Advice From an MS

BoozeRunner

Reading some posts tonite made me think of some advice I was given by a MS one day.

At the KH one Sunday, I had genuinely asked Brother G. how he was feeling. I knew he had health problems and could see he was kind of uncomfortable. He replied that his blood pressure had been high, and he was feeling the effects of it.

He then went on to explain that he rarely goes into detail because most Brothers and Sisters DONT want to hear a persons problems. He said, " I just say I am fine."

So true, isnt it? Tell someone you have a RV or a BS and they are busy thinking about how THEY can get some of those hours on their report, but tell thm you are having problems and its the old cliches:

A:This old system
B:Wait on Jehovah
C:Just keep doing what you are doing (I'm suffering you asshole!!!)
D:Go out in service more-that'll keep your mind off things

Ah yes, fair-weather friendships in the BORG

Boozy

AngelofMuZiC

Such horrible truth.

Francois

Such is the real compassion of the J Dubs.

Billygoat

My inactive father left my JW stepmom late last year. Told her in an email that he wanted a divorce. She came home to his clothes already gone. They'd been married for 20 years. Mom called me and she was panic-stricken. She had no job - few skills - hadn't worked in several years. All of a sudden she has to support herself and two boys that just started college. The brothers way of comforting her? "You must not be spiritually strong enough or your husband wouldn't leave you. Pray harder, go out in field service more, and study the Watchtower more." Give me a break! How the heck is THAT supposed to help her support herself and two boys? The lack of compassion, love, kindness, and just genuine interest amazes me everytime I read one of these posts. It's so sad. And I feel so helpless to my family that is still stuck in The Tower!

Billygoat - still mourning...

Amazing

Hi Booze: Over the years, I found a mixture between shallow and genuine concern. My biggest problem was not listening enough or showing enough concern. Though I felt it, I did not display enough to others.

It was not deliberate, but life is demanding, and then with the heavy schedule of being a JW combined with Elder stuff, I had little time for those who really needed attention. Mostly, my family sufferred because I would stay home to put a talk together, or tally time slips while they went to the beach without me.

We did have some close JW friends with whom we visited frequently, playing cards, enjoying meals, or watching a good movie. It was not all robotic ... but, over the years I found that the warmth JWs had in the 1960s and early 1970s was replaced by more and more by indifference and isolationism. When the Society started openly discouraging large JW gatherings outside 'official' meetings, then their social bonds deteriorated downhill from there, and have never recovered.

Enjoyed your good and very true points. - Amazing

BoozeRunner

Hi Amazing,
I understand what you mean. I can appreciate the demands that life puts on many. The WTS likes to brag so much about the so-called "Spiritual Paradise" they claim to have, when in fact, pressures of life effect JW's in the same way as non-JW's.
Sometimes we simply dont have time or energy to listen to all we would like to about another's tribulations.

Boozy

spike

I could not agree more. JW's are so robotic. They are not human enough to have a kind caring heart. I told this to a sister who said that if we talked to everyone for 2 minutes before or after the meeting to find out how you are, you wouldn't get out in field service. Duh.

ozziepost

Part of this syndrome is that the R&F do not feel free to be themselves. If they reveal a weakness it is seen as a 'black mark' against them. Consequesntly the Borg is a don't tell environment.

Cheers,
Ozzie

"You can know the law by heart, without knowing the heart of it"
Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?

joelbear

I agree with Amazing.

I think it really changed after 1980. 1975 took a lot out of people.

Before 1975 it was like we were a big family struggling through life together and helping each other out. After that, it just seemed different. I always thought it was just because I grew up and lost my rose colored glasses but maybe not.

hugs

Joel

bboyneko

JW's are so robotic. They are not human enough to have a kind caring heart.

The basic premise behind fundamentalism is selfishness. JW's are out to save their asses from gettin kilt at armageddon. Every man, or robot, for hisself!

Advice From an MS

Share this