WT Controlling Statements About Missing Meetings,Worldly Parent's, Etc.

flipper

Most of us know having been out of the witnesses that one of the dastardly techniques they use in controlling members is to keep them so busy engaged in other activities that there is absolutely no time to pursue normal family interests or hobbies. One of the lurking witness friends on the board sent me some quotes from a recent book study. Look at these quotes and see how controlling the Watchtower society is becoming.

Notice this quote from a recent book study, " Take, for example , a man who is serious about providing for his family. To do so he would appropriately view his secular work as important. Perhaps something develops , and he feels he must miss some Christian meetings in order to work. In time , missing meetings becomes easier, and he misses more frequently . Little by little , his bond with God weakens - he has " begun to forget his maker. " Oh brother. So what's a poor man to do- let his family starve if he can't find work that doesn't interfere with meetings ? I had a brother tell me once who had 6 children and a wife and worked in a produce section of a grocery store 3:00P.M. till 11:30 P.M. week nights that the elders were severely guilting him into quitting his job because he missed too many meetings ! He was in tears telling me this ! What right do they have to tell you to quit your job- they don't !

Next quote about " worldly parents " , " A similar thing may happen to a Christian whose parents or other relatives are unbelievers. He faces issues : How much time will he reserve for them , and when ? " I mean, come on , now they are saying to limit or really minimize any time for worldy relatives ? Jack asses. I remember visiting my worldly grandparents plenty of times with my witness mom and dad in my youth ! Once again the screws of control are being turned a notch tighter !

Then about having fun comes this quote , " What about deciding how much time and attention to use for trips, hobbies, and entertainment"? Once again the reins of control tighten keeping witnesses SO BUSY that they will not have time to pursue hobbies , trips, and recreation ! I always did anyway when I was a witness - I was just too " independent " for their taste !

So do you see how controlling and busy they are keeping witnesses these days ? Did you have experiences seeing people guilted because of their jobs interfering with meetings, or associating with worldly relatives, or pursuing trips, hobbies, and recreation ?? Feel free to please share the experiences as it may help some who are sitting on the fence of this controlling organization - to jump for safety out of it ! As always I look forward to your comments ! Peace out to all, Mr. Flipper

StAnn

I have a friend who finally left the Dubs four months ago. One of the reasons is that she is single, providing her sole support, and has a large sum of student loans to pay. She couldn't get a promotion at her job because the hours would interfere with her meeting attendance. When she talked about this with the POs wife, fearing her paychecks would be garnished to pay for her student loans if she couldn't get promoted, the POs wife said, "Well, they can't garnish ALL of your check. Just tighten your belt." WTF????

StAnn

Mr. Flipper, I will say that my time with non-JW relatives was always seriously limited growing up because my Dub mother saw them as bad association. After I left the Dubs, I sought out a relationship with my grandparents. The stories they told me of how much pain we had caused them by obviously avoiding them just broke my heart and have never left me. When my grandmother died seven years ago, I called my younger brother, who had just left the Dubs. He told me that, sad as it was, he didn't really know our grandmother or very much about her because of always being a JW and not seeing her much, so he wasn't nearly as upset as I was. We couldn't share stories of time spent with Grandma because our mother hadn't allowed it. Almost all of my memories of my grandmother are from experiences I had with her after I left the Dubs. Dubs and their "segregationist" policies destroy the lives of many, many people around them.

StAnn

Jeremy C

Most of the motivation used by the Watchtower leadership is comprised of guilt and fear. This is because there is really nothing to inspire people within the organization or anything to evoke natural intrinsic motivation based upon love and devotion.

The only tool available to the organizational hierarchy is attempt to make its members feel afraid and guilty for not molding themselves to the organizationally programmed treadmill. Unity is natural. Unanimity must be manufactured and enforced.

