Exaggeration and embellishments dilute the message

by ozziepost 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Moxy

  Jehovah's Witnesses present a unique sociological challenge. They are totally closed to outside scrutiny and cannot be studied using proper sociological methods. Practically all studies (or pseudo-studies) are either written by former members or rely heavily on information supplied by former members. But this presents an obvious and enormous sociological hindrance. Former members are heavily biased. Proper sociological studies of groups certainly include information culled from former members as this information is valuable as a check against other information sources. But it would never be regarded as unbiased, and would never serve as the main source of study.

  A study of the Moonies conducted by Eileen Barker ("The Making of a Moonie" 1984) was a massive undertaking involving detailed interviews with members, former members and neutral third parties. The author actually lived for some time at a Unification Church compound and spoke freely with the members about various issues. Although there was certainly opposition to her work to some degree, I found it ironic that in contrast to this church which seems to be commonly regarded as an 'obvious cult,' Mrs. Barker's study would be impossible to conduct if the subject had been the JWs. It would not be permitted.

  So we will continue to have books like Diane Wilson's. It is not a proper sociological study and should not be presented as one. The best study of the JWs, in my opinion, is that of James Penton. He has managed to don the role of a former member who has access to the information no one else would be allowed and a neutral observer skilled in sociology at the same time. It would be nice to have another Penton.

  mox
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  terafera

  Yes I was just going to say that I didnt find the author's writing embellished at all...

  I feel she is writing about her experience, not all jw's experiences. I can relate to alot of what she says..I have never been to Bethel so I cannot comment on that part, but my sister (in the 70s and 80s) wore horribly uncomfortable heels in service and meetings. I dont know if this was because of anything the Society said, but it was common among young girls I knew, including myself to wear high heels and nice looking outfits.

  It sounded like a horrible experience she went through in regarding 'auditioning' for the sign language interpretor. I think her book would be interesting. When I read a book, I dont absorb everything as literal and true, I realize that it is another person's view of the world, and it is our job as the reader to throw out what we see as fluff and chew on the points that are valid. I think with any book we read, we have to siphon through it and take away from it what we can, the basic message.

  Just my thoughts!
• 

  patio34

  Hi Larc, You said:

  Regarding transportation, I was under the impression that Bethelites were assigned to various Kingdom Halls in the area and that these assignments did require considerable travel.

  True, my son had to travel almost an hour, i think, to his meetings. However, my point was that it wasn't 5 meetings per week a Bethelite would have to have transport, but 3, as 2 meetings per week have 2 parts that they call 2 meetings, but in actuality it's just 2 different subjects in one sitting (e.g., the 'Public Talk' and the Watchtower Study on Sundays). So, the transportation costs would only be 3 times, not 5. It's a small point, but sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

  Terafera, you said

  I realize that it is another person's view of the world, and it is our job as the reader to throw out what we see as fluff and chew on the points that are valid. I think with any book we read, we have to siphon through it and take away from it what we can, the basic message.

  The way i see it is that if a person will stretch the truth, embellish, distort, etc., then how much can the rest of the info be trusted? This person seems to be speaking to non-ex-JWs, unfamiliar with the experience. And her details don't appear to be true.

  Once i start seeing this in a non-fiction book, then i pretty much am thru with it. In Ray Franz's books, they were filtered thru his own experience, but it rang true on every point that i was familiar with. Hence, i could feel comfortable with the rest of his information.

  For instance, in the book Angela's Ashes, i didn't enjoy the story, because some his details seemed too fabulous, hence the rest of the story was questionable.

  An author should label the book as a fictionalized account it that is so. These details do show up and undermine the credibility of the whole. How does one feel when you catch an acquaintance telling a fabrication? Do you tend to trust everything else the person tells, or do you then have reservations?

  For what it's worth,
  Pat

  

  WTBS: Quit peeing on my leg and telling me it's raining.
• 

  its_my_life2001ca

  I just finished reading the book and could relate to many of her experiences especially the early ones where we were lured to become more involved in the org. lest we be destroyed at armageddon. I have never seen the child beatings that she alluded to but that could just be the luck of the draw. However, when she speaks of the money shortage for Bethel brothers, Franz wrote in C of C on page 82, that their $14.00 monthly stipend barely covered their transportation costs to the meetings and in some cases was less. In our area also, we were counseled against being too casual in our dress for service.I think there were many practices that were not uniform throughout the org.
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  JT

  all Bethel workers were given only a small monthly stipend to pay for toiletries and incidental expenses; however, she related that most of that modest allowance had to instead be used to buy subway tokens for transportation to the required five weekly meetings at the various congregations in New York City to which they had been assigned. There was little money left over with which to buy necessities, so they had to rely on charitable contributions from other Witnesses. (page 100)

  #########

  in my exp this is exactly the way it is

  when you consider that you get $90.00 amonth and over half of that is to attend wt meetings all you have left is for toothpaste for the most part

  if it was not for the green handshakes from the local friends and the meals they brought to the hall on meeting nights it would have been pretty tough

  i felt sorry for alot of the white bro who didn't have family to send them money from home - reason being in some halls they had 3-50 bethelites and the local bro could not hook them all up

  in my hall we had 4-5 only and we got HOOKED UP by the brothers up in harlem, but due to there only being certain places they could send the white guys it limited the number of halls they could be sent to so they often times were in a hall packed out with bethelites and so they NEVER felt special till they went outside of ny or back home or something

  in this case the writer told it like many of us exp it
• 

  ozziepost

  Sorry to harp on this, but I may need to provide more 'illustrations that fit the material'.

