As a JW Did You Prefer a “Stricter” Congregation or a More Liberal One? (page 2)

minimus

My first congregation was run by a former Branch Overseer. He was basically a good man. His mother was a Russellite. It was not unusual to hear them talk about the Lord as opposed to Jehovah. They were very old-school. However it was a good hall and people got along pretty well. Then the 70s came on and there was some liberal attitude but for the most part it was pretty relaxed. Then the Ray Franz thing happened and all elders were made to tow the line. The modern day Pharisees took over and then everything was about rules and loyalty to the Organization. The final congregation I was in was very liberal. There were some loony elders but people were mostly normal. When I left that congregation, many people were very saddened. I learned NOT to be extreme as “Mother” taught us and look for the positive in people. And I realized it simply was not the Truth. Once you come to that realization, it isn’t that hard to simply get out!

Theonlyoneleft

Redvip I agree with you.

To be special and one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses they need to apply the rules that WT puts into place over all members.

otherwise... they would not be in a clique of their own as it is....and no longer...special. 🧐

They suffer as God’s people’s via the sacrifices they make, just highlights it even more....that special feeling.

“I'm such a good parent - thought brother Tom - even though my child was ill I didn’t let Satan persuade me to stay home and miss Sunday’s meeting. I’m so glad we came...the talk was exactly what we needed to hear as a family!”

I was once appalled that my nephew that was visiting us, went to visit the Bethel here.

but the poor lad had the flu... I mean the full FLU not a cold.

Temperature, non stop cough and he looked so ill that the only place he belonged was inside a warm bed.

none the less... as a guided visit to Bethel had been booked... the poor boy was made to dress up his suit, and travel for the long way to his unsavoury destination.

i told my sibling... why don’t you leave him here, he’s so sick.

The simple reply was a no without explanation.

once they returned I was told that he was ok, had not been that bad as he had slept on the bus.

Strict or just insane decision?!

I’m still trying to process some situations that look crazy to me.

LongHairGal

MINIMUS:

In your definition of three types of Witnesses: I was a cross between the first and the third.

I will state though that back when I came in - not only did they have an issue because I had a full time job..but they were biased in favor of those born-in who had family there. It was almost an unwelcome environment so Witnesses were their own worst enemy in getting people to actually stay IMO.

As far as congregations competing with each other to claim who was more ‘spiritual’ 🙄 - I saw this nonsense back in the late ‘70s-early’80s...There was the mentality of young militant JW idiots who imagined they were all going to march into ‘the new system’ holding hands.

blondie

I'm like Goldilocks:

Not too strict and not too liberal,

minimus

It’s true that if you were not treated properly in the congregation, it can affect how you view everything

rickroll

The OP is spot on. I was in both types of cult halls. One was so conservative it was silly. I was told to meet with the elders because I shot a possum for not respecting gods creation, and in another it was fine if the teens had a beer party at the beach. I found that in both though that the parents would give a pass to their own kids for not following the cults teaching. Its a joke no a nightmare top to bottom.

Hairtrigger

Ones that had the best looking sisters!!!

Vidiot

inbetween09 - "growing up as a JW in a rather strict congregation, I always preferred more liberal ones, actually as liberal as it can get within the given boundaries."

Same.

Strictness was always too shades too close to full-on mean-spiritedness for my comfort...

...and I have always especially hated mean-spirited authority figures.

Vidiot

redvip2000 - "... I do think that due to concerns for image and PR, the Org is beginning to lean towards being more mainstream."

Close.

They are trying to project the appearance of mainstreaming by adopting some of its trappings...

...but make no mistake, underneath it all they are growing increasingly authoritarian and extremist.

And don't kid yourself.

They don't have image/Public-Relations concerns...

...that may have been the case thirty or forty years ago, but these days, they don't give a hairy blue fuck what "Satan's World" thinks of them.

Virtually everything they do now is geared to keep as few rank-and-filers as possible from figuring out that they're not actually "God's Earthly Organization".

Wasanelder Once

I only know that I disliked hypocrisy. Strict or permissive didn't matter to me as long as they were consistent.

As a JW Did You Prefer a “Stricter” Congregation or a More Liberal One?

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