~ The WTBTS competition to see who is willing to suffer the most ~

by FlyingHighNow 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    Isn't the whole crux of the WTBTS organization and its purpose a competition to see who is willing to suffer the most? Here's a conglomeration of experiences I have read about in the mags or heard of at conventions:

    Sister Masochistic: she has lived in an iron lung since childhood, a victim of polio. She is blind, deaf and mute and has stage IV cancer, yet she is a special pioneer. Her children are the best behaved, most well dressed of any witness children. She sews all of their clothing, being an excellent seamstress and all. They were baptized at 5 and 6 and already are regular pioneers. She has the cleanest, shiniest car on her street. Her yard is the most impressive of any yard in the neighborhood. The landscaping is superb and she does it all herself. She grows all of her own fruit and vegetables and shares her bounty with the local congo. Her house is spic and span and is decorated like a little dollhouse on a shoestring.

    She supports her CO husband, so he can pioneer, off her knitting and jewelry making business. She is modest in dress and temperment, a real example for the sisters.

    She never misses a meeting and attends all assemblies and conventions. She gets in more than the special pioneer hours and never, no never complains. She is delightful and cheerful.

    Feel bad yet? Nothing you can do will ever hold a candle to Mrs. Masochistic. But you will die at Armegeddon if you don't bust your @$$ worrying and trying to match her and shoving this example down every Kingdom Hall deadbeat's throat.

    So, are you willing to suffer? Are you going to outdo this sister? Hmmmm? Going to show up at the summer convention in your hospitial bed? Well, are you?

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    If Jehovah is truly the happy God and is LOVE (1 John 4vs 8) then surely he wants us to be happy and enjoy life and not suffer and be a martyr

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    Oh come one, at least one of you one legged, legally blind folks is willing to stand on the street corner all day selling magazines in the 98 degree heat.

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    Give us something to brag about at the conventions.

  • compound complex
    compound complex

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/139469/1.ashx

    Inspired or Guilted by the One-legged Pioneer Sister?

    Friends: GUILTED or INSPIRED?

    One of our dear regular posters mentioned that she knew the same one-legged pioneer sister I had heard tell of throughout my career as a Jehovah's Witness. The tear-jerking accounts of her ten exemplary, theocratic children, all of whom could recite the books of the Bible before they could say Dada, inspired me to teach my own children well, however late in their own adolescence it took them to come up with their own gurgly version of Dada. And she always arrived at the meetings early - to cheer up those less privileged than herself - despite her raging cretin of a husband's burning her clothes and study aids before each and every venture out the door [even when she went on hikes with the kids]. I'm given to understand that a crocodile took her other leg and both her arms on the way to a DC, though that may be an urban legend. I believe it happened in Detroit.

    I must stop as I'm getting a bit teary-eyed. What an inspiration to us all! I do not wish to even suggest the possibility of a slightly irregular and negative take on this story of our beloved sister [I never actually met her, but I hear she is quite a looker], but is there the remotest possibility that her story guilted you into pioneering, or any increase in activity, for that matter, YOU whose personal circumstances are doubtless so much more favorable than hers?

    CoCo is Curious [?]

  • chickpea
    chickpea

    well OUR region had the sister with 4 kids
    who couldnt get the car started one SNOWY
    WINTER NIGHT, so OF COURSE she heads
    out into the night with the kids bundled up
    (over their dress clothes, naturally)
    depending on jah to see them to the KH....
    blah blah blah they get a ride from a kindly
    though worldly guy yada yada

    now why exactly was it YOU didnt make it
    to meeting during a blizzard??? slackers!!

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    I have personally had to work all night, go to the Big Boasting Session, work the next evening, go to the regular boasting session, and then work that evening as well. A complete waste of time.

    These days, I will not even lift a finger to go. The only way I would go is if the total opportunity cost of going is less than the total benefit, which is not going to happen. They all focus on a delusion of infinite benefit making it worth a very high opportunity cost. If only they operated on the real benefit, they might decide to not go after all.

  • Witness 007
    Witness 007

    Good point, I think alot of religions are like this.....sacrifice now, paradise later.

  • B_Deserter
    B_Deserter

    I love the manipulation. They tell you not to compare yourself to others, that Jehovah is happy with what you can do. BUT THEN COMES THE AWAKE ARTICLE about Sister Masochistic or Brother African Farmer who crosses alligator-infested rivers at the risk of his crops failing and his family starving to make the meetings. The hidden message? YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH! Look at sister so-and-so who is not only overcoming more adversity than you are, she's doing "better" in the congregation as well! She's doing MORE than YOU!

    If they really believed that Jehovah is happy with what you can do, they wouldn't parade "examples" over the stage at assemblies and conventions. They wouldn't hint from the stage that non-pioneers won't survive armageddon. The fact of the matter is that most people, in fact, are NOT doing "all they can" in service to the organization. The "examples" are a way to guilt-trip the rank and file into going out door-knocking more often.

  • PrimateDave
    PrimateDave

    I sure hope my family never reads this post as I'm sure they would think I am disrespecting her, but my Grandmother was one such individual. She was at the point of suicide and prayed to God for help when the Witnesses came to her door. She became a Witness despite strong opposition from my Grandfather. She raised six children, four of whom have been faithful Witnesses. There is even the story of them sneaking off to the meetings against my Grandfather's wishes by rolling the car out of the driveway, something I assume she got my uncles to do so as not to awaken my Grandfather. There were other incidents that are too vague in my memory to recall. She suffers from dementia now and lives in an nursing home. There is a family superstition that because of her faithfulness she may actually live through Armageddon and never have to die. With that kind of family history, I have no doubt that my parents will be Witnesses until the day they die. :(

    Dave

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit