The CO's visit

by OrangeBlossom 31 Replies latest jw friends

  • chipster
    chipster

    i used to love it when the COs extolled the virtues of "FULL-TIME SERVICE"...i used to want to either puke or scream out (or do both) "what the hell are we (the rank and file)....chopped liver???"....
    "did we not dedicate ourselves to being Christians "FULL-TIME" when we were baptized????"...sheeeesh.
    they sure had the part down well about making you feel like shit for never doing enough....i remember as an elder having 6 nights a week tied up for taking care of some congregational bullshit....and how i would judge the quiet little ex-elder that the friends would still call and go to to bring their problems ....he never wanted or needed the glory of being recognized as an elder, or being in the "full-time service"..
    guess the society abandoned the use of the expression when they realized how demeaning, desecrating, and diminishing the expression is....oh, that's right.....the people writing all the stuff are in "full-time service"...

  • normie67
    normie67

    metatron,
    I believe that "Ole Hard N Nasty" is no longer serving in CO work. I believe he may have left in the the late 80's early 90's....Never heard a good word about the man!!!! He was acontrol freak to the utmost!! He actually came to my wifes work(restaurant) and found out we lived in the territory that he was presently serving(we went to the hall's territory that was on the other side of the road) and told her we needed to switch halls!!! Got her pretty upset!
    Overall the CO's nowadays are alot different then they used to be, not as hardnosed about things more compassionate.

    normie

  • Jim Lad
    Jim Lad

    I've had my doubts about "the truth" for some time now. My wife was sexually abused by someone they deemed worthy enough to remain a MS with the intelligent rebuttal "I don't remember but one things for sure I didn't have intercourse with her", now he's an elder who ruthlessly led the judicial comittee to DF a friend of mine with a true drinking problem that quit and "turned herself in" and just wanted help. Anyway, I decided to let my curiosity get the best and looked on the evil net, haha! I ordered Ray Franz's "In search of Christian Freedom" and was so convinced it wasn't the truth that my regular hours went completely flatline, and by the time that the District Convention came along (I went to take my 14yr old sisters) (mother in surgery), I listened to their drama intended to scare me while partaking of Vodka and carbonated water! I'd never have guessed a year ago!! Made me loosen up to talk to "old friends" at noontime though. Anyway, hopefully someone will find this funny, welcome me, I'm one of YOU!!!!!

  • Sam Beli
    Sam Beli

    Welcome, Jim. Sounds like you have had more than your share of troubles. Look around and you will probably find refreshment for your soul.

    Regards,

    Sam Beli

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    Orangeblossom,

    Fascinating stuff, and very revealing!

    : 1) His talk Thursday nite was about being Successful and how the world's view of success is far different than the organizations. He was quite proud that many in the org are not highly educated, heck some can't even read.

    That explains a lot of Watchtower magazine material over the years.

    :I kept thinking of Maximus' post on the society view of college. The CO was quite concerned, as well as the GB, that many young people upon graduating from high school have chosen to go to work or college and not pioneer. He further brought out that of the few young ones that do go into the pioneer work, most are girls.

    What's wrong with girls doing the preaching? As long as they do the grocery shopping and housecleaning and child-rearing, that is. They shouldn't forget their head-covering, either. After all, the guys are GODS in the dub family. This is Biblical, you know.

    : Parents of boys were strongly encouraged to place pioneering as the goal after finishing high school. "We should not encourage our children to be financially secure, but financially responsible."

    These days that shit is not only irresponsible to say, it is immoral and will ruin so many people who believe it, that I don't want to even think about it. This world's technology is moving so quickly that such a statement as that would doom yet ANOTHER generation of dubs into poverty. I'm sick to my stomach.

    : 2) The society is very concerned about the number missing from the meetings. In fact, our CO said that in our circuit, there is an average of 2 to 10 publishers that have "left the truth" each time he goes back to a congregation. He visits approximately 20 congregations twice a year, so a minimum of 2(pubs) times 20 (congs) times 2 (visits per year) adds up to approximately anywhere from 80 (minimum) to 200 (maximum) people leaving the borg a year in our circuit alone.

