohibits private assembly and squelches inspection is in grave danger of becoming monolithic, cultic and irrelevant.

Is there any way I can agree with both of these posts? I know... I know... a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Seriously, though...
An exclusive meeting with ONLY like-minded people is not, in my opinion, a very productive meeting. If you're just looking for a bunch of "Amen"'s and pats on the back, then that's exactly what you'll get. The scripture says that iron sharpens iron... there needs to be some grating against each other for that to happen, though.

If, on the other hand, the purpose was to write a manifesto for the purpose of presenting their disputes to a broader audience (read General Board) then that would be an exception to the statement above, in my opinion.

Again, I don't have a dog in this fight since I'm not UPCI, and have recently been railroaded and lied against by the political machinery of both UPCI and ALJC. But understanding how things work, and that the status quo for these orgs is to NOT hear debate or opposing views, I would understand the need to create a working group to form the manifesto and get all the ducks in row before presenting to the great and awesome powers that rule all of God's Kingdom. But out with it now... let's hear what you have to say... no more secrecy.