Turning in your time

witnessgirl

I posted this in another thread, but thought that it was probably worth its own discussion. Apologies if you've seen this in the other thread.

Here is a graphic that appeared in the June 1, 2005 Watchtower. I really found this graphic disturbing and cultish, but I guess to your average JW it just seems like another ordinary bit of Jehovah's Food™. I showed this graphic to a chick who has never been a Witness, and gave her a really brief explanation of the concept of turning in your time, and she agreed it was disturbing. What do you think?

Wasanelder Once

If a person were part of Mary Kay, or Amway or any other sales program such reports are beneficial to the organization in order to keep track of success. The JW's do the same. It is neither strange or cultic. It is simply part of the sales program for Jehovadoobie. Do we have to see conspiracy everywhere? W.Once

KW13

If turning in time was truly a voluntary option it wouldnt be so 'cult like' wasanelder...but thinkin about it, i remember our scary, scottish Cong. Servant making sure those reports got turned in...i used to wee myself haha (no i didnt really) Its like carrying the blood card, it isnt a mandate but without one you get some funny looks and you get pulled over.

insearchoftruth

The reason this is so 'out there' to me is that the jws pride themselves on basing what they do on the bible, and there is no place I can see in the bible where time is to be counted....

KW13

Remember; Society represents and works for God on earth, meaning whatever they do is as legit as the bible, so when a magazine or book says report time, jehovah likes it..thats as good as the Bible doing it to the Witnesses...

witnessgirl

Wasanelder - your comparison of the Org to MLMs is 100% correct. Actually, the moment when I realized the similarity is what I think of as the crucial "turning point" that started me on my way out. I was sitting in Theocratic Ministry School one evening and it suddenly dawned on me--we aren't going door to door to try to gain converts or save lives from Jehovah's wrath at Armageddon; we are going door to door to try to sell literature; the whole society is organized around selling literature.

I spent the next two days sitting and staring at the lake behind my apartment and not talking to anyone or answering the phone. The more I thought about it, the more that I thought--"this is just like Amway". The conventions, the sales meetings, meetings in private homes, cassette tapes, the organizational structure and "rank" system based on hours spent in service (unbaptized publisher, publisher, pioneer, special pioneer, etc.)--all just like Amway. It took another two years before I finally DA'd, but that was the turning point.

Peace,

Heather.

Twitch

"join me and together we will rule the galaxy",....

yea, another pyramid scheme courtesy of CT Russell and his masonic influences among others (pun intended).

Not Amway but perhaps IAMtheWAY,....(sic)

AudeSapere

I work in sales. Reporting is critical to measuring success.

-Aude.

SnakesInTheTower

Its MLM...only without any chance of making any money.

I know one regular pioneer/elder in my old congo who still sells ACN (phone service..formerly called LCI).... if you become one of his "downline" reps...you get added "benefits" at the KH....you will get lots of spiritual "shepherding".... you and your family will get lots of "one-on-one" attention....you will get invited to dinner, golf, outings... BUT...quit the phone business...all of a sudden...the invites go away...the "sheperding" ends.... you become just another R&F publisher.... worthy of no more attention than a piece of lint...to be quickly brushed off...as he moves on to more potential ~~downlines~~... I mean victims.

The Theocratic Ministry School is just to get people to some sort of minimum speaking ability, seeing as the public schools (in general) are doing such a lousy job... The Service Meeting is really the Sales Meeting... YET....at least in the States...the dubs aren't selling ANYTHNG...except the concept of becoming a witness....

...come to think of it...that is all ACN is...its not about selling phone service (that part just makes it legal)...its about recruitment...."sales" of phone service is secondary....

glad I didnt get sucked into the one and managed to get out of the other....hypocrites....

Snakes ()

WTWizard

There is a difference between this and the MLMs. If I am a distributor in a MLM, at least I am distributing a product that is of some value. I might be (and probably am) hyping it excessively to make the product look better than it is to increase sales and get more people in, but at least it carries some benefit.

The "product" that the Washtowel Slaveholdery produces is totally without value. People's lives are totally ruined (and not just those who are allergic to the product, but everyone). It is a complete waste of everyone's time. And I have yet to see even one consistent benefit to belonging or "using" the product.

Turning in your time

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