Were "Theocratic Activities" A Burden To You??? (page 2)

LongHairGal

Yes, of course they were a burden. I would never have become a JW if I knew about their past OR their burdensome "theocratic" activities.

I remember an elder saying once that people find theocratic activities burdensome because they are letting the "world" affect them. He said that when people have trouble in their lives the first thing to suffer are theocratic activities.

The problem I had with his reasoning is that I questioned whether all these activities were necessary in the first place OR are they just heavy burdens placed on the people to keep them on a treadmill. Many years ago an elderly sister made some remark to me about how doing research for the theocratic ministry school would "keep me out of trouble". I wondered then how much of their rules are just arbitrary rules put in place by arrogant men who want to keep JWs busy so they don't have time to question the rut they are in. I found this offensive at some level because we are supposed to be free moral agents who presumably don't need somebody trying to protect us against ourselves like we were infants who didn't know right from wrong.

LHG

jayhawk1

It was certainly a burden, especially if you had doubts or was shy at the doors.

DesertRat

Yet another one of the understatements of my life!!!

Try as I might, I cannot seem to recall anything particularly joyful or happifying about going to five meetings a week (only to hear the same information we had been given two or three months before..); dragging myself out of bed on the weekends to bring an unpopular Bible message to strangers' doors, knowing full well that at least one person would become highly upset & possibly even slam the door in my face (just the thing for those of us who already struggled with little or no self-esteem..); dealing with the butterflies & the nausea while giving a talk or other meeting part; afterwards, instead of the minimum of acknowledgement I could have used, being told that I should be 'doing it for Jehovah' & no other reason; struggling to put in at least one month of auxiliary pioneering in the summer, only to hear that if I truly loved Jehovah, I would be doing more; sitting at my dying father's bedside, trying to convince myself that all of the years he had devoted to the Org would somehow count for something in the end..(after all, the resurrection was JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!)

Perhaps some of you had an experience similar to this: Even if you thrive on summer heat as I do, try being joyful or happy for long at a convention where the air-conditioning has broken down & it is 107 degrees outside. Oh yes, I am sure that the poor elderly brothers & sisters on the arena floor were smiling & radiating pure Kingdom joy as they fainted from the heat, & had to be carried out..

Desert Rat

minimus

Having to give a talk in an unconditioned Hall in the middle of summer is no picnic, either. I was the PT Coordinator so I never scheduled myself (the last couple of years) during the summer. Whenever I did give a public talk, I scooted out right after.

XJW4EVR

Umm, all of them.

minimus

I guess that real diehards think everything is dandy!

jaguarbass

After a while it didnt float my boat. But apparently it floats some peoples boats. Thats life.

becca1

With the busy life I lead I felt that if I studied my WT, looked over the book study lesson and read the weekly Bible rading I had had a good week.

Then I went to the last circuit assembly. There were several talks on study and meditation. In one of them, our CO said:'If you are just anwering the questions in the lesson you are not doing enough. If you are not looking up all the scrips., doing addtional research and meditating on the lesson, you are not doing enough. Well, since I can't possibly do "enough" I don't do any of it anymore. I will never be able to do "enough" to please the WBTS.

minimus

Yes, taskmasters is what the fools are. They won't even give you a crumb of commendation. "Do more" is their Theocratic Anthem.

Were "Theocratic Activities" A Burden To You???

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