Did you feel pushed into pioneering?

by Xanthippe 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    They pushed me to the point where I could not do it. Had I pious-sneered, it would have been for them instead of God--and would not have counted. Pious-sneer, it was for man. And joke-hova would not count it because it was for man--hence, I refused and told them that, because they pushed so hard, I would never be able to do it and have it count.

    And yes, I have seen the fruitages of extra service to joke-hova. One had a wife who was regular pious-sneering, usually not feeling like being out but having the pressure of getting out so many hours a month. When he lost his job, he stupidly regular pious-sneered instead of looking for work. They eked out a pittance by fixing crap and selling it, and going to craft shows. And they wasted so much on trips to Kentucky to work "seldom worked territory". Their possessions were about 98% cheap crap.

    Another was a hounder with a full time job with a wife pious-sneering. They had a home, and sold out so they could do missionary work. They did three separate missions--South Africa, Dominican Republic, and Mexico City. What a complete waste. A reasonable, if not lavish, middle class life right down the drain. Also, they put off having children for the New Dark Ages. I am predicting they are going to have a miserable time with wealth in the next life, having invested so much in driving it away from their souls so joke-hova could have their souls.

    Yet another was a married couple with 2 children. They had a reasonable middle class lifestyle. The husband was a hounder, and the wife occasionally auxiliary pious-sneered. That was not good enough for them. So, they cut back drastically on their income so the whole family could regular pious-sneer. The parents are getting older now, the children still living at home in their 30s, and they no longer enjoy reasonable material provisions. Again, I am willing to bet on hardships as they get older. Parents getting old enough to need care, children needing to support them and still pious-sneer, and wearing themselves to early graves. And, in the next life, they are going to have to deal with the effort they made to drive money and riches out of their lives.

    As for me, they kept hinting that pious-sneering was my goal. The dingbat that dragged me into the cancer wanted me to move into the apartment complex he just got a job managing (and was fired less than 2 years later). The deal was that I was going to save 5 toilet papers a month on my rent, so I could cut way back on my work and pious-sneer. I refused because the commute to work was 5 times longer, it was a terrible area, and the savings were not worth the trouble. Turns out I would have had to give up everything that could have been fun, and even in that weakened state, I could have programmed my soul from merely struggling to being destitute, having to move back with parents, or even being hosted by those jokehovians. Plus dealing with poverty in the next life after spending this one driving wealth out.

    Another attempt was made after the fallout from that refusal came through. I bought a few nice things for myself instead of throwing the money away--and got hold of a dormant account. Again, instead of wasting it all, I used part of it as a cushion and splurged on a few nice things (including a graphics calculator and a nice Casio Sports Multi-Timer watch, in addition to some records and other items). Which could have nudged me into a better job. However, members of the congregation were determined to separate me from that job, and insisted that it was run by a church (without giving me any idea of which one) and I would need to quit and join them in their poverty and pious-sneer. Again, a nice waste of wealth. Again, programming my soul into destitution. I feel wasting money on the new Kingdumb Hell (I did get scammed into wasting money into that thing), which created negative value for me, did a fine job at that--I don't need pious-sneering to add to it.

    All of which would have been fine if it were for something worthwhile. To sacrifice because I want a nice house, or to move to a nice country, or perhaps start a business, would be fine. But sacrificing on things that give negative value--besides being stupid, it programs the soul to reject wealth. And going on stupid missions, selling out so you can pious-sneer, and quitting one's job to pious-sneer is going to reinforce upon your soul the message that wealth is to be shunned. And, besides the obvious hardships in this life, you program your soul to come back in poverty in the next life. Which I do not want.

  • Julia Orwell
    Julia Orwell

    Wow WtWizard, well said!

    I love this thread.

  • gorgia2
    gorgia2

    What a great thread - thanks everyone for sharing their pioneering stories.

