I'm around half way through Ray's second book and have just read about this and the way the GB knows it but insists on implying that it is a pattern from the first century to be followed !!! Unbelievable....how could they be so deceitful and sleep at night ...let alone pray...???
House to house not scriptural !- 'In search of Christian Freedom' Revelations..
by Lozhasleft 13 Replies latest jw friends
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sacolton
Ah, young grasshopper, it has always been about control and slavery. Yes, they knew it wasn't scriptural, but they loved the free labor and why would they give that up? Fred Franz joked about it saying if the disciples went in the front door then they probably went out the back - hence, door to door. They have no conscious whatsoever about it.
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NiceDream
This was eye opening for me too, and the years of guilt melted away.
What I found refreshing was how Bethelites can't even get 10 hours a month, and they live in a special world without the stress of modern living.
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mentallyfree31
Let's go even deeper Lozhasleft: The door to door work brings in hardly anybody. First of all, we are beating on the doors of empty houses. For years, I would quite often go all morning and talk to nobody or just one or two people. Second, look around - almost all the increase is coming from family members getting other family members in, informal witnesses, etc.
I baptized three people in 25 years and none of the 3 was a result of house to house work. Friends of friends and family members of people that I met while studying with their family member.
My former congregation has gained about 40 new ones in the last 6-8 years. Basically every one of them were family members or extended family members or referrals from other witnesses - it was NOT from house to house.
Disclaimer: In some countries, the house to house work does bring in many. I'm not qualified to speak on the specifics of that. I'm speaking of my experience in the southern US and surrounding areas. Perhaps others can add their comments on this issue as well.
The house to house work is the cult's way of keeping people busy. And it's a huge mental thing - because their NWT bible says house to house and they can point to it and say "our religion is special" because nobody else does it.
-mentallyfree31-
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Heaven
I do believe Jesus said "Come to me." and not the other way around.
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Lozhasleft
Good points...Ray says even though they knew that majority of mags werent read around the world the production and placements of them implied success and divine approval....so many respected elders and overseers and Bethelites approached GB that the field service door to door was questionable and was putting unnecessary pressure on bros & sis but GB just ignored it all and reinforced idea that salvation comes from door knocking....meanwhile as you say MentallyFree more and more family and friends get dragged in....
Loz x
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designs
Dejavous moment remembering the last time I went out in Service and the actual door (err driveway) I stood in with my daughter when she was little and this homeowner walking out of the garage with that look of 'why are you here' and me thinking 'exactly, why am I here'.
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XPeterX
Recently the Elder asked how many have been recruited from door to door preaching and only about 10 ppl out of 125 of my congo raised their hands.
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blondie
Bethelite schedule:
M-F 8-5 (doesn't take into account "morning worship" every morning at 7 a.m., attendance strongly "required")
Sa 8-12 (men don't get 2 Sats off until they are 50, by the time there 40, women get all of them off) I was in a congregation with 20 bethelites and few wives come in alone on Sat to go out in field service (reasons, couldn't drive the distance from Walkill!, had only one car and would not car pool with other women, etc. Some did come in Saturday afternoon with hubby and stayed over with a local family to attend Sunday.
Monday night: Family Worship, meet to listen to handpicked men answer the questions; new bethelites (new boys, newbies) have to stay afterwards to additional "training"
During the week now the book study/TMS/SM night where many travel for 1/2 to 1 hour one way.
Sunday PT and WT study (same travel time)
Some would go out on Sunday (mostly the ones who did not come in on Saturday)
I found quite a few that really missed d2d after coming to Wallkill; probably because things were so regimented otherwise. I even had a few try auxiliary pioneering (mostly single men) until the admin put a stop to that.
Blondie (from the early to mid 80's)
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Lozhasleft
It seems Rutherford, who initiated the door knocking idea, never went out and knocked any? Tremendous eh? It was obviously a great idea to promote a publishing company. The GB themselves werent/arent big on the door to door either.....
Loz x