BURNING AMBITION by Jehovah's Witness YOUTH: "I want to clean toilets in Bethel for the rest of my life."

by TerryWalstrom 24 Replies latest jw experiences

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  TerryWalstrom

  As I have written previously, I crashed a discussion between a young J-Dub and his Baptist workmate who were having

  a religious debate outside Starbucks. This was months ago. Since then, as unlikely as it may seem, the J-Dub and I have become fast friends! He is 20 and our discussions have been fruitful. He's done a tremendous amount of independent research about everything I've told him, and he's wide awake.

  But, he isn't the only one discovering things. My eyes are being opened too--about the impact of present-day pressures on young J-Dubs to let go of all ambition in their lives!

  My young witness friend is, of course, torn by his delicate status of being under age in an all Jehovah's Witness family. He wants to go to college, but he's being hard-pressed to Pioneer. He's 'going-along-to-get-along' for now, however much it is disturbing him internally.

  In the course of learning the truth about the Truth, this young witness is having probing discussions with his contemporaries inside the organization. He's inquiring about what ambitions the young witnesses have for themselves.

  When he told me a good J-Dub friend of his said, "I swear, all I want out of life is to be able to clean toilets in Bethel for the rest of my life," I just about fainted! He was upset by this as well.

  The Watchtower Organization is running roughshod over the future by destroying the prospect for young witnesses of learning or improving in any way outside of indoctrination.

  What could be a more insidious signal to the destructive force of Jehovah's witnesses than the erosion of self-improvement in its young people?

  These kids are going to be ignorant, poor, and very dependent on the GB to guide their every step in the shabby, unfulfilling lives they have ahead of them. It's really going to be tough.

  I personally find this hateful, poisonous, and misanthropic. . . and sad.
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  Quarterback

  But, on the positive side, He could be cleaning toilets at the Dairy Queen. If your ambitious to clean toilets, pick the best ones
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  snare&racket

  I'll never forget my grandparents (non jw) face as I described my newly assigned privelage, of working for free in a factory for the JW's. I was bewildered as to why they seemed so disappointed. Now it makes perfect sense and I appreciate their honesty, it reinforced the feelings of time wasted when I was weighing up leaving WT.

  Leaving WT is a combination of doubts and questions and a mosaic of emotions, all these little experiences help. My grandparents saw my potential, when I didn't. I was so happy to go give my life to a factory. Even my JW pals thought I was nuts,

  Ambition is a dirty word to WT, the reality is it is a healthy, human motivator. The irony is, you will never see so much ambition in the JW's than in Bethel....
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  Finkelstein

  What could be a more insidious signal to the destructive force of Jehovah's witnesses than the erosion of self-improvement in its young people?

  Your right Terry it is sad that people are willing to succumb to the controls of men that are just going to exploit and manipulate these potential young minds and lives.

  I'm reminded of the WTS's postulations in the past when they implied that young people shouldn't pursue higher education because this system of things was going to come to an end soon.

  That was 50 years ago !

  The WTS. and its leaders desire the power to own and control people that is clear and undeniable. This of course facilitates that they have the redeeming power of god in their hands.
  
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  cappytan

  Fortunately, I only spent a year at Bethel.

  Now, when prospective employers ask about that gap in my work history, I say I did volunteer work for 1 year for a faith-based Christian organization in New York. They usually like that, especially here in the Bible belt.
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  _Morpheus

  I dont know terry.... Your experiance is certainly legitimate and representative of some young ones, but in the greater washington metropolitan area, bethel service is viewed in a decidedly passe way. I have heard young ones comment over and over that they have no interest in bethel. They may half way piosneer but evem that seems to be more for parents than anything else. I tend to think its largely local phenomenon. If its talked about and built up locally kids get pie in the sky ideas about it. If its not talked up they dont see the appeal. Human nature really i suppose..
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  DesirousOfChange

  TERRYW: What could be a more insidious signal to the destructive force of Jehovah's witnesses than the erosion of self-improvement in its young people?

  These kids are going to be ignorant, poor, and very dependent on the GB to guide their every step in the shabby, unfulfilling lives they have ahead of them. It's really going to be tough.

  I personally find this hateful, poisonous, and misanthropic. . . and sad.

  Their false promises to high school kids in the late 60s swayed me that I would never "finish" (nor need) a college degree. That was May 1966. Damn near 50 years ago. I'm thinking perhaps you served prison time for your WT convictions, so their lies probably affected you even more deeply.

  However this is the very thing that made me determined that MY KIDS would go to college (if the world continued on that long). Well, it did. And they did go to college. Hopefully they'll have greater opportunities in their life.

  To sum it up, yes, the WTS's renewed campaign of hate against higher education will handicap every poor kid whose parents are caught up in the cult.

  Doc
  
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  sir82

  From my perspective, there is a sharp divide between JW kids. They are either all gung-ho on a "theocratic" career, or they end up not even bothering to "reach out" at all. Such ones either become "low hour publishers" or even inactive, or get DF'ed.

  There is virtually no one who chooses some sort of "middle path" (i.e., go to school / get training, find a job, attend meetings, get your 10 hours a month, eventually get to be MS around age 25 & elder by 35 or so).

  I.e., there is no more "middle class" for JW kids. You're either "all in" (maybe 10-20%) or you're a "slacker" (everyone else).

  In my congregation, among the 15-25 set, there are 2 who are fast-tracking a "theocratic career", and maybe a dozen or so who are just sort of "there". I think that is probably pretty typical.
  
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  John Aquila

  In my area, all the JWs males are gun-ho with volunteering and wanna be elders, but all the Jws females are going to the University to be nurses, teachers, business, and engineers.
  
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  Vidiot

  "I swear, all I want out of life is to be able to clean toilets in Bethel for the rest of my life!"

  C'mon; he had to have been bullshitting.

  No one would say something like that and actually mean it.