    Xanthippe,

    Though you may love your JW friend from way back, please be careful about getting too involved - you have a new life now & shouldn't let all that JW negativity continue to upset you. Your friend's responses are carefully in line with what the elders/GB would have her say. She may have genuine affection for you & the friendship you both once shared, but remember she is supposed to try to get you back in to the cult & will do and say anything for this to occur.

    gorgia

  • Xanthippe
    Xanthippe

    Thanks Gorgia but don't worry there aren't enough wild horses on the planet to drag me back into that religion. At first I couldn't understand why my friend suddenly started to write to me after all these years which was the reason I first came on here to see if something big had happened.

    I know what you mean, the JW programmed replies and the negativity do get to me at times. The circular logic is very frustrating too. She agrees that the society has changed things and the new system is taking a long time to come but at least they have a moral way of life and they are the only ones doing the preaching work. But what are they preaching about - the new system which hasn't come yet and never will! So round and round we go.

    I just think back to myself in that cult and wonder why nobody tried to help me, even in field service. I suppose they thought it was a waste of time, that I as too brainwashed and yet - here we all are. I know I was young and naive and this friend is much older but do people really stay out of choice? When you're mind-controlled are you really choosing? They all seem rather naive to me but then they are discouraged from getting further education or even from reading anything that isn't published by the WTS. That is going to keep you ignorant of the world around you isn't it?

    Also it reminds me of how lucky I am to be out of that cult and healthier that when I was in my twenties. From her letters she and her husband are so terribly ill all the time from the stress of their hard task masters who are 'driving them to work'. They seem old before their time. Being so paranoid about 'the world' doesn't do anything for their stress levels either - or mental health.

    Thanks for the warning anyway. It is a good idea not to let the negativity and cult personality depress me - good reminder.

  • LongHairGal
    LongHairGal

    Yes, they really are pushy. I never pioneered but once tried to put in pioneer hours. I didn't succeed but I saw how tiring it was.

    WTWizard:

    I wonder if you may have something there. People who "drive money away" in this life will have poverty in the next life! Personally, the idea of reincarnation scares me.

    Xanthippe:

    I am glad wild horses couldn't drag you back there. As far as what your friend said about them "changing things": yes, things are worse. They are more controlling and in people's business worse than before. I had some JW acquaintance from years ago try to lay bullshit on me about how they "care" more than ever about single women. Nonsense. The reality is that they are targeted more than ever by the users in the congregation looking for favors. She wouldn't know about this because she is married. Nor does she care.

    With regard to your friend contacting you after all this time, I suspect they are trying to get people back. Sorry to say it but the caliber of people from the old days is somewhat better than some of what has come into the religion in recent years! But, like you, I wouldn't be moved by any of this.

    Never take your freedom for granted.

  • Xanthippe
    Xanthippe

    LongHairGal:

    Thanks, yes I should never take my freedom for granted, you're right. Yes my friend admits there are things the society has changed, meaning doctrines, but she says they don't know it all - which they admit! What planet is she living on?

    She also says they promote care and love for others! After being at the mercy of these people when pioneering for ten years wrecked my health and left me with depression, the idea that they promote care and love for others is laughable. I have noticed that the amount a religion talks about love is inversely proportional to the amount it shows it. I shudder at the memory of those years, it felt like I was in a concentration camp. Oppressed people oppressing one another.

    I suppose going back to my opening post that she wonders if I felt pushed into pioneering. She probably thinks I did too much, took it all too seriously and that was why I got ill and eventually left.

    All I can say to any JW lurker on this forum is look at all the posts on this thread from many people who took pioneering seriously - terrified of upsetting Jehovah, losing out spiritually and having blood on their hands from all those who are supposed to be going to die at Armageddon. Even one person who was forced by her parents to pioneer and not allowed to leave home. Ask yourself, where did they get the idea from to sacrifice themselves like this? Who put these ideas in their heads at five meetings a week? Is this God's way to nurture children?

  • Rattigan350
    Rattigan350

    Many people say that work takes them from pioneering. What if one were to get an inheritance, or win the lottery (without admitting it). People will say that they should pioneer. I say no way.

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