Are the witnesses less sincere today?

by freedom96 18 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  orangefatcat

  it doesn't suprise me in the least to find that the witnesses are not a as sincere as they were 30yr and before than.

  I figure this, they are just too busy with their own families. Yes they want to know the ins and outs of the gossip in the hall. They are not as busy going in the ministry. There were serveral times that the pioneer in the cong. would say they would stop by or they would take me with them on there busy bible studies. They never showed up to take me ever.

  Here is a good story and it is very true a sister who was in her 60s and had her own grown family and her husband was an elder in our cong. She would have me go with her on her Bible studies. She had several. Any way the two if us would be talking to the person and using the book and bible. Then next thing I turn around and she was sound asleep and she did this several times. And so I had to carinng on the study while she snored. It was immensely embarrassing for me and the people how were to have the study with this sister. She did this many times to me and I said no more of this I am not going out with her. She also would ask me to pick her up for the sevice arrangements and I go the get her and she was never ever ready. So I always missed the morning service suggestions for the day. Then before we left her house she would call one of her many calls and start talking and start the service this way. And so she said to me Terry your time has started. But I never spoke to anyone. Me I am an honest person and I felt that that was slightly not appropriate. But hey her husband was our. cong. Watchtower servant. Who was I to call into question,

  I know the ministry of the 60s-80s even was enjoyable at times. You would have a good time in the service. But those times have long since past.

  Maybe it was me, I am trying to remember those yrs as good yrs. althought stuff was happining in the home and me marriage. and life just never seemed right . It became to me as a druggry, I would hate going out in the sevice. I pioneered for several years. But I was pushed into it, because of our so called deep spirtual family. You know family honor and tradition. Ha ha, what they didn't know. I was talking to a sister the other day(remember I am disfellowshipped ) who was in the same hall as I was and she is still a witness and all, but we talked for an hour or so in a public story and she says there is no sincerety in the hall, no more love. She said she has no one she can really call her friend because people are cold in the kingdom hall and went on to tell me of several instances. It has floored her and her husband. I use to go over to her and her husbands home lots of times to swim in their pool. I forgot to tell you that this sister is in the same congregation as my mother and sister are in. And they haven't spoke to me since 1999. She and her husband have come to realize that things aren't right in the truth. I knew her and her hubby very well and we where friends and so I said to her after I was to tired to continue to talk and told her If you are low on friends I would certainly be happy to be your friend again. You see we keep running into each other several times in the last month or so, and then I told her maybe your getting a message from God to leave a man made organization. I told her about the different books I have. FRed FRanz. However her son and his wife are special pioneers and she would be worried about how that would affect their relationship. I told her had you ever though that by you making the first move to leave the Org., your grown children would wonder why and maybe your children may have felt like you are feeling now. You'll never know how your children feel until you ask them. I told her I have a few books that may be of good interest of both you and your hubby. And I would gladly loan them to her. I know how she feels, as it is written on her face. and she told me the they have hardly attented a meeting in over a yr... So here I am hoping with all my heart that she and her husband will remember there is no more sincerety left in this organiztion.... She grabbed me and gave me a big hug and a kiss. My heart was warm all over. and I thought gee if this was only my miserable mother or stubborn sister maybe we could have a relationship to some extent.

  I think that she is less sincere than she was years ago because she and several sister from the congregatioon would get to gether and pioneer several times a year. Their love is cooling off.

  love ya

  Orangefatcat.
• 

  fearnotruth22

  In times past the world was simpler and so was the org. People were more niEVE back then, and even though you also had sharpies and clever cookies in the org in ancient wt history, for the most part the great majority of the bos were not so cautious as serpents as they are today. Today exists a complicated end game of chess, and every move requires careful thought and planning.

  Not that the bros were more sincere back then; the bros mean well today too, but back then they were more gulible, as people were also in general more gulible during those times when dogs were tied with strings of sausages. That cannot be done today, dogs have wisened. As a rule, the bros are still sincere in their beliefs.but a more cautious approach has been taken because "Caesars" sword is sharper, and there are smaller loopholes in the legal nets,

