If ever there was a phrase that irritated a PO, then that was surely the one. People who told the PO that they were writing to the Society were trying to make a point that they were not happy with the way that the congregation was being run. Hey Mr. PO, sort this out or else I grass on you being the thinly veiled threat. Invariably, the prospective writer would already have been bracketed as a gossip, a troublemaker, a ‘thick-file’ type of witness by the congregation elders.
Which brings me to my point!
Mature, responsible and loyal brothers, with one exception, NEVER WRITE TO THE SOCIETY UNINVITED. “Writers to the Society” are bracketed into several groups, these are:
Prophets. Lots of wannabee prophets in the ranks of dub-dom. The average dub prophet spends countless hours on what he believes is meticulous research, until he comes up with, what is to him at least, indisputable evidence that the Fall Of The Walls Of Jericho is symbolic of the loss of virginity of The Scarlet Woman Who Sits Astride The Face Of Kent Steinhaugh. Or doesn’t. Big aggravation factor is our Mr. Prophet, so he gets a standard letter thanking him for his comments whilst the bethel writer silently holds up one finger. Right or wrong, our Mr. Prophet is on a loser. If his theory is good he’s not waited on Jehovah,who would have released the information at the due time through God’s Visible Organisation (!) if he’s wrong he could be turning apostate. Better watch this fella, for Christ’s sake don’t make him an elder!
Memorial Saints. Not so common these days, nonetheless a Memorial Saint is generally regarded as, if not a total whacko, at least a likely candidate for Atzheimers. Memorial Saints – don’t go to many meetings except memorials where they take the emblems – like to quote from the writings of Russell. Usually they write to the society because they think – mistakenly – that the society is desperate for any input from the vestiges of the FDS. They don’t realise that there are not 144,000 in the society’s FDS, there are just 12 or so who live in Brooklyn. What a shame.
Newbie-dubs. Usually a male convert, eager to get on the promotion ladder, he wants Head Office to know about him. He writes on some pretext assuming that his name will soon be on everyone’s lips. Is immediately spotted as a glory-seeker and sets his new career back by several years.
Leavers.These are quickly dealt with. A leavers letter is always a long letter, the leaver desperate to assure ‘His Brothers’ that he is really a nice guy who still loves Jehovah. Reams and reams of italicised Scripture followed by all the reasons that he can’t associate with JW’s anymore, leastways not until they have revised their stand on blood / shunning / sex / whatever, the leaver soon becomes a formidable adversary as he is pissed on by the top to the bottom of the JW hierarchy.
I outline these points having been a witness to the reactions of elders and bethelites who have opened and read letters similar to the ones that I have mentioned. I guess everyone knows what the one exception is.
Englishman.
Bring on the dancing girls!