Jehovah's people are the happiest people on earth! (page 2)

tiki

Love the antagonize any hill analogy!!! And k to l....damn thats a tough one....

Ofcoz they are the happiest. Who wouldn't wanna live in a fairy tale world? As for their attire, I would say that they wear like lousy salesmen. I myself is a lousy salesman but i don't like to wear like one. I prefer t-shirts & jeans.

SecretSlaveClass

Thanks for sharimg, that was a trip to the past.

Look at the footage taken of the Peoples Temple, even Jim Jones' followers considered themselves "happy".

ToesUp

It's hard to believe we were one of those "happy people" just a few short years ago. NOT!!!

DesirousOfChange

How come that witnesses are described this way: men in cheap suits and women in unflattering dress whereas in Scandinavia the witnesses are described as being modern, yet modest but never in the way stated above... Do American witnesses have poor taste compared to their Scandinavian counterparts?

To be fair, in the US I think you'd have to say it's based a lot on the economic position of the JW, and frankly, a large percentage of JWs live in the lower socio-economic brackets, so they cannot afford "fashion". But typically, JWs go all-out buying new clothes for the conventions.

To use our circuit as an example, of the 20/21 congregations there are about 3 congs that are in affluent areas of the metropolitan area. These JWs have good jobs, nice homes, nice cars, and dress fashionably as do all their neighbors. (They are also the "shakers and movers" of the circuit and those who schmooze with the CO.)

However the other end of the circuit has several congs in disadvantaged and/or rural areas of the State. These JWs may have minimum wage jobs and are always scraping to get by. Many become "self employed" in home remodeling, office/house cleaning, (yes even window washing), etc, because this generates a better income upfront for them, but leaves them nothing for savings for retirement or rainy-days, and usually they cannot afford good (or any) health insurance. (Yeah, the US is the only place without standardized health care for everyone.) And often they get behind in paying their income taxes because their employer is not doing automatic withholding on their income. Some of these folks will splurge for new clothes for the conventions, but many of them cannot worry about fashion with their budget, but rely on garage sales, thrift shops, or WalMart for their wardrobe. But so do most of their neighbors.

There are just more of the 2nd group "in the Troof" than there are those of the 1st group.

Doc

Vidiot

I once tried explaining to my loyal JW mom that I was never actually "happy" being a JW, but she looked like she was about to have a stroke, so I eased off.

x

I suspect that the WTS started using that phrase after the reports of depression and suicide amongst the R&F had started adding up, and (like child abuse) the sheer number of them couldn't help but call into question the WT's claim of being God's exclusive Earthly Organization...

...so they stopped investigating and made the blanket statement "Jehovah's people are the happiest on Earth (period)", thus indirectly implying that it if an individual member wasn't measuring up, it was his or her own fault.

FayeDunaway

The only time I was happy in the org was when I was socializing with the few and far between other witnesses who had their own thoughts and weren't afraid to have them. All the other times were like being wrapped in plastic, unable to breathe.

James Mixon

The meeting reinforce that belief it's like someone who have a drug addiction, I feel great

I look good my mind is working overtime. It's you folks that is nuts.

I'm happy as hell because the GB say so, can you please pass me my happy pills,

sorry I mean my medication.

steve2

Do American witnesses have poor taste compared to their Scandinavian counterparts?

I don't wish to offend any group of people, but in general JWs thrive in poorer socio-economic districts and prevalence of obesity is higher in those districts.

As a rule, JWs tend to dress more conservatively than others, and, qtuie frankly, large size JW women's dress 'styles' do not flatter them, instead drawing attention to their 'above average BMI (to put it delicately).

JW men tend to go for cheap, poor fiting suits in those districts - throw in a dash of obesity, and the appearance is not nice. Not all JWs dress this way - but enough for it to be noticeable.

By contrast, in Scandanavian countries - where growth of JWs has virtually flat-lined - it looks as though the socio-economic status among them is higher.

JW GoneBad

This thread reminds me of an experience I just had. I recently attended a long, boring and tiring 3 day JW Regional Convention that left me feeling like I had just wasted 3 days of my life. The next day was back to the grind as usual! One of my stops was to a home of a 'worldly' couple I've known for a while who had their children, grandchildren and other friends over for a visit. Upon entering the home I heard laughter, lively chatter and overall a family that was just enjoying each others' company like there was no tomorrow (BTW there was no alcohol involved)!

My first and lasting impression, contrary to JW belief, is that 'worldly' people have got be waaay better off than members of the Jehovah's Witness community when it comes to 'Happiness'!

Jehovah's people are the happiest people on earth!