It seems like every time our circuit failed to meet the field service goals set by our CO, the very next Circuit Assembly would invariably include a talk that mentions a chronically ill paraplegic sister who would dial the phone with her tongue to make Return Visits or conduct Bible Studies... I must have heard this experience at least 6 or 7 times in the past 20 years or so. And every time I heard this recycled talk, they would add even more guilt-inducing twists to it. To me, it eventually became way to difficult to believe... Anyway, I'm very curious to know if this example has been given in your Circuit... If so, did you think it was a completely made-up story or did you tend to believe it? If you believed it, how did it make you feel?... Looking forward to your responses...
Paraplegic JW example used at assemblies
by Alfred 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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clarity
It used to send me either of two ways.
1. As the talk droned on, I would hear in my brain - got to do more, got to do more and went home thoroughly guilt induced! Then went out in the fresh air to water the garden and forgot about it till the next beating!
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2. Felt so insignificant, like they would never understand that I (an able bodied woman) just can't do anymore! Just felt like giving up.
I finally did thank dog.
clarity
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AnneB
I particularly enjoyed the story about the African villagers who would walk a half day through the jungle, ford a raging river by using washtubs (that they had to bring with them) to hold their literature, meeting clothes, babies, and small children, then walk another few hours through the jungle until they reached the meeting place, hold all 5 meetings back to back, then make the return trip the next day.
Shooooot, what was my problem bringing five children (three under 6 years old at one point) to the Kingdom Hall in 100+ Fahrenheit temperatures (Los Angeles temperatures), on foot, pushing a baby stroller while the oldest either carried or walked with the middle kid(s)? (My car was totalled in a hit-n-run which was the other driver's fault entirely.) We only had to walk three miles while the elders passed us by with their air conditioned cars, later telling me that 1) it was illegal for them to pick us up because there weren't enough seat belts in their cars for all of us, or 2) they started taking the freeway route because seeing us walking made them feel bad!
Then there was the story about the Malawian sisters in a concentration camp who were told to move a hill from one side of the road to the other, and given no tools! The sisters reportedly carried the soil in their cupped hands, handful by handful, until the entire hillside was moved. Now that story I could relate to!
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Slidin Fast
I am sorry it is actually true! I am that person. I have no arms or legs and the only way I can get around is via water. i swim very fast in water despite having no limbs.
They call me clever-dick!
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Anony Mous
The story makes no sense since disabled persons have specialized interfaces to an especially useful tool such as a phone. Voice recognition has been available since the early 80s and before that they had human operators which for disabled people was free with the state-owned phone networks.
Also, your tongue would cramp up horribly after a couple of phone calls and the precision as face nears buttons would be very bad.
the Africans I never believed since JW's are only starting to make inroads and then mainly in their cities. Those people simply don't have time to go away from the farms, they are mainly ruled by local tribe leaders that decide everything for the tribe and suits are simply too expensive for 90% of the population, especially the people who JW's are targeting (poor, afflicted, undereducated)
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Band on the Run
I volunteered for a disabled rights law group. Poster is correct about sophisticated interfaces. I don't know the details of the very specialized equipment. There are simply slurpee cups for the completely paralzyed. Dragon Speaking Naturally and Windows have voice recognition software. It sounds true if the assembly were in 1930.
My family could not afford a car. We used to see all the dogs whizzing past in air conditioned comfort. Oh, how I know!
I'm omiting my usual commentary.
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NewChapter
In my hall, they regularly held up the example of our eldery sisters. They always reached the national average, never missed service. If THEY can do it, well then we were all dirt if we couldnt' do it. It used to really bother me. But then one day . . .
I realized that these sisters didn't work, didn't take care of children, didn't take care of husbands, and cooked and cleaned only for themselves. I don't want to take away from the effort they put out, but when the only thing you have to do all day is go out in service for 2 hours, that really changes things. They could rest the other 22 hours.
It is necessary to keep everyone feeling guilty---otherwise they would ask too many questions.
NC
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WTWizard
What happens when these disabled people don't have to spend time working? With today's technology, it is actually fairly easy for them to connect and speak to people (that usually hang up or navigate to a different web page). Just connect, and you can spend your 7 hours a day trying to reach people and get your 200 hours a month. Easy enough if you have absolutely nothing else to do and cannot do anything else.
But, try throwing in a full time work schedule. It is not usually possible to make rent or mortgage on a single part time income, with the Rothschilds seizing your assets as taxes and jacking up your interest rate to 30% above "prime" for a single mistake. And wages are the only prices not going up--suit dry cleaning, gas, car repair, meals at McDonald's, and field circus supplies (which the disabled on those sophisticated hookups don't have to worry about) are all getting more expensive in hours of work. Working the number of hours needed to actually make expenses plus throwing in another 50 hours for field circus, 20 for boasting sessions, and 20 or so for preparing for the above simply is not possible.
And all those gimmicks used to save money are worthless. Try taking 5 toilet papers a month off your rent (at $275 or so a month), requiring pio-sneering, and factoring in much longer commutes and a much more dangerous neighborhood. Even without the disability, the math is not going to work. So I save 5 toilet papers--that's a toilet paper and a quarter a week. At then-prevailing wages, that added up to working a measly 15-20 minutes less a week. That time would have been used up, and then some, in the commute. (Plus, the expense of getting furniture would have exceeded any savings.) Such scams are all too common.
It all adds up to, if you are on disability or are supported by the congregation, pio-sneering replaces a full time job. If not, pio-sneering is a burden that should not be attempted. And I don't think anyone should go on welfare just so they can pio-sneer. That, to me, is abuse of the system. Nor should anyone depend on coerced donations to support themselves when they are capable of working.
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undercover
I have no arms or legs and the only way I can get around is via water. - They call me clever-dick!
I would've thought your name would be 'bob'...
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youngbro
You have no idea of how many times I have heard stuff like that, or stuff like:
Sis survivedtheholocaust has five forms of terminal cancer, no legs or arms, lives two hours away from the hall and has no transportation , and yet she is a special pioneer.