by minimus 37 Replies latest jw friends
It was all about what 'cubbyhole' you fit into - Pio, MS, Elder, DO, CO, on and on.
As far as the MS having no balls - I never looked. Most of the MS I knew were better men by far than the elders. They hit a brick wall when they realized that the 'privilage' of eldership meant more about kissing ass than serving God and Brotherhood.
Jeff
Minimus:
I know what you are saying and I saw all that sh*t too but I never did reach out for all those titles, which probably aggravated some of the other brothers since if one more "made it" to MS it was less for the other elders and MSs that they had to do. I never did think that anybody who carried a title in the organization was more "spiritually mature" than anybody else. A lot of these people in the congregation were unemployed people on welfare or retired people who had nothing else to do but ride around in a car group to catch up on the latest gossip had the "privilege" of pioneering. What the hell made them more spiritual since they had the time to spend out in field service and I couldn't hold the position of pioneering since I was a single able-bodied man who had to work to support myself 40+ hours a week? I remember elder's visiting me one time and hinting around that I should make it a goal to be an MS. I guess one of the reasons I was never appointed one is because I never wanted to be one with all the responsibilities and obligations; I didn't care about the status symbol.
I was kinda dumb so I didn't realize/recognise that there was a caste system in the KH for a long time.
I remember being reprimanded by a "sister" once because I turned down an invitation tendered by an elder's wife to go see some dorkball presentation at another Hall. She really gave me a hard time about what a privilege it was to be invited and that I should make every effort to go. I didn't get why...so she was an elder's wife, big whoop. I couldn't afford a babysitter so I had to stay home. Sheesh. I heard later that it was a big dumb bore anyhow. Glad I didn't go.
I don't remember any sort of credit card related status stuff, but I really didn't run with the big dogs so it might have been present. I do know that apparently in the city (Chicago) congos there was a lot of peer pressure amongst the younger set to dress a certain way and drive a certain car type stuff. I heard about it from a young sister who'd been treated much like you were, Danny. She was dumped by a brother she was engaged to (or about to become engaged to...can't remember now) apparently because she didn't dress sophisticated enough and wasn't coooool enough. I was shocked that Jehoovie's holy peoples, even in the big city, would behave in such a way.
Comparing the WT hiearchy to a caste system, is dead on. It's the comparison I've been searching for.
Comparing the WT hiearchy to a caste system, is dead on.
My country gal grandma called it "hen pecking" I watched a discovery channel on the extreme humiliating caste system among the Baboons (monkeys) it's just like dog-eat-dog Jay-dubs.
The s**t that went on behind my back was so outrageous jealous sleaze that i was blind to it (cognitive dissonance) then they reviled me all the more as a dumb ass who didn't know he had a 'kick me' sign on his back.When i try to relate to non dubs,i say take your most sleazy soap opera and just add to it.
All the comments are so true. Indeed it was a caste system, of course the org lies and says that there isnt a "Clergy" class but now I realize that one of the resons is that they are too cheap or greddy to pay clergy. Since there is no financial gain being an elder (usually) the reason has to be prestige and power. Its about who can suck last nights dinner out of the CO's colon the best and fastest that get appointed, not the most spiritual. Anyway its spirituality by the WT definition so its all just a big sham!
James 3:14-18:
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Hard fast rule-people usually imitate the God that they worship-scary indeed
There were of course at least two other "secret" caste privileges which put you in special status...
1. Were you a person or family who "had money"? This definately made you special...i.e.; did you have a travel trailer parking space where the CO or DO could park while he was there? Could you give these guys special dinner parties, fix their car, etc? Did you have a swimming pool so the circuit could do the baptisms at your house? If so, this was a good ticket toward Elder (or before that, to being a Congregation servant or whatever). If you were "really special" this way, you would buy in to one of the around the world assembly tours or at least help sponser one of the air travel pilgrimages to WTS-NY. The amazing thing was, most of the witnesses I knew in this special caste would barely be called upper middle class by normal society...and yes I freely admit it; my family shamefully pursued this avenue to witness stardom.
2. Even more gross - are you an up-and-coming young man who really wants to be a CO or even get a District? Well, if you had the brass, what you could do was just start partaking of the emblems without any outward qualms at all! Yes, I actually knew a bethelite who did this and was allowed to GET MARRIED and THEN was given a circuit. When he was assigned to our circuit, you should have heard the buzz over getting a "young annointed"! I heard that later on, when his wife wanted to have a baby, he threw it all over and said that YHWH chose another path for him. (because she never claimed to be of the anointed). Funny, all the old hands I knew held the tradition that partaking unworthily was "drinking death to oneself".
This kind of stuff smells like politics, not religion...but I do not know many religions that do not have a form of it.
James
James, and that man is probably a GB member now.
the cool ones in the hall actually seemed like the biggest nerds to me, and looking back I was right. the tryed so hard to be trendy and impress other jw's (ohhh,ahhh, my my he drives a saab and snowboards). Thats cool? I hope not, lol. I mean how hard is it to impress people that are very sheltered and don't know alot about the real world. I'm sure many dubs stay for just this reason, be a little wordly and trendy and you got the horny dub girls chasing after you..lmao.. Most of those type of dubs live as close to the line as they can. I have cousins that are like that, they drive nice cars and go to football games and bars(restaruant bars of course) and golf, to some dubs there sooooo cool, but being there my cuz's and I know em, there really just normal boring dudes. The coolest ones are those who have the courage to get out and live there lifes.
