When and how did the GB start cracking down on the dubs social life? (page 2)

wobble

humerous anecdotes a? Like the one about the bethel boy the prostitute and the donkey ?

eva luna

It's not just the picnics and get-togethers either that they clamped down on.

I remember when my kids were born , the sister would get together and arrange meals for a week or so. Or if someone was sick we would do this too.

It was a sister organized act of love that we did on our own. It made us feel good to give. Or feel loved if we were on the recieving end.

I've been inactive for quiet awhile now. While visiting a sister that is an elder's wife, who had just had a major surgery, I over heard a conversation that it is now the rule that sisters cant arrange meals for anyone, unless they get approval from the elders. One of the sisters talking was so freaked out beacasue she had been counseled recently for arranging an unauthorized organized dinner drop.

Very sad. Not only do they over control the fun social part of being around the 'Friends', but they control the simple act of giving.

sizemik

When I joined in the early 80's a couple of young MS's used to organise a "fun day" every Sat afternoon/evening right through the summer months. It used to include games; sack-races, egg & spoon races, three-legged races for the kid's, swimming, softball, cricket. touch-rugby in the afternoon and a picnic/BBQ. Following the picnic we would retire to a country hall and enjoy skits, musical items, comedy and/or country dancing.

It was very well organised and a fair bit of prep work was put in by these two guy's (bless them). It was organised to follow morning F/S and few who didn't go out in the ministry would feel comfortable about attending the fun day.(Bible students were welcome). Consequently it had a favourable effect on F/S turnout on Sat morning. They were happy times.

None of the Elders ever turned up however. The arrangement continued for about 7 or 8 weeks and one Elder and his family did finally turn up. The following week it was announced . . . yes, announced . . . that fun days would desist. The reasons given were that an unhealthy competitive spirit was being displayed and that inappropriate material was being used for entertainment (some family did a humerous skit on Ahab and Jezebel). Also, being a congregation-wide arrangement was precluding the attendance of Sat afternoon F/S (WTF?).

Subsequently that was the end of fun days. Apart from get-togethers with one or two families, we never engaged in similar type activities ever again. It was pretty mean-spirited on reflection. Too much fun just seemed to be a threat for some reason . . . we probably just didn't look persecuted enough.

Anony Mous

When I was younger I tried organizing some things. I got a visit from the CO and the elders with WT showing examples where some young ones had been drinking before Witness parties and bad stuff happened so I shouldn't be organizing things for young people since they are young and they can't make wise decisions yet. I was like WTF, but we'll have elders so-and-so and our parents, blah blah. No, it's too big of a party, we'll tell those elders not to support it anymore. Many of those examples put me on the back foot about the Witnesses, I knew something was wrong with the way the org was run for the last decade but only recently I have been investigating further.

juni

Reading that stuff gives me a case of the hives....

We used to have a lot of good times (picnics, ballgames, etc.) in the '70s and early '80s until mother's iron hand slapped us all down. The WT organization decides their directives for everyone over isolated events and assumes that by tightening the thumb screws it will stop "uncleanness". The fact is that those who do not have personal moral integrity - no matter the rules - will keep on doing what they want while everyone else sacrifices. I know my kids certainly missed the cong. get togethers. Hopefully you were invited to others' homes for get togethers otherwise you were screwed socially.

Pams girl

Eva Luna, are you saying you cant take a meal to someone in need unless its APPROVED BY THE ELDERS FIRST? They make me sick sick sick. Screw them. Control freaks!

NewChapter

I don't think my congregation ever really followed those rules on large gatherings. We still had them. It's been 3-4 years, so maybe they have shaped up.

BUT, before I left, there was a change in arranging meals. From what I remember, it could no longer be done through bookstudy. If sisters wanted to arrange meals, they had to do it on their own with no support from the bookstudy setting. Now I'm reading it needs elder approval?????

Can anyone tell me the "reasoning" behind it. What could they possibly have against it? Those meals really helped me through a difficult time, and I just can't even imagine what the problem is. However, before I left, they also quit announcing illness and hospitalizations. I figured it had to do with HIPPA and privacy issues. Could this be attached to something like that?

NC

FirstLastName

I think its funny that the elders and the GB say you cannot have get togethers cause there is not proper supervision.....as if no adults are to be trusted and are like babies. Truely "big brother". Do you need a member if tge GB to attend to have "proper supervision?"

Growing up, I remember lots of picnics and baseball games. My family had lots of congregation gatherings are our house to. They are well attended. The did stop in the 90's - I was never sure why. Perhaps because there was so much pressure on those organizing the events from the elders , i.e. if anyone became out of line, they would be help respondsible.

I also remember haveing a Watchtower study on certain nights at a friends house. We were all teenagers, and I looked forward to them, cause you got to see all your friends, have dinner and afterwards do the study. I heard that was elimnated to.

yourmomma

For me in my area we used to do a ton of get togethers, basketball games, video game tournaments, etc. But in the late 90s is when I noticed the society cracking down hard. By the early 2000's almost every type of gathering was forbidden, except very small ones where a brother takes the lead and runs it like a meeting and controls what everyone talks about etc. Now, there were still small factions of young kids that did stuff together but they kept it on the DL.

It got to a point where one by one every type of gathering was picked off. If they said no large gathering, the kids would try small gatherings, when they did that, they complained about the activity or entertaintment, or the frequency. Somehow it became an issue to get together more than once a month. Then the kids would get together and play halo, then that was forbidden. So then they played mario kart, and then the game itself wasent the issue, it was the fact they were playing video games for too long. Then they would get together and watch football, then that was an issue because of how long the football games lasted. It was crazy, it got to a point where they just stopped and kids left.

Now there are 2 groups, one group of young kids that do not do anything and obey orders, and there is this other group that just says "fuck it", and has huge gatherings with drinking. They literally ignore anything the elders say, and whats funny is they at least for now are getting away with it. These kids are going to leave once they turn an age old enough to live on their own.

Quendi

The first congregation I associated with in Boulder, Colorado was one with many young families. So there were a lot of kids to look after. Sometimes the elders would arrange for a day picnic that featured games and such which everyone enjoyed. Often, however, it was left up to individuals to have gatherings and invite whomever they pleased. I would occasionally take a group of kids on hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park which was relatively close. The kids loved it; and their parents would often tell me how much they appreciated having a day to themselves without having the kids around!

Blondie, thanks for the excerpts you posted. But I have to say that I couldn't read all the material. That is because the more I read, the angrier I got. It's funny how that works. When I was a faithful Witness, I saw such direction as evidence that Jehovah and his organization were looking out for our best interests and spiritual welfare. Now I see them only as clever and insidious manipulations by cult leaders determined to control every aspect of others' lives.

Quendi

When and how did the GB start cracking down on the dubs social life?

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