The Social Structure in the Congregation (page 3)

seawolf

I was #7.

I quite often felt like I was worthless as sh*t though so maybe I was an honorary #2, too.

Taylor S.

Why does it give me so much pleasure when they lose their grip on this imaginary power????

Tickled ...

... I don't know, but it does give a deliciously perverse pleasure seeing them go splat. I snicker, but I feel bad too .... sorta.

rebel8

You forgot to mention that anyone who has/is any of the following, no matter which category they fit into, has lowered social status:

-Being the child or spouse of an ?unbelieving? person

-Having a DFd family member (current or past), DAd, or Reproofed

-Having a mental illness or a family member with one

Okay...I'm sorry Mary for jumping all over you. I read that and just sort of flipped out. As usual. It's kind of one of those touchy subjects with me. I do agree that if you can go out in service regularly with CFS or fibromyalgio...you do not deserve to be supported by the government and us taxpayers in general. I was way to sick to attend meetings or go in service and I generally stayed at home; but the elders were all very suspicious that I was "begging off" from my JW duties and even went around questioning others as to whether I was really sick or not and how often they saw me out and about. So you can see why I react to this so vehemently.

I'm sorry Mary. Please forgiveth me.

Cathy L. of the short fuse

mrsjones5

I guess me and my family were somewhere between #5 and #6. Mom had been associated since age 4 with the jws, I dont know when she got baptised. Dad got baptised about 3 years after he married mom, close to when I was born I think. I do remember Dad attending meetings when I was in grade school but by the time I had reached middle school Dad was no longer a regular attender to the Hall. Did that affect the way we were treated by others in the congregation? Perhaps, but I do know that we hadly were ever invited to anything that was going on outside the Hall.

Josie

Mary

I was way to sick to attend meetings or go in service and I generally stayed at home; but the elders were all very suspicious that I was "begging off" from my JW duties

Actually, to me, that'd be proof that weren't "begging off" your Dub duties but were really, truly sick....it's the ones that can still "pioneer", but then get real sick when it comes to doing real work that I was referring to.

and even went around questioning others as to whether I was really sick or not and how often they saw me out and about.

What a bunch of slimy bastards!! Ya typical loving sheperds.....they could spend all that time spying on you like they were the KGB, when they could've spent just as much time seeing if you needed anything, like having your grass cut, cleaning, snow removal.......can you feel the love????

I'm sorry Mary. Please forgiveth me.

Not a problem..........don't worry 'bout it.

95stormfront

I don't know, but it does give a deliciously perverse pleasure seeing them go splat. I snicker, but I feel bad too .... sorta.

I don't.

I take great delight when especially the more arrogantly haughty ones are taken down a peg or two.

willyloman

Mary: Beautifully written summary, filled with much truth and insight, and some terrific one-liners.

An aside about the comments herein on environmental illnesses, fibromyalgia, and all that: Yes, these are legit, but because they are mysterious, incurable, and hard to pronounce, people hid behind them. I now attribute this to JW life stress. Feeling trapped by the borg, some dubs just checked out by imagining that they suffered from some of these things (or they did suffer, but exaggerated the effects) so they'd have an excuse not to go to meetings or in FS.

These were the same people who were, for instance, allergic or sensitive to the dog hairs that pet owners might bring to the meeting with them (on their clothing), but owned dogs themselves and would suddenly have one of their "good days" when a dog show came to town -- and not miss a single minute of the event, even if it meant missing the meeting on Sunday . Or... they were allergic to perfume and so could not be in a crowd, but then would attend a social event at which the women generally wore more and stronger perfume than they'd ever wear to a meeting, or go to a crowded arena for a sporting or entertainment event and say, "Well, I had one of my good days and decided to take advantage of it." In short, their "illness" permitted them to do what they wanted to do, but did not allow them to fulfill any of their "responsibilities." Of course, I view these imposed heavy burdens differently today.

stillajwexelder

Now I am at the bottom of the social structure -I was at one time very high

Honesty

see if you can find where your niche was/is:

It ain't there.

The Social Structure in the Congregation