Are/Were California witnesses REALLY different? (page 3)

TMS

"Knorr hated Californians. The best disfellowshipping stories always came from California. Too much Californication out there..." metratron That might explain why so many circuit overseers used the California witnesses as examples of bizarre behavior, not to be emulated. Normally CO's don't criticize the brotherhood, but if they had heard Knorr say it, it was gospel. tms

startingover

I grew up in MN. At about 18 I got a van, and fixed it up inside with carpet on the walls etc. I remember some in the congregation referring to it as a sex wagon. I always felt the "brothers" looked down on it. I thought it was the coolest vehicle you could drive.

We had the book study at our home. When the new CO was in town, he attended our book study like they used to do. He happened to be from CA. I had my van parked in the driveway and after the meeting I had opened the doors as I was going to do some work on it. When the CO came out, he made a point of coming over and looking inside and telling me how neat he thought it was. I remember the faces of those who heard his remarks, they were shocked. I also remember what a good feeling he gave me and I knew right then that I needed to be in CA and that surely I could actually be happy out there as a JW.

I ended up moving to CA a few months later for unrelated reasons. It seemed quite different to me, but I attribute that to being out on my own for the first time and starting my life over so to speak in a new environment.

upside/down

Dude- "It's the shaggin wagon- chicks dig it.." D&D.

u/d

ValiantBoy

My family moved from SE Oklahoma to California in the mid 1980s. We stuck out like a sore thumb.

A few things from our OK cong...some families hid their televisons when one prominent elder came to visit, sisters were sent home to change if they arrived for service in a sundress, Star Wars was blacklisted from the platforms, California witnesses were blaneketly called worldy witnesses, home schooling was forbidden, all elders were self contracters or janitors. All in all, it was about like the posting about Iowa a few posts back.

In California, the service groups would stop, not for a short break, but for breakfast, even elders drove new cars, some of the sisters (even pio sisters) watched soap operas, the sisters wore shorter skirts, groups of witness youths would hang out without adult supervision--including mixed boy/girl groups. All in all, there was a much more tolerant spirit. But I think that was only because the whole society of people were more educated, open minded, etc...it's that whole red state/blue state thing

Billygoat

In Hawaii, or at least in my cong, you knew if someone was weak in the faith if he wore an aloha shirt to a meeting. Those aloha shirts tended to be found in the back of the hall....LOL

Growing up in Hawaii, I remember this. Aloha shirts were the norm, but you didn't wear them to the KH! Sundresses for the sisters weren't ever looked down upon. We NEVER wore pantyhose AND we wore open-toes shoes. *gasp!* The horror! We also had 4 or 5 congregations worth of youth and young married couples show up every Sunday night at a park to play two courts of volleyball and two courts of basketball. I even have a picture of the CO and his wife (Brother and Sister Park) with us. The youth were always allowed to hang out, not always unaccompanied, but people didn't have a hissyfit if you were in a car together going somewhere. I think that's why when my family moved to Kansas, I immediately gravitated towards worldly friends. The brothers and sisters had broomsticks up their hineys they were so stiff.

sf

The best disfellowshipping stories always came from California. Too much Californication out there...

Absolutely!

sKally

blondie

Back in the hippie days we were regaled with a story of some young, new JWs fresh from the hippie culture decided to go down on the beach and have an informal Memorial of their own, their all thinking they were of the anointed. Nothing like that could happen in the Midwest...could it?

DaCheech

My wifes family/cousins from Cali always go on cruises and tijuana with other youths. (like partying all the time)

My wifes cousin from Cali was flirting deeply with me while I was married.

I could swear I heard another admit to my wife of seeing her boyfriends pipi.

I don;t think Cali witnesses are spiritual at all. In South Jersey (shore too) they are similiar.

upside/down

Statistically the Cali bro's have the largest representation at Bethel, going to Gilead and serving where the great are needed. Pioneer school 1991 statement in letter from Society to our District which at that time contained the largest amount of unassigned territory in the US. This was to combat the feelings that local bros were starting to express due to their not likeing bro's from Cali, specifically due to all the false stero-types being laid on them. When in fact the bro's from Cali were actually carrying a disproportionately large portion of the spiritual load for the entire district. It was pointed out that if all of the "move ins" from Cali, were to all at once leave, many congos (especially isolated ones) would have to be disolved.

I spent 12 years as an unappreciated "move in", having left all I was familiar and comfortable with to help an bunch of inbreds, squabble over who could "piss" farther!

Never again for this ex-Cali bro!

u/d

gumby

Yer all just a buncha witness haters...that's all. You should all know by now of the unity that exist among Jehovahs people as were all fed the same food at the same time........for christ sake!

Hey, if you wanna see some REAL unity in action and how Jehovahs people behave much the same......go visit a congregation in Mexico and see how the brothers follow directions by the Faithful and Discrete Slave. ........and bring your sandles.

Gumby

Are/Were California witnesses REALLY different?

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