i was in the town this morning and saw a little cluster of jws leaving the kingdom hall, clutching their ministry bags, eager to go out into the field service.... well, maybe eager isnt quite the right word.... anyway, i thought to myself - how many people will they convert today?
one, two, a whole family?
the more obvious answer is none at all.
ArgCampeon: Ha ha! So typical of a JW.
Growth = God's favor/end near
Decline = God's favor/end near
Wars/crime increase = sign of the times/end near
Wars/crime decrease = nations say 'peace and security'/end near
No matter what happens the 'End is Near'. What a joke. Didn't you get the memo? The 1914 GENERATION has died and oops, GENERATION refers to some jibba jabber about a 'time period'. jibba jabber jibba jabber jibba jabber. What you talkin 'bout foo!
mulan and seeker4 got me thinking in the previous thread called 'what did you do first?...'..
they both made the point that they were turning in reports when not going out on field service (tsk, tsk!
) and i remembered the times i 'cooked the books' a little and rounded up the figures, fiddled my time a little, counting time when it was not proper ministry.
Ah, counting time. Seeker4, you used the old "what's jehovah's name" trick too huh? Doesn't surprise me - alot of us did. Yes, the tricks of getting time in during pioneering were many! Starting time in one cong and then going to the meeting for FS in another county over :) Or the old 'one call at the north side of the county, back to the south side for call #2' trick. Man those 10 hour days were MURDER. Ugh. <shudder>
i was wondering, for those of you who have left the organization, how long did the transition take?
i mean, how long after you left did you feel up in the air, in turmoil, lost, unsettled?
long long before you felt comfortable with the decision and basically happy with your life?
(at least those for which 42 isn't a satisfying answer)
Ha ha! Make sure you don't forget your towel ...
RIP Douglas Adams.
i was wondering, for those of you who have left the organization, how long did the transition take?
i mean, how long after you left did you feel up in the air, in turmoil, lost, unsettled?
long long before you felt comfortable with the decision and basically happy with your life?
Ditto Francoise, I was gone way before I quit attending meetings. Just didn't realize I was gone! First off I simply knew that I HATED going to meetings and field service (in fact I had always hated FS from the time I can recall since I felt hypocritical going to peoples doors and had NO desire to be there talking to them). Meetings became more and more of a chore to watch hypocritical men (whom you knew nice secrets about) proudly struting about the cong as an 'example' to the flock, giving talks, judging others, etc, etc. And they're spewing the same old crap EVERY meeting. More FS, more meetings, more donations, more more more. And the 'ignore the problems, Jah will take care of them' only goes so far in MY book. All the while they're looking down their noses at you 'cause you didn't get 10 hours last month.
Didn't help they yanked the 80 year generation out from under us - that just about nailed it in my mind. All that time growing up - "you won't graduate high school" oops, "you won't get married", etc. After hearing how your parents were feed and bought the same bunk, and they're now grandparents (Won't graduate HS, rrrrriiiight .....) and facing retirement with NO money, NO savings, NOTHING. Oh but don't worry the new system will be here before they retire ... rrrriiiiight. If not the local elders will provide for them - oh, you mean they won't? I guess it's time for gov't houseing then, 'cause Jehovah's org is too busy printing new light.
What a bunch of BS!
i posted this onto a previous thread, but wanted to start it on a new one as well.
as jws, we lack the "social outlet" all humans need, to have true friends one can speak openly and honestly with and not be afraid of judgmentalism.
what i've seen firsthand is that the "nucleus" of the congregation often has this need filled: elders, ms's, pioneers, and their families often do things together.
I always noticed that friendship in JW land was a conditional thing. In most cases, it was hard work to stay included in the 'in crowd' (there's always an 'in crowd' in each cong). And making friends would be impossible since you ALWAYS had to tread so lightly lest you offend someone (someone was ALWAYS getting offended, hurt, etc). Or people would step all over you to make themselves look better or better their position in the cong. Or take advantage of you ... it always seemed like a big game or rat race to climb all over each other. No wonder JW's are stressed out all the time! The # of people who ever really cared about me for who I was and not some other selfish reason I could count on one hand.
On the other hand, I have never in my life been exposed to as many people who are truely friendly in a non-selfish was as I am now - all 'worldy' people too . One difference seems to be is that non-JWs don't try and invade every portion of your life, they are content to simply associate and enjoy your company w/out being nosey and judgemental. And we can disagree one things, even major things and still get along. Amazing.
30 that seems to put jw's at a cross-roads?
i've known so many who have decided to abandon ship at either the age of 30 or either after 30 years of being baptized.
i fall into the former category.
Another one out in the mid-late 20's ... never really bought into it fully (raised in the org), but went out of obligation, family, freinds, etc. Also didn't really think about leaving since it was just the way I was raised. But the whole generation thing happened and made me think about what it was I was buying into. Out I came!
ok last post before me and my pillow get together.
so what is the dress code of jw.
i notice a lot of long skirts, and dresses.
Oh and they'll get you with the "It's not loving to the bothers for the women to dress provocativly" - because it makes the poor brothers think about SEX!! Gasp. Wouldn't want to inflame the brothers passions like that, turn them into rabid sex-hungrey dogs ... O wait, that describes all men doesn't it? What a bunch of bunk.
matthew 18: 6,7 "if anyone should cause one of these little ones to turn away from his faith in me, it would be better for that man to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea.. how terrible for the world that there are things that make people turn away!
such things will alway happen--but how terrible for the one who causes them.".
has the governing body really been responcible for causing real genuine belevers in jesus christ to stumble the way jesus says at mathew 18?.
Without Ray Franz, and other prominent apostates, who have widely advertised the Watchtower's flaws, many of this things that cause stumbling would never have become known.
Ah ha! So THAT's the problem - these things are OK to do, just don't get caught. Evil apostates catching Jah's people in mis-behavour ... how dare they!? Silly me.
just curious they seem to have an endless supply of literature but they never ask me to pay them for the books.
and i never see a collection basket being passed around.
so how do they get their money???.
Actually tattogirl, it is funny, he probably had NO idea what to do - to him you were probably like Satan himself walking into the room what with the tattos and all J/k ...
just curious they seem to have an endless supply of literature but they never ask me to pay them for the books.
and i never see a collection basket being passed around.
so how do they get their money???.
Oh, and as an aside, the last few years I was attending meetings, it used to REALLY irritate me how much they would beg and plead for $$ from the stages. I mean they used to be so proud of the fact that they didn't pass collection plates, and contributions were voluntary, but from the early 90's on it seemed as if there was money talk at every meeting. And now I hear they're installing ATMs in assembly halls and some KH!? Wow. And the whole 'vote to pay this or that expense' crap - I mean WHO in the hell would actually raise their hands to oppose paying the COs expenses? Nobody if you didn't want to be open a can of worms. And then they'd vote to contribute a certain amount the the 'worldwide work' (which was actually a vote to pay for last months books), and they'd break down how much each JW would need to contribute to cover that vote ... how transparent can you get?
