Howcome the WTS does not include personal testimonies...

by jgnat 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  JT

  As a side note, at Circuit and District Talks there is a board of Elders that have copies of the written talks. They mark every deviation from the written material the speaker makes. Too many changes and that Brother will not be given a speaking assignment at the convention in the future. Maverick

  one of my very first assigments in the Chairmen Office at the District was to follow the speakers, typically you will do one or two days, either the morning or afternoon, then you report to the DO or other heavy what your findings were- at the same time the speaker once he has finish is to report to the chairman office and he will be critique- if he stuck to the outline, he is giving a pat on the back , if he went off, it WILL BE HIS LAST TALK AT A CONVENTION- i recall bethel speaker RP Johnson telling a group of us YOUNG BUCKS an exp he had- a change was made in the outline by the society, just before the convention series started - somehow the orginal manustript was not replace with the updated one and he was on the field and it was different from what the guys up in the booth had and they were about to TURN OFF HIS MIKE ON THE FIELD- until someone in the chairmans office realize they were following him with the old manuscript, since they ARE WORD FOR WORD UNLIKE THE OUTLINES which gives one more leeway
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  DannyBear

  Jt,

  I remember the atmosphere in the 'Chairman Office' at those district conventions. It was a palpable 'air' of superiority that the brother's (usually designer suits) and sister's (most hair quaffed to perfection)..........when you made it to that dept. you were in like Flynn.

  Danny
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  plmkrzy

  What I'm talking about is not scripted. It happens all the time during the Watchtower Study or in parts where people get the opportunity to comment.

  I can remember many times when someone would raise their hand during a WT study or during a book study and start giving a personal testimony about how they became a JW by way of some holy spirit guiding the path they chose to the supermarket or something. And there were also those who shared enormous obstacles they had to conquer when their faith was put to the test and relying on Jehovah’s holy spirit was what got them through it. Usually someone who was recently baptized and over zealous, but sometimes from well seasoned JWs as well.

  They were not always real welcome though. I can also remember the look on the conductors face followed by a quick, "well, thank you for that sister/brother so and so”. Then of course there would be those who would roll their eyes along with those who would swell with glee after hearing it. lol! That was quite common in my couple or so congregations, but who's counting .
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  jgnat

  Actually, it is this suppression of self-expression, I believe, that explains a symptom of this board. Newbies often write paragraphs in their introduction post, then apologize for it. It is almost as if a dam bursts, and I get a feeling that even the posters are amazed at how much spills out.

  First of all, I love reading the personal stories. They have the ring of truth. Second, there is no need to apologize!
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  mizpah

  Scully:

  Your posting reminded me of when the Watchtower first introduced the idea of "marking" individuals for reproof in the congregation. Like most counsel coming from this source, the congregation picked it up and went wild. Individuals began to "mark" others in the congregation because of some perceived unchristian conduct. People began to turn their backs of certain "brother and sisters" Others would approach the individuals to tell them that they were being "marked" and would no longer assoicate with them. It was sort of an individual "disfellowshipping" that took place.

  It evidently became enough of a problem in the congregations that a future Watchtowrer discussed it and redefined the meaning of "marking." Things eventually calmed down. But it caused a lot of division at the time. Any one else remember this?
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  Guest 77

  Do you realize that you can shunned for asking such a question?

  Guest 77
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  Gozz

  As a side note, at Circuit and District Talks there is a board of Elders that have copies of the written talks. They mark every deviation from the written material the speaker makes. Too many changes and that Brother will not be given a speaking assignment at the convention in the future. Maverick

  Mav, you very sure of this??
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  jgnat

  Guest 77, LOL! Ah, the freedom to ask questions...I love the internet!

  Gozz, JT confirmed a similar experience. Do we now have two witnesses?
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  Loris

  Paranoia was setting in then..........can't imagine how scripted everything must be nowadays.

  Danny

  Along with the manuscripts for convention talks there is another recent curtailment for the sisters at the ministry school. You can't have them thinking too much can you? We used to be allowed to make up a scenerio for our part. Not any more. Now we get to use a canned scene. We take the prescribed subject and make it fit the pre packaged script. Can you say zombie?
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  kilroy2

  one of the main threads of the dubber thought is to play down [way down] the individual. the body, the whole, the org, is the most important. just like in japan [imperial] that the individual is expendable. the same with the org. as a single sheep you mean nothing in the sceem of things. how many times have we all heard the reason for not celebrating birthdays was because it promotes the self. they forget the parable of the one sheep being found by the shepard and the rejoicing. they only use that to get ones that left to think about coming back, than they want you to sit down and shut up.