Most people I talk to love the privilege of being an attendant. This means you are "allowed" to wander the corridors pretending to be busy without being judged. Nobody wants to sit through the entire program. The administration and chairmans offices spend most of the program sleeping, talking and eating. No joke the CO was asleep in the chairmans office during the convention where I had a part on the program. It's a country club atmosphere behind the scenes.
for those still "in" what's the mood
by lastchance 55 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
ducatijoe
kneehighmiah
You are so right!
Spent many a convention back there.
-
stuckinarut2
Yep, the "privileged" group gets the perks in these offices
-
Julia Orwell
A lot of jws seem to be like most Christiansin that they live normal lives and just go to church on a Sunday. They aren't excited and zealous, they just do it because they believe in god and go for community reasons and to show a bit of faith. Then they go home, got to work, university, schools, family, shopping just like anyone else. Lot of born in jws are the same: they do it because it's their culture and they believe the doctrines but don't live in a perpetual state of zeal. They have families, go on holidays and all that and then sit around in the corridors at conventions. Don't get me wrong though, they still shun like zealots.
-
Oogie
The lack of love at last year's DC is part of what woke me up...my husband is still in though. I think his thinking is more like: 'where else would I go?'
-
EdenOne
There's a significant detatchment between the discourse ("oh these wonderful new understandings!", "the organization is really moving forward", "the preaching work is accelerating", "the GB is so loving and really caring about us", "the end is really close now"...blah blah blah and whatnot) and THEN there is the actual deeds and general attitude. And what I see is the brothers tired, demotivated, going through the motions, no real spark anymore ... the KH is mostly a social club where they meet their friends. And I see the Elders feeling the knife on their backs to keep the rank & file marching in pace, and feeling they're losing grip on the situation, but at the same time drumming from the platform that Jehovah is blessing us, etc. In my congregation, over the last 2 years, 4 elders stepped down / were removed, and two relinquished their "special privileges" [such as overseeing the theocratic school], while keeping the Elder status, and 2 MS were removed (myself included).
Eden
-
This is my tigersuit
i'll tell ya where he could go! he could go live his life and stop carrying the burden around! he needs to read COC
-
stillin
The congregation I'm still in has a fairly large elder body and many pioneers. So there is a lot of make-believe joy. Sometimes I wish I could go back to deluding myself, but then...nah!
-
Oogie
@This is my tigersuit yeah, i tried to get him to read that...to no avail.
-
Magnum
"What's the mood?" Good question. I've been wondering that. I would love to be able to sample the mood in various places. I'm really more interested in the moods of old-timers and any who are intelligent. knowledgeable, and reasonable. The moods of the brainless drones, to me, shouldn't even be considered since they're clueless.
lastchance: In my area the general sense is bleak. Many are in survival mode. Even at the convention the appearance of the majority was unhappy and tired. Even with all this "special activity" there is no excitement or enthusiasm. My friends in neighboring halls complain that the lack of love is so overwhelming. I know many here believe this organization is here to stay but from what I see and hear its just one scandal away from a massive decline.
Interesting. I, too, feel the org is close to a massive decline.
Pete Zahut: From the youtube videos one would get the impression that being at the conventions was like being in Disneyland. We all know that part is seeing old friends and has nothing to do with excitment about worshiping God or learning Religious truths.
My feeling is that there is an anti-climactic feeling happening as they return to the day to day grind of meetings and service and real life in general.
It's hard to keep the fantasy alive after another assembly has come and gone and nothing has changed. This time next year it will have all faded into the past.
Also interesting.
wallsofjericho: no one ever talks about "theocratic" stuff because nobody seems to really care
I think, too, that the reason they don't talk about theocratic stuff, especially deeper stuff, is that they're incapable and the org itself has ceased to "talk about" such.
DesirousOfChange: They no longer know doctrine nor do they care. They might as well be Catholic or Baptists or whatever other religion of their parents. It's just their "Community" of friends that they grew up with. They can give the schpiel -- all the buzzwords -- but they don't know anything about the past history of the religion nor even the present doctrine.
100% agree.
kneehighmiah: The administration and chairmans offices spend most of the program sleeping, talking and eating. No joke the CO was asleep in the chairmans office during the convention where I had a part on the program. It's a country club atmosphere behind the scenes.
I know exactly what you mean. Experienced it many times. It truly is a country club atmosphere.
Julia Orwell: A lot of jws seem to be like most Christiansin that they live normal lives and just go to church on a Sunday. They aren't excited and zealous, they just do it because they believe in god and go for community reasons and to show a bit of faith.
I feel the same way.
EdenOne: what I see is the brothers tired, demotivated, going through the motions, no real spark anymore ... the KH is mostly a social club where they meet their friends
I see that, too.