An Assembly "Experience"-and the rest of the story

by CaptainSchmideo 19 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AgentSmith

  I recall a story told at an assembly where the bro used to be a member of the special forces for the (then) Rhodesia army. Now Zimbabwe.

  His mom was a JW and he wanted out of the army and his part in the intelligence gathering part of it. He 'found 'the thruth' etc etc, blah blah ad nauseum. He got a letter in his hotel room, slipped under the door, telling him he can get out and will not be investigated if he leaves for South Africa that night. Transport was aranged etc.

  I was 10yrs old or so and ask my father, an elder already, if that was true. Sounded like BS, (I did not say it like that though. LOL) He said it must be true if Jah allowed it to be said at a convention. The bro's at Bethel check these things. And the the clincher, if it turns out to be a lie, his lack of faith will show, and he won't come to meetings and be disfellowshipped.

  See? All bases covered ALL the time.

  (To the tune of Jingle Bells)

  BS, BS, BS all the way.......
• 

  aniron

  Many years ago about 20 I think, I heard a very similar "experience" at a circuit assembly.

  Brother (40+ yrs old) decides to sell buisness to devote himself to ministry, become full-time pioneer etc etc.

  JW wife and children give support to his decision.

  Takes part-time job

  My son was friendly with his daughter at the time.

  She told him yes, her father had sold the buisness a successful company for round £10 million

  The part-time job ..... consultant to the company that bought his firm ...paying £40,000 a year.

  Yes that was one pioneer who really struggled.

  Last I heard was that he had started another company.
• 

  unique1

  All I can say is WOW!!
• 

  Mary

  I remember "model families" being interviewed that were complete wrecks, but they were paraded around as role models for everyone else to follow.

  Ya....I found out that at the assembly a couple of weeks ago, two families were on stage promoting the "happy family" image that, of course, only exists in Witness-land. One point they forgot to mention, is that both husbands had had either an affair or an 'almost affair' with a sister in the congregation. But that's just a tiny flaw in an otherwise perfect character. Both wives were made aware of the affair(s), but the one had never worked a day in her life and wouldn't have a clue how to survive on her own. The other one loved the prominence and position that she and her hubby had in the congregation, so decided to stay too.

  Personally knowing these two wives, I can understand why their husbands would be looking for a way out (imagine being married to Leona Helmsley when she had permanent PMS). I just think they could have gotten a couple of other families for the demonstration where it did not smack of such hypocrisy.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Right up until I was a heavily posting JWD member, I still assumed that out of the
  thousands to choose from, most stories were true. I had heard of CO's and others
  scouring the circuit for stories, so I assumed they found them.

  Did I believe they left out negative parts of the story- YES, but I assumed they never
  fudged the truth to fit the talk.

  After reading much on cognitive dissonance, I can see how easy it is to do this.
  The story lines that are exaggarated become real after much rehearsal.
  The speaker can ask the interviewee if s/he could say this instead of that, and
  the interviewee knows it is stretching, but also wants to look wonderful in front of
  all the friends, so finds a way to believe what s/he says. Then the DO hears the
  rehearsal and does more of the same- "Could you possibly say that she continued
  studying with you?" "Well, she studied for 3 more weeks, but hasn't had a study
  since then." "Okay, say she continued her study after this experience and you
  are hopeful that more will come out of this in the future." "Okay."

  Next rehearsal, "Can you say she continued her study and has been going to the K.H.?"
  "Well, before she cancelled her study, she did come to the hall once to pick me up."
  "Great, don't mention cancelling the study."
• 

  mimimimi

  Some years ago, I was asked to be on a part at the circuit assembly promoting the pioneer assist program. Of course, I was the weak publisher who needed to be assisted. When we went to learn and practice the part, I realized right away that it was being presented in a salesman-like way, very manipulative. The pioneer who assisted me just didn't get it. She had her own things she wanted to say and the brother told her no, this is what you are going to say. I could really recognize the salesmanship because I had read books about salesmanship that my husband had. This was a real eye-opener for me, but at the time I felt the ends justified the means. From that time on, I could really recognize this in the KH meetings. It finally just got disgusting to me. I think the clincher was a district convention where they talked to a little kid about how he had the opportunity to come home from school and play inappropriate video games while no one else was in the house and because of his loyalty to Jehovah, he did not. He used the expression "It was calling my name" and everyone in the convention hall laughed at how cute he was, but to me it was not cute. It was contrived and manipulative.

  Funny thing about that pioneer sister who was on the part promoting the pioneer assist program with me. She did not like me and the things she wanted to say in this part made that clear. She actually did get some of them in during the assembly part. She said something like you have to do what Jehovah wants even if you don't like it. But she said enough of what she was told that it was a sales part.
• 

  Blackboo

  Yea i found something was not right with them "experiences"..it seem like they were reciting a play..,and it was disgusting how they got so much attention after the program was over.
• 

  animal

  I remember "model families" being interviewed that were complete wrecks, but they were paraded around as role models for everyone else to follow.

  That was us.... model family held up for all to see, at Yankee Stadium. I ran away again shortly after that. It was all BS.

  Animal
• 

  Bangalore

  So many of the experiences seem fudged.

  Bangalore
• 

  MrFreeze

  Does anybody else have any more phoney baloney convention interviews?