I found that jws with close contacts with those with "confidential" info were the first to spread it. And if not, they just made up stuff and passed it on. Elders and their wives were the biggest offenders. Yes, gossip still exists for is more prevalent than ever. Welcome, Nancy!
gossip
by Nancy1919 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Sea Breeze
Hi Nancy,
Welcome. I came to the conclusion that the Kingdom Hall was simply too hostile of an environment for me .
I finally left when they admitted that the generation doctrine was a false prophecy by removing the prediction from the second page Awake magazine inset, where it had been for decades.
Like no one was going to notice. Duh.
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Rivergang
“Three people can keep a secret only if two of them are dead”.
Benjamin Franklin.
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FedUpJW
The largest driver of gossip amongst the JW's in my opinion is the fact that Not. One. Single. One. of them has the remotest clue what personal space is, or any respect for another persons boundaries.
If you try to keep even a small amount of your private life private then YOU WILL be the subject of gossip wondering what secret sin you are guilty of hiding and when you will be found out, even IF you are completely in compliance with The Bible. And if you are innocent of any sin they will make one up that will eventually be gossiped about to the elders and any denial or proclamation of innocence will be considered proof you are not repentant.
So glad I no longer run their hamster wheel.
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blondie
FedUpJW, your comment mirrors my own. Making up info is the worst. That happened to me and years later it was still circulating. It was an elder who spread it and when the other elders said they knew it wasn't true, but they said they would not correct it. I had to "wait on Jehovah."
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Balaamsass2
The fear of "outsiders", "apostates", "worldliness" and "sinners" has been institutionalized by Watchtower HQ because of their own fears of the outside world. What can you expect from a marginalized cult?
It seemed to ramp up a bit in the 70s about anyone appearing to not believe the world would end in 1975. Home buyers, college attenders, pregnancies, business starters. All were subjects of negative gossip as faithless and materialistic.
Around 1980 "apostates" secretly following Ray Franz were feared.
Attractive single sisters are frequent targets as possible "husband stealers".
It's always something.
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Ron.W.
Sorry to hear about that Blondie.
I met a brother who had been a good friend, at a district convention years ago who had moved away from our area - he was a lovely genuine guy.
He had finally been made an elder in his new hall.
I asked him why it had taken so long in our old hall?
He said he learnt that someone had been spreading a rumour to the elders in his original hall for years that he was writing 'worldly' science fiction stories so he didn't qualify.
The other elders never came to him to verify this - he told me he had written stories for an english exam back in the 1970's when he was still in school - who spread these stories I asked.
A distant relative in the hall who was the most bitter, twisted, gossipy old elder.
This was the same horrible guy I took delight in ignoring when I had successfully faded for a number of years.
This same false story spreading, bully elder looked like he was going to burst into tears when I blanked him, and yet he was the most vicious, gossiping elder bully I have ever known..
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LongHairGal
FEDUPJW & BALAAMSASS2:
All true what you say. There is no respect for any boundaries whatsoever in the Witnesses and also thinking a single woman is a sexual threat, no matter how absurd it is and how unattractive most of the men were!🙄
I am many years ‘Faded’ and told certain JWs I occasionally communicate with that I would never go back for several reasons - the biggest one being I would never tolerate their lack of boundaries and I would have to tell people off over this and them asking for thing$.👎
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blondie
Ron W, and elders like that continue because the others are scared to do anything. Elders have to back elders even when they are wrong.