had enough asked :.
if you haven't already related to us the experiences at bethel that you told to your mom-in-law, (or even if you already have told us) could you tell us about what you told her.....and...what is "g-jobbing" (sorry for my naivity) .
i didn't want to take away from sl post about his mother but i thought a little insight into the world of the bethelites would be interesting this am.
The rumor I really want to track down was Barbara Grizzuti's
claim that bro's in the Rutherford era got regularily serviced
at a local brothel. This isn't as crazy as it first sounds -
in Rutherford's day they had a very "wink-wink, nudge-nudge"
attitude about stuff like this - Rutherford himself may have
had some on the side - divorces could happen discreetly - too
much morality (and not enough preaching) was derided as "character
building".
metatron
i have finished coc for the zillionth time i have allso read his other book so many times its falling to peices.. could anyone suggest a good book on the subject to start on ?.
thanks in advance.. josephus
But there's so many good books to read!
Read "Manifest Your Destiny" by Wayne Dyer. Do what he
says, in all sincerity, for 6 months. I guarantee your
life will never be the same again.(much better!)
metatron
feeling trapped?
forced to go to boring meetings?
your evenings free to pursue hobbies or education?
Feeling trapped? Forced to go to boring meetings? Would you like
your evenings free to pursue hobbies or education? Would you like
to sleep in on weekends instead of wasting time knocking on doors
selling magazines?
Would you like your freedom back!
Here's some tips on "fading away" without a lot of trouble or fuss.
1) Claim depression - it doesn't have to be a lie, in any way!
What Witness isn't depressed these days! Take a couple of months
or more to gradually s-l-o-w down, dropping meetings and
time reported in magazine sales. Next,...
2) Say nothing. Well, don't tell the elders ANYTHING that can
be used against you. You are chronically depressed, that's all.
Resist ALL urges to dispute doctrine or argue about the meaning
of scriptures - you'd be wasting your time anyway, they don't
care and won't listen. If you're a sister, tears can help
(it's a thick- headed male dominated cult) as well as comments
about problems with hormones, body chemistry, or "female
troubles" you really can't talk about -- and it's chronic!
3) Find a reason to move into another congregation. This is the
classic "fall thru the cracks" ploy. Say you have a different
job schedule and need to go to meetings at different times.
Maybe there's somebody sick in the next Hall that needs your
help - anyhow put in field service reports in the new hall
for several months (or longer, if the secretary in the old hall
is incompetent) - this way your publisher record cards will be
moved to the new hall and you'll be "off the map" where you
used to attend. You may wish to pick a Kingdom Hall burdened
with a lot of trouble, so the elders won't even notice you
disappearing - any hall with a lot of YOUNG PEOPLE probably
will fit that description!
4) Talk to your Witness relatives as if nothing has really changed.
'wasn't that a good Watchtower study article this Sunday?'
'the elders in our new hall are really nice'
'I'm really looking forward to the district convention'
and blah, blah, blah.
5) Finally, Enjoy! Remember that the only purpose of life is
happiness!(if it was anything else coupled with being miserable,
what would be the point?) Investigate gardening, have fun
chatting on the internet, take up painting, read those
books you've always wanted to, start a business, go to college,
rebuild a classic car, go on a world cruise, join a gym,
volunteer to help someone learn to read, play in a sandbox
with your grandkids, blow soapy bubbles in the park, learn to
cook, try Thai food, go to a horse race......
Don't waste the precious currency of your life in a sterile
Watchtower context!
Get out there and LIVE!
metatron (mmmm this chicken satay is really good)
had enough asked :.
if you haven't already related to us the experiences at bethel that you told to your mom-in-law, (or even if you already have told us) could you tell us about what you told her.....and...what is "g-jobbing" (sorry for my naivity) .
i didn't want to take away from sl post about his mother but i thought a little insight into the world of the bethelites would be interesting this am.
Phone taps, nothing! How about room searches?
it's not like there was a "fourth amendment" in Bethel or
anything.
If your best buddy loses his copy of Penthouse somewhere
in his room and can't find it .....
Your response is "I don't know you, man!"
Remember bro's hangin' small copies of porn in vent shafts
in the 124 bathroom? - just keepin' it handy, in a way that
can't be traced back to its owner.
metatron
had enough asked :.
if you haven't already related to us the experiences at bethel that you told to your mom-in-law, (or even if you already have told us) could you tell us about what you told her.....and...what is "g-jobbing" (sorry for my naivity) .
i didn't want to take away from sl post about his mother but i thought a little insight into the world of the bethelites would be interesting this am.
It's good to see things from a different perspective.
I did have some contempt for guys who stayed for life.
I thought they didn't have the guts to
leave and get married and get a real job in the world
like the rest of us. Now that I'm older, I can have more
understanding for guys like Willy Walker - they're scared
to leave - it's like putting a bird in a cage - eventually
you can leave the cage door open, they're too scared to
leave it.
But I can see how you would feel, with the Amos n' Andy
routine. You can tell people about Bethel all day, but
unless you've been there,they'll never understand what
a strange place it is.
metatron
these signs are ready for immediate duplication.
