by compound complex 19 Replies latest jw experiences
Thank you:
Wasblind, St George, Minimus.
Your comments are appreciated. Somehow the Scripture's admonition to do all things unto Jehovah [if you at one time believed that] is bent and manipulated into something other than its obvious and simple intent. IMHO.
Funny, St George, I love window washing, though I really can't do it much any more!
Have a great day, all.
CoCo
My brother was counseled for working nights when he was a teen. He worked at a grocery store and missed the ''book study'' and ''ministry school'' meetings.(He needed money to pay for gas and car insurance.)
My mom made him quit his job when the elders asked why he was missing so many weekly meetings.
They had a part at the ''service meeting'' with my brother and an elder talking about the dangers of working nights when you should be attending the weekly meetings.The congregation,my mom,and elders were all happy he quit his part time job.
Last year at the 1 day assembly,a brother gave an experience the whole congregation loved .He worked in construction and missed too many meetings because the work involved finishing concrete and staying there to make sure that no one wrote on the concrete. The elders asked him why it was so important to work at a field where he would miss so many meetings.
He talked it over with his wife and decided to quit his job. After one year he was still unemployed but at least he wouldn't miss any more meetings and that Jehovah would provide for his family.(He failed to mention that he lived downstairs from his parents and that they helped him financially)
jimmy,
:But until the Watchtower pays me for pushing their beliefs comparable to what I'm making now, I'll just continue to put work first.
You couldn't pay me enough to push that shit. They may be low, but I do have SOME scruples!
Farkel
As a JW, did you love your job "too much"?
A big fat YES!
Along with thousands of other teenagers in the 1960s I was given little choice but to pioneer because Armageddon was sooooooo close - yes, it was even closer in those days than it is right now!! However, I suffered from chronic bronchitis and asthma which meant that I spent many weeks too sick to go out knocking doors in the freezing cold of an English winter. I was finally allowed to get myself a regular full time job. I settled down very quickly in my job and absolutely loved it. I was soon being given responsibility within the company and within a couple of years or so was being groomed for the position of secretary to the Managing Director. I never felt so happy, I was really achieving something with my life and was earning good money!!!! Any 'worldly' parents would have been really proud of my achievements but my mother saw it as Satan trying to lure me away from the 'Truth'. Articles kept appearing in the Watchtower about encouraging your children to pioneer as there was no other worthwhile 'career' which meant Mom kept on and on and on at me until finally I gave in for a quiet life. I was absolutely gutted when I handed in my notice, and my colleagues at work pleaded with me not to do it, as I would never get another chance in life like the one I was throwing away. They were right, I never did
Year after year I hear testimonials from bright Witness youth who turned down scholarships to take part in their dream of full-time field service. The lost potential makes me weep, as did the teachers of some of these young people. The crowd applauds.
As an "unbelieving mate", my husband has used my passionate interest in my work as a handy excuse at the hall. I am obviously "too tired" to join him. Witness women visit and cluck their tongue over my demanding job. Their lack of perception is worrisome. There can be great joy in expending a talent to create something new. The work is absorbing, engaging, and enjoyable.
But the Witnesses' joy is to be relegated to field service and meeting attendance, culminating in the annual drama. We ran in to some Witnesses at the restaurant last night. Hubby made small conversation, reminding the brother that they can enjoy each other's company today in field service. The brother's response was lukewarm at best. The words were true to form, but the voice and eyes did not match. Dull is dull, people!
I had a different situation, dear CoCo (peace to you!). I obtained a job running a rather large low-income housing project in the "territory" and shortly after I changed to the congregation for that territory was frequently told by some of the elders that my job "wasn't appropriate for a sister" and that I "should consider resigning." Blew me away - I loved my job. Sure, I had to close down crack houses, and run off gangs and drug dealers... but I grew up in the 'hood and so I didn't feel threatened or fear these folks like the JWs did. I just "reasoned" with them (i.e., "I can't let you do what you're doing here and if you don't stop I WILL turn you in to the police/FBI/DEA/ATF, so move it along"... and they did). I didn't get into their business or tell them to stop doing business - I just told them they couldn't do it on my property.
The problem wasn't that the elders considered it too dangerous - they didn't like the "authority" I had to have to run the place... as there were some JWs who lived there. All were single sisters... who the elders held sway over like nobody's business. I mean, those ladies and their children couldn't have a bowel movement without elder's approval. They also didn't like that I could... and did... deny their "personal" requests to move JWs in. But I backed them up from my business from day one and they [the elders] didn't cotton to that. One day, the stuff hit the fan:
One smarmy "brother" moved his family in. Wait, I have to set this up for you, because it's classic. An elderly "sister" from another congregation came to me and asked me to do her a personal favor and move this family that was staying with her into my project. I told her that I could not do that as the project had a waiting list, which I could not manipulate. So, SHE went to MY "elders" and told them that I wouldn't help this "poor brother" and his family. Of course, I was called into a meeting and told of the "obligations" we have toward one another. I informed the elders that while I could take the "brothers" application (which meant I had to open the waiting list, which required notices and advertising, etc.), I could not put him in a unit until his name came up. Well, that took about a year... and don't think folks didn't hound and give me looks during that time.
