My family had a bunch of ties to Bethel b/c my father and uncles were Bethelites. If any local trouble happened, we would say I'm going to call Brooklyn. Being the daughter of a Bethelite was the only status I had in life. I did not take the local KH people seriously.
The Watchtower Caste System & How We All Bought Into It
by minimus 37 Replies latest jw friends
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LongHairGal
I am glad you resurrected this old thread.
Sorry, but I just WASN'T buying their 'caste' system and the whole time I was there I didn't consider anybody to be 'higher' or better than me. Nobody there got any special respect from me and I didn't care HOW they viewed themselves or how other deluded people viewed them. If I showed a little attention to an older anointed person it was because of their old AGE, not their claim (which means beans to me anyway). I was always baffled that people would reach out for 'privileges'. I had no desire to have a label of 'pioneer' and felt if somebody was all that 'spiritual', why not just put the hours in anyway without the stupid title?
I joined that religion because I was interested in end-time prophecy and because they claimed 'not' to have a clergy class. Boy, was I fooled.
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james_woods
If I showed a little attention to an older anointed person it was because of their old AGE, not their claim (which means beans to me anyway).
Absolutely right. The only (two) older annointed persons I ever knew (people actually baptised before the 1930s) had absolutely NO EGO and did not think they were anything special because of it.
They were just there at the right time and went along with the WTBTS BS like the rest of us.
Others, though, were absolutely full of the Caste System.
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Finally-Free
I joined that religion because I was interested in end-time prophecy and because they claimed 'not' to have a clergy class. Boy, was I fooled.
Me too. As for the "privileges", I think the women here did it mostly to catch a man. There were a lot more women then men in my area, and competition was stiff. The men sought "privileges" because you needed a title to have a social life. For me, I'd have been better off attending as a DF'd person than an untitled man. At least I wouldn't have had to listen to the constant belittling over every perceived deficiency.
Eventually I started entering the hall after the song & prayer and leaving early so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone.
W
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ziddina
"I went out to eat and payed with my visa card and was reproached for not having american express (for members only) ..."
Oh, for the love of...
I guess that the "Visa" card wasn't of high enough status...
Anyone who has "American Express" has a hole in their head...
I kept getting that blasted "AmEX" application, and the FIRST thing I did, was READ thru the entire blasted thing...
Do you know that "American Express" charges SIXTY DOLLARS ANNUAL FEE [as of 2004, which was the last time I received one of their unsolicited Credit Card apps in the mail] - even if you NEVER use the day-yamm thing?????
And of course you HAVE to pay off the ENTIRE balance at the end of each month...
What a worthless card... No wonder their advertising works so hard at creating the illusion of "exclusivity" and "financial genius" around their cards...
Which probably also explains the appeal to certain Witnesses... Any of this sound familiar?? "Exclusivity"... "Separated from the general mass of humanity"... "[supposedly] smart enough to see through the 'average' credit card's dis[ADVANTAGES]..."
Yeah, I can see why the "American Express" scam would appeal to some Witnesses...
Zid
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LongHairGal
JAMES WOODS & FINALLY FREE:
I was not your typical witness. I work full time and was viewed suspiciously because I am outspoken. Even back then in the day I thought certain teachings were crap. I suppose I was resented because I REFUSED to see all these wanna-bees the way they wanted to be seen...as higher than other people. How Christlike of them, huh?
It is a wonder I remained a JW as long as I did. I suppose if I studied more and really took a GOOD look at their literature (like some here on this forum), I might have exited sooner.
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ziddina
"It is true that in the early 70's there were these guys getting all the attention. Then the Society cracked down. You had to look like a businessman. And from that point on, it was the beginning of the Stepfords. ..."
Ah, we pretty much missed the "Don Johnson/Miami Vice" fad, out here in the west... On the other hand, IBM was a HUGE employer in our area, and the "Stepfords" look here was a mimicry of the "IBM" executive look - white - and ONLY white - shirts, boring ties, dark suits - even in the heat of summer...
I often marveled at the apparent desire of the Watchtower Society to emulate a "worldly" corporation in dressing male Witnesses to go door-to-door...
Zid
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james_woods
Ah, we pretty much missed the "Don Johnson/Miami Vice" fad, out here in the west... On the other hand, IBM was a HUGE employer in our area, and the "Stepfords" look here was a mimicry of the "IBM" executive look - white - and ONLY white - shirts, boring ties, dark suits - even in the heat of summer...
Ziddina, the "pastel pretty boy" look I was talking about was actually a decade or more before Miami Vice - this was late 1960s, early 1970s. I think they were sort of imitating south-western TV preachers of the day - I observed it in Oklahoma City. I can't stand either that OR the Miami Vice look. Yes, I have the Don Johnson Testarossa, but I refused from day one to dress that way and so does every other Ferrari owner that I know.
BTW - IBM has now gone "business casual" for almost all employee positions, for which I was greatly thankful as they bought our company last fall.
But, of course, the WTBTS has typically failed to keep up with the times - I suppose they still rule out pants suits for women even when the Secretary of State of the U.S. is hardly ever seen in anything else.
