Perhaps he had irritable bowel syndrome?
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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OnTheWayOut
In my wife's family, a DF'ed parent decided to get reinstated when her son was high school age. She then put a pioneer elder onto her son's case to help encourage him. She got exactly what she wished for and then the whole family, including her, seemed upset about it.
He got baptized before graduating high school. While he wasn't a terrible student, education wasn't really his thing. At one point, he had wanted to be a basketball star. I don't think he was really that great at it, and maybe he realized it. But he also started football and was pretty good at that. He might have gotten a free ride through college or a partial ride based on his size and ability. WELL, NONE OF THAT. By the time the pioneer elder had gotten through to him, he was ready to keep working part time at the shoe store in the mall and pioneer until Bethel called him. No need for any further education. No need for job training.
All the family, JW's included, tried to tell him how a young black man needs an education to get a decent job and to ever raise kids. But it doesn't matter to him. Bethel might just need him and he will stay at the ready. He has no clue that they will dismiss him at any time in the future with no real help toward his social security, let alone the time wasted instead of advancing in career. Even without further education, the guy who takes the low level job would advance over the years somewhat and be better off than the Bethelite thrown back to the local congregations.
I offered to help him take the local firefighter exam where I live, stating that he can turn it down later, but it takes years to get hired and better to have it as an option for later. He wasn't interested. I just said, "Okay, but do something. ANYTHING."
Update: That was last year. Bethel isn't calling, he has no connections. In his anxiety over that, he is starting to look at what his B Plan should be. How to have more than just "a job." I sure hope Bethel continues not to call.
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Finkelstein
2 hours ago 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.
That might because one sex is more about caring and nurturing and the other is about power and control.
Jehovah God is male by the way, for he is the mightiness of gods.
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Sofia Lose
In my small Spanish cong, all graduates (about 6) are either attending a community college or a nearby university in the city. Some (3 or so) not very studious are attending a trade school in town.
I am so happy about that! The WTBTS is losing in this regard. Days of not educating one's kids are fading away. The world is too rough to just be a stupid ass waiting for a new world order that will not come in our lifetime.
SL
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Saintbertholdt
Hi TerryWalstrom,
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.
Well if he's not too particular, he could study law. The Watchtower has never turned down a lawyer yet, and he could use that as the reason for his studies. He would not be lying either because he'd would be extremely valuable to the organization, even the HQ or a Bethel. And he would have a professional qualification to boot.
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ToesUp
We asked our kids...what people, throughout your life, have told you that learning and education was wrong? Their response...only the JW's. How can learning, education and bettering yourself be wrong. We have family members that are now at or have passed retirement age that are still working hard manual labor jobs, have no retirement and have nothing to fall back on. They were told in 1969 (from JW publications) that they would not need the education. So you gotta ask yourself. If they were wrong on that one, what else are they wrong about? -
Finkelstein
The Watchtower's lying deceptions are so large that some people cant even perceive it, what and why they are there.
This organization or publishing house exploited people fears and ignorance and weighed that against the belief in the bible, all as pressing endeavor to empower themselves and sell their published literature.
Unfortunately it worked on a small segment of the population.
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The Marvster
I've been watching in the background for a few days and when I saw this post I just had to respond. This is exactly where I am at right now... I got DF'ed 3 years ago and then went on a journey to dismantle everything I knew every belief, so I could work out life for myself and not have to live up to everybody's expectations of me, and to make a life for myself... in the last year there has been intensive deconstruction of my conditioning. When I left I had no intention of looking at ANYTHING JW, I just needed to know who I was. But about 6 weeks ago I really started to get curious and through youtube I have been finding out shocking things, especially the history of JW; I was one of those who wouldn't question anything, well, until about 7 years ago when the un-love in the 'truth' really started to bother me, and a friend and I would exchange daily emails about how things were just not right among brothers. Anyway after a recent meditation retreat, I came face to face with who I am, and among other things it hit me like a nuclear bomb... I'm 43 years old and separated from my JW wife, having left school at 16 with no qualifications, and was hiding in the organisation hoping to advance spiritually and then one day the 'END' would come. I have done only menial jobs since leaving school, and only once did I think about making something of myself, but it burned out quickly... When I saw who I was the other day I said to myself 'my life is finished', all that wasted time, I could have pursued something I was interested in, but this was always seen as 'worldly' and wanting to be 'something' in Satan's world... Now I've no idea what to do.... I work full time but am looking into things I might be able to study... I honestly wonder if it's too late for me...
I realised I gave 30 years to the organisation... and this isn't the first time I've asked what have I to show for it, but this time, having seen myself in the mirror, to the very core, I was devastated... I remember giving an experience at the assembly about 15 years ago where I was boasting about having a job as a part-time cleaner so that I could give more time to the good news (the model brother). I talked about how my friend's mum (not in the truth and very ambitious) got upset when I told her what my job was; she obviously felt I was wasting my life... In fact, several in the congregation at that time had taken menial jobs and she met a few of them... I guess meeting me with my 'I'm proud of my menial job' attitude, was the tipping point for her. I never did understand her anger, now I understand it fully because I'm experiencing the anger myself... we live and learn... the hard way...
I so hope that 20 year old brother comes to his senses and does something about his situation... and as for the bethelite's ambition, I'm flabbergasted..
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Finkelstein
This is why religious institutions can be so dangerous toward the young and impressionable, in that their mental persuasiveness incites children to be obedient to the elder father figure for approval and acceptance, but in reality that "Loving" father figure can be lying and deceptive in their posturing of being spiritual guided by the most high godly father figure.
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antes8080
Some young ones have that mentality, but most see it as the org been to restrictive. Am working with a young one in the congregation encouraging him to go to colleges after high school. He told me last weekend he regrets that he got baptized so young. So most of the young ones are going to give the GB the one finger salute and go to college.
@ the mavster welcome to the board, a lot of us taught that working meaningless jobs and pioneering was the way of life. But learning you been lied to for so many years makes you realize how much time you wasted. In reality you still have a lot life ahead of you go ahead and work towards something you enjoy doing.