  What I have observed though, is that motives have changed, and so have the more experienced and savy new generation of Jw's. Less and less humanity and "fellow feeling"; people are in it more for themselvses. At least that is what it seems to me.
• 

  kilroy2

  the big thing is also that we have the internet, with access to many ideas and info that was not available to us in the 70 or 80s, if brother fat head said that 607 was the date that the temple of jer. was destroyed how could we question? we were not allowed to go to collage for just this reason, the same reason that the internet is evil. it is the light that shows up the cockroaches. we used to be in awe of the depth of the books and we thought of ourselves as better than other religions because we had this great in-depth of knowledge, now with the internet we are learning the truth that it was bullshit and lies. we were mislead and lied to. and we can prove it, we could not stand up to a 1st year elder with out getting slapped down with smoke and mirrors, now we the inter net gives us gas masks and infrared goggles and we can see right through the smoke and watch the little cockaroaches run,
• 

  core

  Individuals are sincere but follow more closely the ever more micro-management elders - back in the 50's 60's muc of the promulgated "rules" had never been thought of - Judicial Coimmittees were as rare as Hens teeth - before the elder arrangement most in positions of some authority were balanced, mature and considerate - after 30 years of the elder arrangement the opposite is largely true - elders are appointees of the WT and obey orders, of which they get more and more each year. Any room for individuality has gone - toe the line or get out / be put out is the maxim today. Yes they are sincere but so was Saul when Stephen was stoned. Sincerity does not equal good or rightness - when you blindly follow every twist and turn of the PA machine from Brooklyn sincerity is irelevant - obedience is what counts now.
• 

  JT

  we used to be in awe of the depth of the books and we thought of ourselves as better than other religions because we had this great in-depth of knowledge, now with the internet we are learning the truth that it was bullshit and lies. we were mislead and lied to. and we can prove it, we could not stand up to a 1st year elder with out getting slapped down with smoke and mirrors, now we the inter net gives us gas masks and infrared goggles and we can see right through the smoke and watch the little cockaroaches run,

  Kilroy

  Now this is some funny Sh!t smile

  great point and post
• 

  wednesday

  The 50-60's wer less legalistic. As one poster said, JC's were not all that common. I noticed more humanity toward the poor and less educated. people really did go "visit" people and people really did go see the elderly and sick. But really, does this not just reflect on society in general? People hardly know thier neighbors now, and well people don't go "visiting" on sunday anymore. U must call and make an appt. Life is just different than it was 40-50 yrs ago. The society has changed with the times. they used to take the apostate stuff and not fight back much. I was told years ago that they fight now. They aren't going to take it lying down(good example the apostate take over of the Bonham KH and all the JWS who came to the "real jws" rescue. We were on a mission form God.)

  I've heard elders say the problems is b/c there are so many new ones who are bringing in the worldy ways to the org. Before mostly all you had was genertions of familes that were JWS. They knew better than to question an elder, but these upstart new ones don't know their place.(thank God)

  We really did study back then. As i said on another thread, I did some hard time on pubs about prophecy. Study now is nothing like it used to be. Neither is service. Note FS is NOT leaving mags at laundrymatts.This bunch of jws would never make it through a real "attack" on them. They would never have gotten through the WW2 era.
• 

  got my forty homey?

  I dont know if the witnesses are less sincere today but I noticed several things speaking to my parents who are still witnesses I being disfellowshipped 13 years ago.

  There is a much higher incident of Jehovah Witnesses with some sort of mental illness. In some congregations large amount of members are on some type of mental medication of sort or other. In bethel where I served for one year several of my friends had mental breakdowns. This is ironic because in the seventies and eighties a person with mental illness was catergorized as a demonized person. Today the brothers will tell you that as the last days approach more and more mentally ill people will get into the JW's.

  What a farce! Another big problem with the JW's is that since the eighties so many brothers are like secret police gestapo agents. Always looking to get someone in trouble for something or another. And in real life these Elders are security guards, construction workers, and cold cut slicers!

  Maybe this has a connection with the mental illness part!
• 

  freedom96

  Without a doubt, there is a great number of witnesses that are depressed. Doing the same thing for so long will wear anyone out.

  This also makes a easy way out from having to attend all the witness activities. I am not being critical of those who do in fact need medication, as I believe if it helps someone, great, but being depressed is probably actual in many cases with witnesses, and very convienent for others.

  The WTS had to finally accept the fact that so many are depressed and unhappy.
• 

  rocketman

  After I was placed on public reproof for going to see an R rated movie (The Rocky Horror Picture Show),

  SFJim, That's one for the books - being PR'd for going see a friggin' movie. Unbelievable. And yet, why am I not surprised?