by lavendar 9 Replies latest jw friends
In a previous post, Journey-on layed out the whole week's schedule for JWs. I really appreciated that because I'd always been curious about how many meetings, etc. per week. (I'm trying to find out all that our son is required to do in this cult as he's being brainwashed)
Wow, it seems only Friday is their "day of rest"!
Anyway, WHO does the public talk? The Elders? Can anyone get up and do a Public Talk? What do they talk about?
Thanks much for your help,
Lavendar
Elders and ministerial servants do Public Talks. 99 % of them are on Sunday. Currently 45 minutes long but soon to reduce to 30 minutes.
Okay, thank you Still. What is a MS? Are they above an Elder?
Back in the olden days, up through maybe the mid-70's "Public talks" were just that - discourses designed to appeal to visitors unfamiliar with JW theology. The public were invited to attend, and there might actually be several members listening who were not previously in any way affiliated with JWs.
As the religion has become more insular, and the preaching work has lost its effectiveness, the "public" talks have turned into just another indoctriantion session for those who are already members. Anyone wandering in from off the street would be either be hopelessly confused or horrified at the "we're right and everyone else is a demon worshipping pig" vibe that is presented.
In the JW's meetings you can talk with your own words, but not with your own ideas!
Ministerial Servants are sort of like deacons in most churches. But for JWs they function as mini-police, comic-relief, elders-in-training, or men who are willing to be used for menial tasks but who are simply incapable of an elder's burden (Judicial Committees, Public Talks, "counseling" erring ones, etc.).
The MS who are assigned to give Public Talks are typically either the mini-police or elders-in-training. Occasionally though, the comic-relief variety are assigned one. It is usually a very enjoyable talk followed by serious private counsel from Brother Straighlaced (usually the Presiding Overseer or Theocratic Ministry School Overseer, or both in some congregations).
Thank you, sir82, Johannes and Auldsoul!
MS = Jehovah's Nazis, only they don't kill you physically, only spiritually with disfellowshipping . . . Ha ha . . . they cut off their noses to spite their faces . . . at least in my case because some people who are d'fe'd eventually realize it's the best thing that ever happened to them; although it often takes a long time for them to realize this.
Who needs a family that believes in this kind of crap?
BTW, lavendar, have you been "forsaking the gathering. . ." of yourselves together, (or whatever the friggin' scripture says)?
-Joy (a frequently drunk atheist)
P.S. If you want a crash course in jw-dom, try an extremely boring and brainwashing Thursday night meeting . . . they don't usually immerse newbies in Thursday nights, because it's so totally for the MS crowd and their families . . .
"But for JWs they function as mini-police, comic-relief, elders-in-training"
"Comic-relief"? Lol, that made me laugh.
This is the ranking: The R & F is the regular member. This person is baptized, but not pioneering or anything else.
Pioneering is totally independent of hierarchy. This means you are committed to a certain amount of field misery, starting with auxiliary pioneers. They are committed to 50 hours a month minimum, though that number could jump in the near future once the Kool-Aid Puketowers start coming out. The regular pioneers are supposed to do 840 hours during the year. Special pioneers need 140 hours a month, and are reimbursed with a small allowance. I believe that is around $150 a month, but that figure could be wrong or out of date. None of these positions give any authority.
Independently, men can become MS. I call them assistant hounders. These are given tasks to help the hounders to run the congregation, and they are each usually given specific roles. Often they assist the hounders in giving counsel, and they may qualify to give public talks. When they do, they are under strict supervision to stick with the outline and not put personal opinions and outside sources into the talk. Generally, the lead hounder will finish the talk after the trainee gives Part 1. Sort of like a mini-a$$embly.
Above that is the elder, or hounder. Those are the ones that dish out the serious counsel and ask the serious questions. They are also given roles, and are responsible for such as the Theocraptic Misery School (those with two "schools" have one for each), service, and accountants. There is the lead hounder referred on this board as PO. This is the one that is responsible for the whole congregation, and is almost always the stupidest person and the one most qualified to use non-sequitors and specious reasoning to enforce rules. These are also the ones that often create problems where none exist.
Once they feel you are ready and there is "need", men are allowed to become traveling hounders. The CO is the first stop here--the dreaded hounder-hounder. This is the one that hounds the hounders to keeping the congregation in line. If there is a good PO (that is, one that is trying to solve problems), the hounder-hounder is the one that will fix that situation. He travels to every congregation in the circuit, usually visiting each one twice a year for a week each. This is where they begin to receive disbursements, but the amounts are pathetically small. He is the one that puts in recommendations to the Puketower Society for promotions.
Above this is the DO, or hounder-hounder-hounder. This person is usually a master at creating problems where none exist and then spreading them through whole regions. He usually misinterprets conscience matters and date suggestions and then spreads them through whole regions as rules. He also receives disbursements (again, they are tiny).
Going above this, you run into the links directly to the Governing Body. To reach this level, one must prove that they have the same agenda as the current Governing Body. Usually only the anointed reach this level, but the "other sheep" are starting to be selected now that they are running out of anointed. These counsel the hounder-hounder-hounders and give them the instructions from the Governing Body itself.
And at the top, there is the Governing Body itself. Those are the ones that make the rules, and two-thirds majority have to agree to change a rule. This is often why a proposed ban will not make it--they might be one vote short of a total ban on coffee this time, but they will word it as a conscience matter and then the hounder-hounders and hounder-hounder-hounders are free to strengthen it. Of course, Ted Jaracz is unofficially in charge of this group, as he just about forces new members to be selected that will keep things the way they are. As for who the president of this is, it seems to have lost its meaning since Milton Henschill left.
In other words, it is a confusing array of departments and layers of management that can bog any organization down. Things get mistranslated as they go down the hill. Conscience matters become judicial matters or serious hounding offenses because of this. Communication gets mixed up, and the result is always slow reaction time at local levels. Hopefully that will be their weakness, as us apostates do not have this top-down organization and it only takes one person to nark on them when a major lawsuit that could bankrupt the Tower comes up.
