Crazy things you were "forced" to do in the Borg

by RR 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  exwitless

  We were advised by a CO to NOT be in the habit of sitting in the same seat every time we came to a meeting. How could we meet others if we always sat in the same seat every time? Well, that lasted all of 1 or 2 meetings. Our congregation was full of zombies who had been in the borg for so many decades, everything they did was by habit. Like trained monkeys. I tried to comply with sitting in different seats once by puposely sitting in a seat one elder ALWAYS sat at: 4th row from front, left side of hall on the isle. He just sat in the seat directly behind me. Next meeting, he was there first, so, you guessed it, he claimed his seat back.

  Such pettiness. It wasn't good enough to come to the meeting. They had to tell us where we should sit, how early to be there to "associate", how late to stay. Not allowed to sit in the back row unless you had a baby or were very late to the meeting. Oh, that reminds me, once LDB and I were about 3 minutes early to the meeting. I was exhausted beyond description and a little grumpy (wouldv'e given anything to be at home in bed.) So we sat in the back row. Before I could even get my songbook out and ready, an elder came by and asked us to move because we didn't have a baby and there were plenty of seats up front. No one else needed the seat, necessarily; he had simply determined that I didn't need to sit there. I was FURIOUS but, of course, as a submissive woman in the congregation, I just packed up my stuff and moved to the FRONT row without saying anything. I should've packed up and walked out of the KH.
• 

  RR

  "besides, you all look like a bunch of cancer patients anyways”.

  I almost fell off my chair ... laughing!
• 

  brinjen

  Come to think of it, I don't recall reading anything in the bible that indicated women couldn't wear pants.I used to freeze at the kingdom hall in winter, they had heaters but wouldn't use them. I remember 1 sister who used to wear leggings under her skirt with knee high boots. A few of the others that found out lectured her for it but what else was she supposed to do? She was freezing!
• 

  Arthur

  When I was a Ministerial Servant, we had a Presiding Overseer who was a dictitorial control freak. He viewed the congregation as a company, and himself as the CEO. He instituted a new congregation rule that no announcement could be made from the platform without his prior approval. He actually made an announcement checklist sheet on his computer that we had to use; and then bring it to him before the meeting for his approval. This proved to be quite impractical, as any former Elder or MS might realize. Eventually, several people bucked him on this, and he backed down. But this was just one small example his Pharisee-like style of micromanagement. Most in the congregation couldn't stand him, and he eventually left for greener pastures.
• 

  White Dove

  I heard of one PO who required all the brothers to wear white shirts only when giving a part on the program.

  Another PO and CO banned sisters from wearing long dresses as it was seen as showing off.

  One group of congregations refused to take non-publisher JW children out in service because only their parents were allowed to take them out. If the parents couldn't, others in the congregation were not allowed to take them. They simply couldn't go at all, and these children were BORN in the borg! That is what tipped me off to their Pharisee mentality.

  An elder with a moustache was harrassed to shave it off for years but never did. Bollo or string ties were banned in some congregations in the northwest as were cowboy hats and Stetsons.

  Ties were mandatory for ALL boys of ALL ages (0-18) even if they didn't have a part, no excuses.

  This is making me sick all over again
• 

  White Dove

  They had everyone wear WHITE bathing suits for baptism?????!!!!!!!!! One sister went swimming in a white swimsuit in a pool at a hotel. We could see her hair, crack, and pink/red nipply boobs! Someone discreetly told her and she jumped out covering herself with her hands the best she could. Poor thing! And, she was very fat, so add dimples' shadows through the wet white suit! I think some elder must be a pervert. He must like white tee-shirt contests, because that is what the baptism would turn out to be, and on GUYS????? YUCK
• 

  White Dove

  The PO(op) took away my son's study because I was the one responsible for studying with him. I'm deaf and a womyn. He needed a hearing person and a man to study with and relate to. He needed regular guy talk. My son was 13. , what an age to get the finger from the leadership. He quit in his heart immediately after that by getting up a lot during the meetings for the bathroom and going outside to walk around in the parking lot. He got away with it by saying, "Mom, I gotta FART BAD!" , I let him go!
• 

  found-my-way

  "Mom, I gotta FART BAD!"

  LMAO! love it!

  too funny!
• 

  Hortensia

  I remember a poor woman who was considered weak and spiritually lacking because she always wore slacks to meetings. They didn't let her go out in service, either. Poor thing had badly scarred legs from a fire and was very self-conscious. Any reason to put someone down - it's a whole religion of people looking for other people's sins. Crappy judgmental assholes.
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  okie46

  The CO gave a talk and said that sisters had to wear pantyhose to the meetings, and that their skirts had to be at least 2 inches below their knees. The brothers at one of the congregations I went to also said that only the brothers in the hispanic congregations could wear cowboy boots on the stage because maybe they could not afford dress shoes and the only brothers that could wear beards were those that lived in cold climates like Alaska or in other countries. We were also told not to go on the internet and do any reading about the WT society. Sisters were told at a convention not to watch soap operas. The brothers also frowned on going to counselors or taking anti-depressants. Along with the standard no worldly association, yada, yada, yada

  OH, almost forgot one of my favorites, actually two of them.

  1) When tornado sirens went off for a tornado warning, the brother continued to give his talk while some of us were freaking out wondering if we should dive under the seats. Finally, a brother was sent outside to LOOK and SEE if he could actually see a tornado. When he did not see one going over. We were told not to worry, and the brother never stopped his talk. I am still pissed over this, my instinct was that is nuts!! A tornado warning is given because There IS A TORNADO coming!! Who were they to decide for everyone that it was okay. I decided right then that would never happen again, I would not allow someone else to make life and death decisions for me. I really think that day was the turning point for me.

  2) Being told to get rid of gifts from "worldly" relatives because they had a Ouija board in their home. For years, I was terrified to accept gifts from my grandparents, because of that very reason. Now I mourn treasured gifts that I did not keep because I was so afraid of "demons".