(the bottom one entitled flyer is in actually dimensions.
) its 3x 4. it was done at fast signs which is a nationwide chain, (sign-a-rama or any other sign company can make these for you).
Wanna ruffle some feathers?
Take that comment about how the Society now allows
publishers to report child abuse (ha-ha!), add silentlambs
phone number and have it printed neatly on light green paper.
Then STAPLE it TWICE to a dollar bill.
Make a bunch and put them in contribution boxes all
over your convention, as a protest. They'll have to
remove the staples to get the money.
Nothing illegal here, but I can guarantee if enough
people do this, you'll get a reaction!
metatron
"read your bible".. this phrase has been used by the watchtower society for years.. however, it is being widely used in recent years for particular.
reasons.
circuit overseers and governing body members have been.
Exactly! It's used as a dismissive, pass the buck technique.
It lets them off the hook for the endless parade of failure
now running thru local congregations especially with regard
to family breakdown. As an elder. I know FIRST-HAND that this
is the way Circuit Overseers operate. I was involved with a
family with a teenager out of control in the congregation. The
parents were worried sick about the spiritual and legal
ramifications. How did the C.O. reply after begging for specific
advice? "Have you considered reading the Bible every day?"
I should have replied "If the Bible contains all the magic answers
to this legal/spiritual problem, why are we wasting time with you
or the Society, dumbass!"
Oh, the memories!
metatron
"read your bible".. this phrase has been used by the watchtower society for years.. however, it is being widely used in recent years for particular.
reasons.
circuit overseers and governing body members have been.
"Read your Bible".
This phrase has been used by the Watchtower Society for years.
However, it is being widely used in recent years for particular
reasons. Circuit Overseers and Governing Body members have been
repeating it, almost mantra-like, in response to growing trouble
in the organization. It has, therefore, taken on a special meaning
that should be exposed for the protection of any innocent lurkers
who read this board.
First, "Read the Bible" means:
"We don't know what to say or do about these problems. We have
no particular sense of inspiration or divine guidance. We are adrift
in time amidst bankrupt chronology, failed prophecy, and moral
decay in local congregations. We are clueless"
Think I'm kidding? A few years back, a member of the GB was visiting
South Africa and parts of Europe. He encountered emotionally upset
Witness parents who cried "What do we do? Our children are leaving
the 'truth'!" His response was "Read the Bible!". Circuit Overseers
and others have quoted and re-quoted this foolish and dismissive
response as if some profound truth was suddenly revealed. Apparently,
they are utterly blind to the uncaring and blind message it sends.
DOES IT NEVER OCCUR TO THEM that these sincere parents were looking
for SPECIFIC counsel? That they were hurting deeply and looking
for an exact response such as Jesus would give?
Thus, secondly, "Read the Bible" means "Please go away and leave us alone".
Finally, "Read the Bible" means "Since we don't have a clue what
to do, but still WANT TO CONTROL YOU, please use all your valuable
spare time reading the Bible, to prevent you from thinking too
deeply about our spiritual impotence. Meeting and magazine sales
aren't enough to keep your mind from drifting away from our control".
Yes, I listened to the recent Circuit Overseers' talks and heard
him repeat his 'special' message: READ THE BIBLE!
And every time he repeated it, I understood perfectly what he meant
"We're running blind and lost but we're not going to let you go".
Enlightenment is a wonderful thing.
metatron
a brother just told me about a new assembly procedure.
during the program at his d.c. this past week-end (cornwall, ontario) the chairman asked everyone to pick up their belongings and leave the stadium immediately.
everyone gathered in a nearby park.
Wow! Is it just possible that this was their reaction to a
bomb threat!
Think about it! If they publically admit there was a bomb threat,
they might say to themselves "If we announce this, it might
encourage opposers to phone in bomb threats and wreck assemblies,
so let's lie about it and hope it goes no further".
Do you really think a local government would ask the organization
to do a test evacuation? Would the Society simply comply?
Why would a local government be so concerned about an
efficient evacuation?
Interesting topic
I hope we hear more about it.
Maybe somebody could ask local officials if they really
knew about it.
metatron
please forgive the mixed metaphor.
nevertheless, it summarizes.
a convention talk on "the organization isn't fading away!"..
Sure, no matter how much of a joke a religion becomes
they'll always be a small core of true believers hanging
on. This holds true for the Armstrong group or Communism.
So, they'll be Witnesses around, looking tired and worn
out, selling magazines on street corners or in bus terminals for years to come.
However, what I look forward to is first, is a "gelding" of the
organization, where growth in all developed nations stops.
The whole sick thing goes sterile. After that, the realization
FINALLY sets in that the glorious Theocracy is fading away.
The old timers are dying, the young people are leaving,
the middle aged aged are skipping meetings.
You see, I think the Society and Witnesses in general are still
in a denial phase. They're extremely stubborn - it will take
a lot of rot to really get their attention. I'm hoping for the
opposite of that quotation "nothing succeeds like success".
I hope their growing failure grows and feeds on itself
with the rank and file quietly melting away.
It would be nice to see the Watchtower Society become a kind
of religious 'Flat Earth Society' in the next decade.
metatron