    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ are not coming in. Bottom line.

    : 3) His final talk was geared toward those in the congregation called "passive attenders" and how if they had ANY doubts in their minds that this was not God's organization, they had better do whatever it takes to prove to themselves that Jehovah is using the FDS as his channel.

    In other words, "don't read anything about our religion that we don't tell you to read." Pathetic.

    : He mentioned that more than once. BYW, I guess I am a passive attender, since I never participate and occasionally attend.

    Three times for emphasis. I'll give him a "G" for that on his report card.

    : Overall, I got the sense that the GB is trying to reach those who have had contact with "apostates."

    Yeah, facts tend to mess up a cult more than anything else.

    : I feel like there is going to be a real push to weed out such ones in the very near future. They have to know that there are many that do not believe that it's the truth anymore but are hanging on so that they do not lose family and friends.

    This has happened before and it will happen again. It happened in the 1917 schism when Chuckie died, it happened in 1925, it happened in 1932, and 1938. It happened in 1975 and 1981. The "society" is used to it. They will keep their core of believers even if it only represents 1/3 of their former membership, and they will go on. This has happened to them before.

    Parasites always find a way to survive.

    Farkel

  • lauralisa
    lauralisa

    I just received "Crisis of Conscience" and am devouring it.

    I must say that the sacrificial requirements demanded on the youth in the borg now is somewhat less egregious than in Rutherford's day. I just last night read about how with fatherly (barf) persuasion, while announcing the release of the (free!) Children book to an enrapt group of 5 - 18 yr olds, he recommended that they put marriage and childbirth "out of their minds" until the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others who will "soon" be resurrected and would guide them in their selection of mates. (pg. 14, 3rd edition)

    Uh, sounds kinda "Moon"ish, n'est-ce pas?

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    G'day Farks, old son, nice point you made

    What's wrong with girls doing the preaching? As long as they do the grocery shopping and housecleaning and child-rearing, that is. They shouldn't forget their head-covering, either. After all, the guys are GODS in the dub family. This is Biblical, you know.

    Yet the Dubs believe that some of these same sisters are going to reign as kings and priests some day, even judging angels. They're a weird mob!

    Cheers,
    Ozzie

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

  • slipnslidemaster
    slipnslidemaster
    This has happened before and it will happen again. It happened in the 1917 schism when Chuckie died, it happened in 1925, it happened in 1932, and 1938. It happened in 1975 and 1981. The "society" is used to it. They will keep their core of believers even if it only represents 1/3 of their former membership, and they will go on. This has happened to them before.

    Parasites always find a way to survive.

    Amen. Like cockroaches.

    Slipnslidemaster: "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."
    - Salvador Dali

  • RedhorseWoman
    RedhorseWoman

    Very interesting post. Nothing much has changed over the years, has it? Still the push to give up everything for the "Kingdom Work". Funny thing is, in most congregations any newbies who come in with a college education already under their belts are fawned over as if they were royalty.

    Laurlisa, you said that you were glad that this quote was no longer true:

    he recommended that they put marriage and childbirth "out of their minds" until the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others who will "soon" be resurrected and would guide them in their selection of mates. (pg. 14, 3rd edition)

    Actually, a similar argument was used on those of us who were getting close to marriageable age around 1975. We were all warned about the scripture that said "Woe to the pregnant woman and the women with small children" during the great tribulation and time of the end.

    We were all being urged to wait until the New System so that we could find an appropriate mate.

    I'm sure that this same argument will come up again in the future. Right now, though, it would seem that they are trying to boost numbers with a "grow-your-own-cult-member" scheme.

  • jayhawk1
    jayhawk1

    Hey RedhorseWoman,
    QUOTE:
    I'm sure that this same argument will come up again in the future. Right now, though, it would seem that they are trying to boost numbers with a "grow-your-own-cult-member" scheme.
    When I left 10 months ago, that was what they were saying again. We are so close to the end, just wait to get married in the new system. Maybe that is why I am just not starting to date. GOD WAS I DUMB TO BUY THAT FOR 5 YEARS! {

    "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford

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