The Pressure Is On to Pioneer in April

by dontplaceliterature 33 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  ambersun

  He ACTUALLY SAID that "Armageddon is coming and if that's not incentive to do more in the service of Jehovah, I don't know what is."

  He went on to point out that we should never be satisfied with what we are doing now, and should always be striving for more. He mentioned a talk on a District Convention from 1981 where these questions were asked:

  "If you are a single person without Scriptural obligations, can you justify before Jehovah why you are not in the full-time service?"

  "If you are a married couple without Scriptural obligations, can you justify why one or both of you are not in the full-time service?"

  "If you are a retired person without Scriptural obligations, can you justify before Jehovah why you are not in the full-time service?"

  Towards the end of the talk, he made a statement that really got my blood boiling. He said: "Would you expect The End to come when Jehovah has got more people than ever involved in the Pioneer work? Could it happen in April?"

  As far back as the 1960s we were put under so much pressure from our parents and congregations to follow this directive. We were expected to give up any further education, careers or fulfilling jobs to devote all our time knocking doors as our lives were in danger if we did not do as we were told. Yet where does it actually say in the bible that Jehovah expects people to do this?

  If any young JWs are reading this thread who are currently being pressurised against their better judgement to devote their lives to pioneering, please be assured this is nothing new. It is the same pressure they have used for over a century in fact. Back in the 60s we were told there would be plenty of time to do all the fun things in life 'in the New System' which was almost upon us and we were to devote every moment we could to the preaching work in case Armageddon came and caught us unawares.

  Believe me, they will steal your youth off you, ruin your chances of getting a fulfilling job then you will reach 60 without a pension and realise you were conned. Don't let it happen!!!! Put your foot down and say NO while you have the chance.
• 

  miseryloveselders

  I guess they realize that no one is going to increase their service activity, unless, they sign a piece of paper and get their name read so everyone can applaud.

  LOL, there's some truth to this too. I went out in service this morning, and I have to admit I enjoyed my time out. I had a conversation with someone close to me, and I asked her if she was contemplating auxilliary pioneering in April. She replied that at this time she doesn't know, but she has considered it. She leveled with me at that point, and told me that she regular pioneered for over 10 years, and she's proud that she did that. However, she told me that she has no intention on ever doing that again. Also when it comes to auxilliary pioneering, she said sometimes she feels a measure of guilt because she's capable of auxilliary pioneering occasionally, but she simply doesn't want to. She told me she has no desire to auxilliary pioneer. Here's the best part, to me anyway, she said this initiative for April is almost like a "guilt trip directive from Bethel", as she put it. She mockingly told me that its like they're telling us, with a deep scornful voice, "we dropped the hours for you, what more do you want us to do for you? Don't you appreciate this?" We both laughed, but I have to say that I'm curious as to how many other JWs feel the pressure to do this. What she and I laughed about today in service, isn't something that you can joke around about with any old JW, as you could be viewed as a murmurer or cynical, but I'm positive that many feel the way we feel about this. They just can't say anything, because this is a jacked up religion. Maybe I should just label it what I think it is.........Itsacult.
• 

  jookbeard

  you've got some style Misery, how can you keep up the subterfuge without giving the game away?
• 

  miseryloveselders

  you've got some style Misery, how can you keep up the subterfuge without giving the game away?

  I don't man, some days I'm paranoid thinking the jig is already up. One day I'll share some things with you guys, as I almost raised the stakes for myself not that long ago. When this dies down, I'll share it with you. It's not that big of a deal to someone not in my shoes or similar, but for those in my situation, it would have been quite problematic. Some days I think, eventually, I'll slip up and end up in a JC for apostacy, or my heart will get the best of me and I'll start dating with a view to marriage with "an unbeliever", thereby forcing my removal from the BOE, and being marked. Or the best case scenario is, I'll lose my mind and spiral into a life of alcohol and prescription drug abuse while trying to play both sides of the fence. I don't know man, its not looking good right now.

  What I do know is that there's a disconnect growing between Bethel and your average congregation here in the States. This auxilliary pioneer thing is interesting, because they're playing a different kind of game in Bethel. It's paranoia on my part, but I'm not quite willing to subside my thoughts that this whole initiative is a cull to weed out the lukewarm doubters, and the covert unbelievers. Maybe it is an innocent feeler on Bethel's part to see about dropping the hours significantly on auxilliary pioneering, and maybe even regular pioneering as that rumor never did come to fruition as being factual. I was thinking, maybe there was some real truth to the rumor about regular pioneering hours being dropped, and rather than prove that rumor as being true, the powers that be in Bethel decided to play another card...namely this initiative for April. We'll see I guess, time will tell.

