i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
I reckon we could construct one of these stories, leak it, and it would be portrayed as a FACT from the stage at an Assembly
It would probably be printed in the awake as well MC. I'm sure a lot of those stories are made up anyway.
Perhaps you could email your "experience" to Brooklyn, they'd love it.
was it 1938 when faithful jws were first instructed recommended not to have children?
...mark the words of jesus, which definitely seem to discourage the bearing of children immediately before or during armageddon....it would therefore appear that there is no reasonable or scriptural injunction to bring children into the world immediately before armageddon, where we now are.
" (watchtower, nov. 1, 1938, p. 324) the wt was relatively in its early days (compared to mainstream religion), and had already gone through a lot of change.
A lot of the baptisms these days seem to be kids in their early teens, and even pre teens, so they can't discourage childbearing anymore. They need to have a constant supply of kids to brainwash and baptise to make up for the ones who are leaving.
I was visiting my mum, and saw the second plane hit, which was the moment when we all knew it was a terrorist attack. I stayed with her all afternoon, and went to the meeting that night in a state of shock and horror.
Some jws at the hall were actually trying to put a "positive" spin on the day's events, and saying that maybe people they met in the ministry would be more receptive in the days following. I found their attitude sickening, to say the least, I certainly didn't try to use 9/11 to get the message across, it was far too tragic an event for that.
they were talking about how when you are in a cult, you are not allowed to think outside their 'box'.
i didn't say anything and she says "that sounds just like the jw's doesn't it?".
i just smiled and said yes...i was thinking that very thought but wasn't going to say anything.
I agreed and told her that she was a 'On the fence JW" and she agreed and said that's what she would continue to be. I just wonder if the powers that be will let her.
As long as she keeps her thoughts to herself, they will leave her alone.
Unless there are any obvious signs of lack of total committment to the org, such as regularly missing meetings, not going in field service, publicly critcising or complaining about the org, etc, the elders tend not to notice those who are having doubts. If they have a suspicion that she isn't fully committed though, they will be on her case, have no doubts about that.
awake 1980 had a mission.
attack these two movies!
voted: "the scariest movie of all time," this is what was said about "the exorcist" and the sequel.. awake 1980 12/8 p.11 "since the release of "the exorcist some years ago, many reports are on file of the adverse effects it had on many who saw it.
there was also the rumor going around that some bethelites went to the theater to see the film and satan or some demons forced them to stay in their seats in the theater until elders were called from bethel to pray them out of their seats.
What an inventive excuse for being somewhere or doing something that you know the org won't approve of!
The most pathetic thing about it is that many jws would probably believe it, and might have had their faith in the org strengthened by these bethelites "experience".
I'm crying here. Have conjoured up this image of a window cleaners from all over town entering phone boxes and emerging in suits and carrying briefcases full of WT crap.
lol
i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
MC,
We may have met at an assembly at Dudley then. I went there for several years in the 80's myself.
The Assembly Hall is relatively close to where I live - I often drive pass it (pity I didn't 20 years ago, lol).
I also wish I'd driven past the kingdom hall I attended throughout my years as a jw when I first visited, instead of turning into the car park!
i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
what amazes me is that some couples actually persisted in this terrible life style for so long.
Me too. My friend Marion pioneered for 28 years, from 1967 until her husband had a stroke in 1995, quite often with her two sons in tow, though she did get a bit of help from in laws with them sometimes.
I don't know how she did it, and she wonders herself now. Now retired, she has little money, no property and is living in a small rented flat. She's never had a car, so has to rely on public transport, although if she needed to go anywhere urgently she knows she only has to ask and Trev will be straight round there to take her.
I remember when her husband died it wasn't long before the elders and the co were round there trying to persuade her to go back on the pioneer list, and they were quite forceful about it, not gentle at all, saying things like "don't you think it would be a good example", and "it's what Ron (her late husband) would have wanted you to do", and all this after he'd only been dead a few months, the heartless b**t*rds!
There must be thousands or maybe millions of couples and individuals like Marion, people who gave up any hope of a reasonably comfortable life to serve the watchtower full time. I wonder how many of them really have no regrets, despite the bs they spout from the platform at conventions that it was the best way of life they could have chosen.
i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
Hi MC,
Did you go to assemblies at Dudley?
I went a few times, and never really liked it. Once the East of the Pennines hall was built at Hellaby, we went there. I liked that place better, but don't have any fond memories of there or Dudley nowadays.
i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
Gill
I believe that your experience with pioneering is very much the norm.
I agree with you. Those who have the support of their families have little else. Many of them work as cleaners, as their lack of educational qualifications prevent them from being able to obtain anything better job wise. I have a degree which I obtained pre-jw, and was able to get a pert-time job which paid reasonably well, but it was always a struggle nonetheless. I suppose studying with a couple of pioneers was what got me interested initially - they certainly encouraged me to make it a goal once I was baptised. They seemed so content with their lives, and I naievely thought I'd be the same - how wrong I was!
When I used to hear of the experiences of some pioneers at conventions, I used to wonder where I'd gone wrong - my experience was nothing like theirs. For most of the 6 years, it was a thankless, joyless, penniless time. Nowadays, I can see those so-called experiences for what they most likely where - pure bs. They were either afraid to tell it like it really is, or blackmailed by the elders into lying about it.
i wen't to the district convention 2 years ago, the talk was on "sacrifices," a pioneer couple were interviewed by the c.o.
they had pioneered for many years with two kids, the dad worked part time.
they explianed how money was "tight" for them many times.
Hi Gill,
When I became a pioneer in 1984, I had my head filled with tales of how jah looks after his own, and whilst I'd never be well off I'd never be destitute either, and I lapped up every word.
Of course, those stories were only half true - I never was rich! As for being destitute, well I always had somewhere to live, but I didn't always have something to eat. I remember making a tin of baked beans last several days on more than one occasion, drinking water in winter as I couldn't afford hot drinks,or the power to heat water, and didn't have the money to buy electricity or gas anyway. I think my car was off the road more than it was on, and all my clothes, without exception, were either hand-me-downs or from second hand shops. I don't remember jah providing that mush, if anything at all, to me, and I don't remember most of the congregation doing so either.
The other pioneers in our kh had family in the org who supported them, which I didn't have. When, after almost 6 years of this, I came off as a pioneer, the elders were distraught, and for several years afterwards trie to get me to go back on the list, with promises of more support next time. Thankfully, I resisted. As zealous as I still was for the org, I never quite believed that this support would be forthcoming after they'd promised it the first time around but failed to deliver.
Of course, experiences like mine will never be related at a convention, they might have the effect of discouraging rather than encouraging those who are thinking, or more likely being persuaded to think of pioneering.
