The Increasing Degradation of Women in the Watchtower Society.

by Dogpatch 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Abaddon

  Most religions put women down. Sure the JW's are a very 'good' example.

  But look at Islam. Then a remove away, traditional or revivalist churches. Seikhism is maybe 'better' than Hinduism, Buhddism in theory very good (in practise, less so, but as with all excess of religion that is a cultural thing).

  But it is hard to find a truly egalistarian religion, outside of some modern Christian viewpoints, maybe - and there might be others.

  On the face of it it really looks like guys made god up to keep women down; or 'god' got turned into the boogie-man of patriarchal society. There's some belief early societies were matriarchal, good evidence that some cultures didn't sex-sort occupations.

  But on the whole, women have had a hard time of it.

  But then maybe men need all that bullshit to be in control, and now's the time to pay the piper?

  Most intelligent woman who act like a women can run rings round most men as able as they are. That's the way it's meant to be in terms of sexual biology, and that influences gender interaction even when intercourse is not an outcome. Dress them in floor-to-ceiling clothes and don't let them show their hair or face or talk to another man... then you got some chance of keeping them down.

  Fundamentalists aren't really afraid of the West. They're afraid of Western women, and of what life would be like if their women were like that. And some Christian denominations, JW included, have a similar fear.

  But we got trouble too; contraceptive choice, priesthood, abortion -it's all about making women do or not do stuff.
• 

  kid-A

  Interesting post Randy. Once again demonstrating that the JWs truly represent a "regressive" organization as one traces the history

  from Russell onwards.
• 

  Ingenuous

  From what my parents have told me, I had issues with the way women were treated in the Org even when I was a pre-schooler - asking why sisters couldn't give a talk to do the things I saw men doing in the congregation.

  Most of the sisters I knew (subconsciously) comforted themselves by emphasizing how much they didn't want the stress of being an elder, that they'd rather let the men deal with the angst - and personal responsibility - so they didn't have to.
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  aoxo

  actualy i had an opposite experiance apf. seemes like the majority of people in service were sisters. not too many brother pioneers and because of that the sisters got realy good at conducting field service meetings. whenever a brother would come in (not that often) everyone would realize that it was him that had to take the lead now. so he would fumble around, try to remember how things were supposed to go and present the daily text while trying to make sence out of it himself. it was realy pathetic how badly the elders tried to wing it when the sisters were right on top of things and already had their car groups arranged while he decided who should go with who. oh and i dont understand why the bible says that women should be in subjection because man was created first. what does that have to do with anything? i think the bible was selectively put together by sexist men.
• 

  sass_my_frass

  When I realised that my career peak in the org would be when I marry a man who might one day Reach Out I started dating worldlies.
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  dozy

  I personally feel that women are treated very poorly by the WTS and it increasingly becomes more absurd. At our last convention , the sisters weren't allowed to wear the orange tabards that identified them as volunteers (unless they were in parking , where the law demands it). They also were unable to "actively" direct traffic unless they were standing behind a brother - so all they could do was stand and point. A few of the sisters in some departments , especially those who had worked there for some time , resigned in protest.

  I asked a senior brother what were the scriptural reasons for such a draconian clamp-down and he said that it was purely a policy matter , driven from Brooklyn. Even the assembly overseer disagreed , but there were too many Bethel representatives around to do anything about it. Bizarre.
• 

  penny2

  I agree with aoxo, the sisters were much better at organising the FS groups because they did it all the time. And how ridiculous having a young boy say the prayer for all those older sisters!

  Another ridiculous practice was brothers who could hardly read, reading in the groups when there were plenty of sisters who could read fluently.
• 

  sir82

  Fundamentalists aren't really afraid of the West. They're afraid of Western women, and of what life would be like if their women were like that.

  For some reason, that really hit me--very profound, and makes a lot more sense than W's "they hate us because we're free" drivel.