  You know it says something about a religion that markets itself as being refreshing, and happified, yet is so paranoid of dissent that it creates a culture of intrigue, paranoia, and even espionage if you consider Ynot's connections. I guess it goes back to what some of us are not quite willing say just yet............Itsacult.
• 

  jookbeard

  Misery ; you handle it very well, I thought perhaps I could have gone along with the farce for a few years after i was found "not guilty" on my apostasy charge all those years ago but I couldn't carry on, you know what that biggest problem was with me? knowing too much about the Borg, I knew every single GB member off the top of my head, I knew every doctrinal change , every president, how long they ruled for,every member of the Board of Directors, members of various committees,zone over-sears etc, and you could only have known this info from outside sources (R Franz) so my knowledge of their own workings was starting to raise suspicion especially from my sister,you know where I'm coming from ? I couldn't hold it in any more!
• 

  factfinder

  If this was 10 or more years ago I would have welcomed it as a good idea. I had aux pioneered often under the 60 hour quota- this would have been much easier.

  But now if I was still an active witness even the 30 hours would be too much for me to get in.

  I remember everyone being given an ap application during the meeting, told to take it home and pray and think about it years ago.

  I remember in 1978 the cong I was in made the Theocratic News section in the KM! We were so proud- we had 64 aps that month out of 130 pubs!

  It is possible those who do not ap in April will be looked down on but the society wants the pioneer numbers to go way up to a new peak so if it has a good response this time they will probably pick other months (Oct.?) to let you ap with only 30 hours. Maybe it will become the norm.
• 

  dontplaceliterature

  As far as why anyone can justify not being involved in the full time service, I can think of one reason..............its not scriptural. We don't know how many hours any of the 1st Century Christians spent preaching. There's enough evidence to indicate not all 1st Century Christians were involved with the door to door work. You gotta love how this religion took the example of the Apostle Paul who lived the life of a missionary, yet this religion makes it seem like all Christians were doing exactly what he was doing. They're full of crap, and they're a bunch of scumbags for pressuring their flock in this fashion. The word or term Pioneer isn't even in the scriptures, neither is Auxilliary, Special Pioneer, Regular Pioneer, Bethelite, Governing Body, Writing Department, Legal Department, and a million other things this religion pressures their flock to aspire towards.

  BINGO. You hit it on the head here, MLE. This is my big problem with the push to Pioneer. I really do feel like a Christian has an obligation to share the "Good News" with neighbors/co-workers/family/friends. However, there is no proof that the early Chrisitans shared it with anyone but the people they interacted with day-to-day.

  The title of "Pioneer" is not Biblical, and has just become a superficial carrot for anyone who is not comfortable with their spirituality.

  It becomes an excuse not to take an interest in anyone in the congregation on a real meaningful level, and focus all your energies on your time...er..um...title.
• 

  dontplaceliterature

  Misery ; you handle it very well, I thought perhaps I could have gone along with the farce for a few years after i was found "not guilty" on my apostasy charge all those years ago but I couldn't carry on, you know what that biggest problem was with me? knowing too much about the Borg, I knew every single GB member off the top of my head, I knew every doctrinal change , every president, how long they ruled for,every member of the Board of Directors, members of various committees,zone over-sears etc, and you could only have known this info from outside sources (R Franz) so my knowledge of their own workings was starting to raise suspicion especially from my sister,you know where I'm coming from ? I couldn't hold it in any more!

  I am afraid the same thing will happen to me. I have only been venturing into the world of "conscienciousness" for a few months now, but I am bursting at the seams to share what I've been learning. The more meetings I go to, the angrier I become. The more time I spend on a personal level with Jehovah's Witnesses, the more "brainwashed" I feel they are. I hate it. It's so weird that these people who I have so much love for, and who i formerly had so much respect for, now seem so "elementary" to me. I'm not sure how to strike a balance that allows me to remain among them, and yet have any respect for myself.

  I really do love Jehovah's Witnesses, because they are typically very humble, teachable, loveable people. But, it is unfortunate that they are so narrow-minded. I know it's nothing new for any long time defectors, but it's a total mind-game for me.

  Please, keep the comments coming.
• 

  NewChapter

  Miseryloveselders: thereby forcing my removal from the BOE

  I did not know you were currently serving as an Elder! May I ask why you stay? I'm sure it is for excellent reasons, and I'm intrigued.

  Some things that have really surprised me about this board:

  People only attend the hall to protect family relations.

  People actually execute their fades! (Mine came about organically, no planning)

  People craft reinstatement--just so they can execute their fade.

  Elders (!) visit this board and are unhappy at the hall.

  Again, for all that can still walk through the KH doors, for important reasons. I am humbled that you can do it. I recongnize the sacrifice. I just don't think I could do it--no matter what was at stake--but I'm probably much more selfish than those that can.

  If I had heard a talk like what is in the opening post, I would have walked out of the KH. I did it all the time, in the end. I was very sick, and didn't know if I had a future, and that constant pressure used to freak me out--and I'd just get up and go home. putzes
• 

  confusednsad

  wow... it is all coming back to me now. I have been disfellowshipped for about a year now, for the second time. The pressures of the meeting attendance and service and always striving to do more more more just got to me, and stressed me out big time. I cant handle pressure like that. Never good enough. Never satisfied. I just cant do it. I dont believe a loving God Jehovah would expect so much pressure from us all.