Well, finally the "brother's" name came up. And I prepared a unit for him... with all new everything... from the bottom up. Everything. Including kitchen cabinets. Even the towel bars, shower doors, drapery rods... everything was brand spanking new. And... it was next door to me (what was I thinking??!!!). First, it started with the borrowing... sugar... milk... detergent... what have you. No problem: these were my "brothers."
Then one month they didn't pay their rent. And so I sent them the customary 3-Day Pay or Quit. Which I sent to everyone who was late - it was my JOB. And the next thing I know, I was called in for a "very important" meeting. The "brother" and his wife had some "very serious accusations to make" against me. When I asked what they were, I was told "Well, we don't really know, but the brother and his wife want to discuss them." Dumb me, I said, "Okay." THEN, I was asked to bring their housing file to the meeting. HUH?? I told the "elder", sorry, but I couldn't do that. He then asked me to do it as a personal favor to him. Again, dumb me, I said okay.
So, meeting day arrives and we all come together... and the "very serious accusation" was... that I had given them a 3-Day Pay or Quit. This was "serious" in THEIR eyes because, "She knows he's been having problems finding work and she isn't helping us out." You could have knocked me out of my chair. First... they never ASKED for help. Second... EVERYONE who's late gets a notice. Third... their situation DIDN'T MATTER... because, fourth... their rent was only something like $289.00 (it was a Section 8 property!)!! And they couldn't come up with THAT... because no one ELSE would help them anymore! They had begged and borrowed their way through something live 3 or 4 congregations and everyone was tapped out!
The "elders" were flabbergasted and told them that I was only doing my job. But, they didn't stop there. They next said that that wasn't all, that I had "things" on them in my file (which I didn't - I mean, seriously, what "things" other than the usual tenant info??)... and they wanted to see their file right then and there. I told them that that wasn't possible, that I had only brought the file because the one elder had asked me to and that if they wanted to view it they were more than welcome to do so in the office during regular business hours. And then the elders asked me if THEY could see it. I told them, of course not. "This isn't MY file or MY property; I could even lose my job for taking it out of the office and bringing it here. This is my EMPLOYER'S property, not mine, and I have absolutely NO basis or authority for letting you review it. I mean, come on, seriously?"
To which two of the elders actually got miffed! Praise JAH one of them had his senses about him (the one who asked me to bring it, who was the PO - he later told me that he was pressured to ask by the other two). He finally took control of the meeting and spoke up and told the other elders that had he known what they wanted it for he would NOT have asked me to bring the file, and then apologized to me for doing so. He then told the "brother" and his wife that their rent was their responsibility, not mine, and that he had heard that MANY had helped them, AND he knew what I had done for them in opening the waiting list so that they could even GET housing... and he saw the unit before they moved in (because I lived next door and the Book Study was in my apartment, and so I showed it to him before they moved in), and that he felt I had gone above and beyond for them. So, he ended the meeting.
Those two never did pay their rent. I let it go for FIVE MONTHS... and then I was promoted. My replacement ultimately evicted them.
I loved that job... but, man, the JWs in that territory made it quite hard. I was always getting phones calls from some "brother" or "sister" asking me to help another family out and when I would tell them that it was not in my power, that I could GO TO JAIL for manipulating the waiting list... they didn't want to hear. They would just simply go around whispering about how I COULD help... but wouldn't.
Anyway, just one of my "me, my job, and the JWs" stories, dear CoCo. There are many.
Again, peace to you!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
Thank's for your story AGuest,
But sad to say I'm not suprised
Thank you, dear friends: R&R, Farkel, Amber, Jgnat, AGuest, Wasblind.
Your contributions - including personal experiences - are extraordinary, though, sadly, an all-too-common occurrence in WT-World.
Sincerely,
CoCo
Seems the witlesses want you to quit your job so you can pio-sneer. If you won't just do it, they will make trouble and get you fired or make it miserable so you will have to quit. And then you are supposed to pio-sneer.
Or, make up lies. Once I was working as a dishwasher, and the witlesses "heard" a rumor that the place was owned by a church. He made that up so I would then have to quit and pio-sneer. He manipulated it so, even if there was absolutely no evidence of its being owned by a church (which would have rendered it tax free; they paid sales taxes), I was supposed to quit on the mere hearsay about it. And then, he wanted me to waste more money on suit dry cleanings, field circus, and the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund--which I wouldn't have been able to if I would have quit every job because they make up a story about a "church" that supposedly owns it.
SMH at all the stories ...
Syl
