I didn't attend meetings for 6 or 7 months, didn't turn in any "time" and wasn't conducting a "family study" and the very first meeting back the PO asked me to read the Watchtower as soon as I walked through the front door. Than again, I was considered to be one of the up and coming brothers who was destined to go far in the organization.They didn't know that I had already decided that the organization was anything but the truth. They found out a couple of months later, though.
How Many Here Were Turned Down For "Privileges" Because You Weren't "Exemplary"?
by minimus 42 Replies latest jw friends
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truman
This issue-field service hours-was one of the building blocks of my exit from the WTS. My 19 year old son had been handling the microphone/sound system at our hall for a couple of years because he was good at it and reliable. He was not irregular in service, but usually got only 4-6 hours a month.
One of the elders decided that my son must raise his FS hours or be removed from these 'privileges'. When my son had not done so after a few months, this brother lowered the boom. I knew at the time that this move would alienate my son from the JWs because he has always been a very self-contained and free-thinking individual. I asked the elder if it was so, that we had so many involved young people that they could afford to be pushing my son out the KH door with both hands? He held the party line on the issue.
Shortly after that, my son did gradually cease attending and made it clear that he wanted nothing more to do with being a JW. That trigger point led-with a few intermediary twists and turns-to my own exit from the org.
So maybe there is some value to insisting on a minimum count of field service, after all.
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monkeyman
I was 16. The elders gave "privilidges" to everyone including picking up the mail, except me. Seriously, every person got priviledges announced from the platform, except me. Wow. What a slam. I attended every meeting, went in service and did everything I could as a 16 yr old.
With tears in my eyes, I drove to an elders home who studied with me and was my book study conductor. He was a wimp and weaseled out of any kind of reasonable explaination. I knew the decision was made by a "heavy" who didn't like me.
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Alco Cop
Growing up around the Witnesses (my mom & dad were hard line JW's) it was just easier as a teen to fall in the line. I had some friends my age in our local congo and we used service as a way (an excuse) to be able to get together and drive around. By the time I hit my late teens I was reading at the book study and for the WT, giving prayer at book study and meetings for service, etc. I was on their track and then, in 1980, I did something I had always dreamed about. I became a law enforcement officer. I used my bible trained conscience deciding to follow this career path even though it was immediately apparent that the WT Corp didn't like the idea of police officers in their congregations.
NEW LIGHT: In 1983 (07/15 wt) Corp decided that being a law enforcement officer was unexemplary and I had six months to quit my career or I would not be, well, exemplary (no more being able to read the publications at meetings or represent the congregation in prayer or pioneer, etc). No solid bible basis for this BS, just because we say so.
I didn't quit and so the local and area congregation elders gave "marking" talks to warn the Bro & Sisters of my sinful, errant way. WT Corporate didn't base this new light on anything in the bible but evidently decided they thought it was a bad idea to be a police officer where you must carry a weapon, even if it's to protect a human life and enforce law, and so any exemplary Christian would quit a job like that and start pioneering. I didn't. Since I was being treated like a sinner I decided WTH and grew a well groomed beard to go along with my public safety career. No more privileges for me. Thank you. I mean it. Thank you GB.
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Finally-Free
I had an ongoing conflict with the elders because they thought I didn't comment enough. By nature I'm a quiet person and I don't talk for the sole purpose of making noise like many of the elders seemed to do. So when I put my hand up it was because I had something to say that I believed was worth saying. I'd prepare a few comments by researching and bringing in additional material, and none of it was ever off topic or contradictory, but the elders didn't seem to like it. I wasn't about to pick sentences out of the paragraphs and simply reword them as others were doing. That sort of "participation" was more suited to 5th grade dropouts and I wasn't prepared to dumb myself down that much, so I quit commenting altogether.
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monkeyman
FF
I would do the same. Parroting out of the paragraph to me was a worthless endeavor. (A parrot could to that!) I would comment from the heart and give answers that were pertinent to the subject but from my own perspective. I thought that was the whole idea.
The PO who was the conductor didn't like that. He LOVED only comments that were directly from the paragraph. So he stopped calling on me. BTW I wasnt some goofball that gave of the wall comments. I was an elder at the time. But he just stopped calling on me.
The bad news......after 20 yrs. he is STILL the WT conductor.
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WTWizard
I lost my "privileges" (such as passing those damn mics) for blowing off too many boasting sessions. And I lost my "privilege" of giving talks for blowing one off. And good riddance.
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minimus
Yeah....good riddance!
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Finally-Free
I was kicked off the school. The school overseer handed me a slip for a bible reading. I checked the date and told him I needed to reschedule because I would be away on vacation that week. He proceeded to get angry, gave me shit and kicked me off the school. I just said, "OK", turned and walked away and left him standing with the slip in his hand. He was too stupid to realize he'd done me a favour.
I also stopped getting microphone assignments. The elders probably realized I was enjoying the view of all the cleavage too much.
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minimus
If you WANT to stop having to do these "privileges", simply lessen your hours in service to 4 or less. That'll do it!