OUTLAW

Flipper..The truth is,nothing has Changed..It may be new to you..But..Not to me.........Your a good man for starting this thread..It lets the younger ones know,what the older ones already know.......................... Clint Eastwood ...OUTLAW

mustang

This isn't new, because I haven't been to a meeting for over 30 years:

My non-JW cousins would always talk about "Uncle Bob"; I wasn't even sure who they were talking about, so I played along and "winged it". Then after a while, I asked my brother. He related that our father had been such a rabid JW zealot that "Uncle Bob" threw him out of his house. That was before I could form any memories of him. When my brother described "Uncle Bob", I discovered that he was the type of person that I wish I had known. This was after "Uncle Bob" had passed away.

I think of Jesus when he describes the gospel as dividing families. JW's take this as prophetic; but they go one step further and make it the self-fulfilling prophecy. Effectively, they have the gall to view it as a command!!!

Rather, I feel that Jesus was voicing this as a lament, not even a prophecy. I believe he felt saddened for the inevitable divisions that could happen.

Mustang

cameo-d

I think of Jesus when he describes the gospel as dividing families. JW's take this as prophetic; but they go one step further and make it the self-fulfilling prophecy. Effectively, they have the gall to view it as a command!!!
Rather, I feel that Jesus was voicing this as a lament, not even a prophecy. I believe he felt saddened for the inevitable divisions that could happen.

Mustang, that is a very insightful viewpoint. I absolutely agree that Jesus voiced that as a lament and not as a condition that "true religion" was supposed to divide people.

justhuman

Great staff Mr. Flipper....I recall when I had to work 3 jobs (I was working in a delivery section of sanitary ware, I had a cleaning company, and playing guitar in a band for the weekends)in order to make it through. I do not consider my self greedy person, or a person who loves money. But, I had to work hard(and still do)since the needs of the family are more in this world we are living. I'm not talking about having lobsters of haviar, for dinner. I'm talking for the basic needs.

In my case it was a combination of events:

1.Family has grown, more mouths to feed.

2. I have discovered the truth about "truth"

3.I was really shit finnancialy since I've spend many years preaching the "good news"

Any how I had frequent visits from the elders since I have stoped going to meetings. I asked them "who will feed my family?.Who will pay the rent?" I understand the need for the meetings(ok I was bullshitting here)but I 'm in a terrible finnancial condition. My problems are NOW. and NOW I need to work hard to face them".

They nevered answer to those questions. All they used to answer it was that we are living in the last days and Satan is using the system to put more preasure upon us.

One time I was really pissed off by one of the elders who said to me that my attitude will lead my small childern(age 1 and 3 at that time) to DIE in Armageddon!!! I hardly managed to control my temper(have in mind the Mediterraneans are hot tempered) Such an asshole...he was using my small childern to make me go to their shitty meetings...

When I was young and I was supposed to study,get a digree, WT was forbitting us for more education...some, under the guidance of the WT left school and became pioneers because the end was so near.. We have stayed uneducated in a very competative world. Now we are paying for our "submission"to "God's Organization" with low payed jobs, and no skills.

Man I hate WT with all of my existence...bloody false prophets

carla

"other relatives are unbelievers. He faces issues : How much time will he reserve for them , and when ? " --- Reserve time? give me a break, worldly spouses & relatives get what's leftover. My jw still has a difficult time understanding why his family doesn't fall all over him when he finally has time to do something. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder, it makes it wander sometimes instead or grow complacent. Don't even get me started on jw's interference with business!

no more kool aid

It's all the same Flipper (we just left last spring). There is absolutly no excuse to miss meeting and not be visibe in service. I have always worked in a bussiness that required shifts and on call time. I was always in quite a quandary. I couln't work 7-3 because when my weekend time came I would miss Sat and Sun. If I worked 3-11 I would miss Tues and Thu and have to pull 18 hr days on my weekend. I could work nights and be good to no one ( that was always the reccomendation because then my dead body would at least be filling a seat). If I was at work my poor husband would always get the third degree "how long will she "have" to keep working? Like that should be the ultimate goal. Unfortunatly I can't speak to the association with worldy family because they are mostly all in JW.

WT Controlling Statements About Missing Meetings,Worldly Parent's, Etc.

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