One way the Watchtower gets into people's heads is by making them feel that they're unworthy, not good enough, inferior. "DO MORE. DO MORE!!!!" That is the chant of circuit overseers and elders all around the world. NOBODY could keep up the pace that the Watchtower has given its followers. And the result for JWs is GUILT!!! Without a doubt, the leadership continue to browbeat the flock.They are anything but "loving shepherds".
Witnesses Are Always Made To Feel They're Not Doing Enough
by minimus 19 Replies latest jw friends
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tazmaniac
Hi Minimus, I know exactly what you mean. I know of so many that would fall into a depression shortly after a circuit assembly or the CO's visit. I remember one elder that said at one of the elders meetings, "if I hear one more talk about not doing enough, I think my head will explode". Memories pressed between the pages in my mind....LOL !! Cheers, Taz
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FlyingHighNow
It's called psychology, Mini and it is very effective at getting a lot of JWs to DO MORE. It also wears people out emotionally, physically and spiritually. It did that to me. I think it's evil for them to do that. In eternity I think God should make them stand at blackboard after blackboard writing Do more! Do more! Do more! Or else you'll die forever! Forever! Do more! Do more! Do more! Or else you'll die forever! forever! Just the brothers who really believed this and who got some sort of sick rush off giving those talks.
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JH
That's very true what you said Minimus. Never will you hear them say, "good work, mission accomplished".
No matter how much you do, they will find a way to make you feel guilty on something.
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Scully
That was one of the little that went off in my head when we weren't quite decided to stop going to meetings. I was so depressed and discouraged about all the effort I put into meetings, service, personal study, informal witnessing, hosting a Book Study and service arrangements, and being made to feel that I still wasn't doing enough.
It was as though we were running on treadmills with the promise of Everlasting Life in Paradise? being dangled in front of us. The faster we ran and the harder we tried, it was still always just out of our grasp. So we got off the treadmill.
An excellent book to read on this subject is Tired of Trying to Measure Up by Jeff VanVonderen.
Love, Scully
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CeriseRose
Through most of my time as a JW I worked in the same department in a large company. My co-workers watched me get farther and farther in, then pull farther and farther out. After leaving JWs (I had already left the job), they commented that I seemed so unhappy while in it.
Throughout that time while working with them, they always said "You're so busy. I don't know how you keep up that pace." The meetings, service, etc., plus a full time job, left virtually no 'down time'.
I did achieve some down time, finally. Nervous breakdowns will do that. I think that was a major turning point for me, when I decided that I wasn't going to ruin my health and life for someone else's agenda.
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Strawberryfieldsforever
I remember when we would come home from assemblies and everyone was so depressed. One of the sisters had said "It's because we are all so sad to see the assembly end...". BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's because they made us all feel like crap cause we never seem to do ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the vent....
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Stefanie
Yes, the meetings are what seemed really unfair to me.
They dont believe in sleeping in.
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cyber-sista
They even discouraged us and made us feel guilty when we were ill. Even when you were at home sick you had to feel guilty that you weren't at the meeting. People would actually drag themselves and their children to the meetings when they were very ill. I hated it when I would sit near someone or their kids who was coughing their heads off all over me for a couple of hours knowing that I would probably catch their crud too. I always out of courtesy stayed home when I was sick, but then I would be made to feel guilty by others who would start questioning if you happen to have the flu and would be away from the meetings for longer than what the JWs thought was normal sick time. One time I had major surgery with complications --I wasn't doing very well--very wiped out and home in bed for a few weeks recovering. My daughter came home upset and told me that one of her friends had said that her mother didn't think I should be away from the meetings for as long as I had. She said that another sister had similiar surgery and she was back at the meeting after about a week! My daughter actually teared up when she told me this--she knew how sick I was and was upset by the unsympathic comments.
The last circuit overseer who spoke at my former cong was very unsympathetic. He stood up there and ranted on about how so many complain they are tired and sometimes not able to attend. He was not sympathetic, but pretty much said we should drag ourselves to the KH no matter what--our life depended on it. Does that sound like GUILT?
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