  Here's a topical example from pages 71,72 where Wilson is discussing the Memorial. I've included the whole paragraph to show the context. See if you can pick the embellishment(s):
  

  If Witnesses are ever viewed partaking of the emblems, congregation members are taught never to question the validity of their claim to this lofty calling; however, in reality, such ones often do become the focal point of much gossip in the congregation, since the Society claims that all of the 144,000 anointed ones were selected by the year 1935-except for replacements, should any of the chosen ones sin and be disqualified. Since nearly all of the remaining members of this special group are quite elderly, it is expected that the replacements will be up in years, as well. And although the elders teach that if a Witness feels they have been chosen by God to have the heavenly hope, that is a private matter between that individual and Jehovah-my experience has been that if a person partakes who has never done so in the past, unless they are elderly, that person will promptly face a meeting with the judicial committee to be interrogated and warned of the dire consequences of their action if they are not truly of the anointed class. And although the elders teach the congregation that no one is to judge those who partake, the elders themselves do sit in judgment of that person and decide whether or not to include that individual in the count of partakers that must be reported to Watchtower headquarters. This "screening" began when the number of anointed partakers in the world increased one year, instead of decreasing annually as some of the oldest ones die off and are instantly resurrected to heavenly glory as members of this special class. Each year that this happened, the following year an elder would give a special talk just prior to the Memorial with an especially severe warning about the consequences of partaking without having received the heavenly calling.

  Well, did you spot an embellishment? You may have found more than one, but here's the most fanciful: "that person will promptly face a meeting with the judicial committee to be interrogated and warned of the dire consequences of their action if they are not truly of the anointed class". I wonder where she got that information? Could it have been included to add a sensational note? Yet it was so unnecessary. The paragraph is making a valid point, but by sensationalising, the effect on winning over readers who are former JWs (to whom the book is directed, according to the book's front cover) is negated.

  If this doesn't put current JWs off, then this other statement on page 71 will:

  As the plates of unleavened bread and goblets of wine were passed..... I would tremble as these emblems were passed to me, for the silent fear was, "Hurry up and pass the emblems on to the next person before Satan the Devil causes you to taste the wine or take a bite out of the bread!"

  That's plain ridiculous.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

  
  - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress
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  SixofNine

  I usually enjoy your post Ozzie. You're frickin' out to lunch on this one.

  You don't like her writing style? Neither do I. It isn't a bit scholarly.

  You don't "get" what she was saying in all of your examples? You must live on the bottomside of the world.

  I "got" each reference. Doesn't mean that the same thing would have happened in Ozzies' congregation, or even the next congregation over, but it means that as a person 37 years in the org, I knew exactly what she was talking about.

  And this:
  

  my experience has been that if a person partakes who has never done so in the past, unless they are elderly, that person will promptly face a meeting with the judicial committee to be interrogated

  Please notice the bold. I would not be the least bit surprised if she had indeed seen such a thing with her own eyes. And if it was only one congregation, I wouldn't be surprised if she saw those same elders do the same thing to other people who had gained their spiritual calling from the same influences.

  This:

  If this doesn't put current JWs off, then this other statement on page 71 will:

  As the plates of unleavened bread and goblets of wine were passed..... I would tremble as these emblems were passed to me, for the silent fear was, "Hurry up and pass the emblems on to the next person before Satan the Devil causes you to taste the wine or take a bite out of the bread!"

  That's plain ridiculous.

  Actually no, it's not. Whether any non-witness will understand, I don't know. Many witnesses will. I never attributed that desire to the devil, I just had this funny thought running thru my head, as if I might suddenly get some uniquely witness form of turrets syndrome.

  The facial expressions from sisters thing? I believe I heard that alluded to. If not, it would not surprise me in the least if it was included as counsel in an assembly part. The religion really IS that moronic.
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  ozziepost

  G'day Sixer,

  Just got up. That's what happens when you're on the downside of this orb!

  Thanks for your comments. I agree too that she might well have felt that way. My point was the exaggeration and whether this represents the "normal" JW response to things. Don't worry, I think it's (the borg) all crazy too!

  In the passage I quoted the embellishment was in bold type i.e the judicial committee. After your 37 years 'in the troof' you would know the veracity of that statement.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie (freedom means not having to where a tie)
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  SixofNine

  G'mornin' Ozzie.

  I see what you are saying about "judicial committee" now. Honestly, I'm a bit of a quick and sloppy reader, and I didn't even catch that. The fact that I was never an elder may have made a difference also.

  The writer, being a woman, may honestly know or see little difference between an "official-judicial" interogation, and just regular old encouraging interogation. Sometimes they look and feel very much the same. The "Interogation" part is not an exageration in this case, I'd wager.
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  ozziepost

  As Mrs Ozzie and I were driving through the highways today, we got to talking about this thread and the many comments.

  She let me know that she'd read most of the book and although she thinks a lot of it is 'over the top', nevertheless she found that the quick 'one-two' approach with experience after experience demonstarted just how crazy the borg is. On balance she thought that the impression given by Wilson in the book was about 'on the mark'.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

  
  - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress