Being a JW: Like a Competitive Sport???

by leaving-jws 11 Replies latest jw experiences

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  leaving-jws

  One thing I hate about being a JW is all of the competition. I've been actively fading for about several months now. But, to make the family happy I attended a meeting about a week ago.

  After the meeting I was reminded about the meeting times and field service arrangement locations and times by a few elders and elderettes. As if I did not already know this! People that hardly ever go the meetings were eyeballing me as if they were better than me as I never go to the meetings anymore.

  So here is my question, do you find being a Jehovah Witness is all about competition?? Doesn't it at times feel more like a competitive sport than an alleged religion??
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  OUTLAW

  A competitive sport?..LOL!!..Your encouraged to be nothing and do nothing....Who wants to go to the Kingdom Hall and stay Brain Dead for 2 hrs?....Who wants to go out in the Field Service and do as Little as Possible?........Why it`s your active Jehovah`s Witness of course!!......Be nothing!..Do nothing!..And..Your a Winner!!.....................OUTLAW
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  general

  Definately. I remember when I was growing up in the "truth" that my erstwhile friends and I would see who could get the most time in field service during our summer vacation. Of course, this "friendly" competition was encouraged by the elders whom no doubt saw this as a way to boost congregations stats, which would allow them to bask the CO praise and exaltations.

  As I became a teenager it all boiled down to who was more spiritual. I remember when I told a "friend" of mine that I was going to pursue a career in chemistry he looked at me and said, " Well I am going to pursue regular pioneering and than I am going to Bethel. Quite pathectic if you ask me. By this point I was through with the "sport" if thats what one would like to call it.
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  Carmel

  How could you tell by their looks what they were thinking about you? A little projection maybe?? carmel
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  WTWizard

  Not only it was competitive, but the criteria made it impossible for anyone to succeed. You had to be totally non-competitive, yet only the most righteous were to make it into the "new" stagnant order. The other criteria included getting in the most field circus, placing the most littera-trash, making all the boasting sessions, spending the most time researching the Watchtower littera-trash, having the most knowledge of the Watchtower doctrines, and of course bringing in the most people.

  Then you had to live up to it all, including not caring about rank. This alone could kill just about everyone. None of it makes any sense, since it all creates what is known as "deadweight". This means it is destroying value. People are staying out beyond the point where the marginal cost of getting that extra time exceeds the marginal benefit. They are going to meetings when the cost of doing so exceeds the benefits. They are getting rid of things which the marginal cost of using them are lower than the marginal benefits, creating more deadweight. Effectively, it all means that everyone loses.
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  Mr. Majestic

  I found a few people very competitive. I know this one "elderette" who was also a pioneer. She had the mentality that the more that you do this side of Armageddon then the more you will get after. So she was very keen to have the biggest report to put in. She took pride in being known as the best pioneer that the congregation had. But she also has the habit of muscling in on other peoples studies and then taking them for herself. People would take her along with them and she would then be set to take over the call. It was like clockwork. It happened so many times…

  But the most pathetic part was the fact that she would work out when people went to see their studies with the latest mags and she would get there just before and place the latest mags before the person who’s call it was had the chance. She has been steeling calls that way for 15 years that I have known her for and even longer. Even more amazing is that she has got away with it……??
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  UnConfused

  My goodness I have a friend who can tell the funniest stories about watching the little old ladies and the rest go for seats like a land rush on each morning of an assembly. He referred to it as JW's only competitive sport. Very competitive within the congregation, just like being at work and folks jockeying for positions.
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  ibme

  Yes Me agree.
  
  No referee
  
  No rules
  
  The WTBS's view, 'Your out'.
  
  No reasoning/viewpoints
  
  Might makes right
  
  
  
  
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  leaving-jws

  It's all about the competition! After field service the first question that will be asked by the frontrunner (pioneer) at a street corner is "how many magazines did you place?" Not like they care. They just want an opportunity to tell you about all of the great success they had in placing WTs. I am so happy to be away from the rat race!

  Carmel: I understand why you would assume that I was projecting based on my vague statement of being eyeballed. But I have a buddy that everyone questions to get information about my whereabouts. And the people eyeballing me coincided with the people asking about me.
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  moomanchu

  Harumph, I see they didn't make it to the meeting, harumph.

  Yeah, out to late Saturday night harumph, harumph?

  2 Corinthians 10:12
  Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.

  yeah that