The Watchtower Caste System & How We All Bought Into It (page 3)

ocsrf

The big problem I saw was that their is always one elder who controls everything, he sort of keeps everyone in line from MSs to less influential elders. And when these type of elders have sons, it is even worst because then they push them up the so called ladder and usually these guys are the worst of the worst, they don't even try to sincere, cause daddy will take care of them.

OC

Virgogirl

There was a family at our Hall, Brother and Sister S. and their two tall, slender beautiful daughters. They were SO snobby to my mom and me, who were plain and modest. They desperately tried to be sophisticated and stylish. Brother S. would pull the family Cadillac around to the door fto pick up the Vogue models. Out emerged the Snoot Sisters, in long leather coats and knee high boots, long gloves and matching hats, and the most stylish expensive haircuts. The eldest Miss S, wore the trendiest eyeglasses and lots of lip gloss. They rarely gave mom and me the time of day. One night after the meeting, dad was in line behind the S. family in our old Chrysler and I sighed wistfully at the fashionistas. My dad turned around and said, "They sure seem to have it all, but Brother S. has been quietly borrowing money from your old dad to make it to payday for several weeks now. He can't afford to keep up with all the clothes the ladies want and make ends meet too." I suddenly felt sorry for the S. family because it was that important to them to wear the best and drive an impredssve car. Mama S. so badly wanted to become an Elderette and thought appearances would do the trick.

theinfamousone

I love you all already... Damn, finally someone to talk to about this shtuff... Anyways, i know what youre talking about... i was one of the elders children, i was doing the watchtower counter, prayers, talks galore, watchtower readings, the whole shabang, except the whole time i was like WTF am i doing all this for....

then when i was asked to go to a meeting with the elders, i was like oh shoot, finally I'LL BE AN MS!!! but no, i was being reproved for going to university... i asked why i chouldnt go, and i got this response, these are the exact words, because they haunt me to this day: "BECAUSE IT MAY LEAD TO INDEPENDANT THOUGHT!"

I was flabbergasted, and at that moment, i decided never to set foot into a kingdom hall again.... They play games, and since i wasn't their white anglo-saxon ass kisser, i could never be an MS anyways... what a loss

the infamous one

DannyHaszard

Whole lotta dysfunctional rotten relation-"shits" in the 'new world society

professor

the buzz over getting a "young annointed"!

??? Is there such a thing? I thought the annointed were all elderly.

minimus

Vgirl, Interesting story regarding the poor fashionistas! I knew a lot of pretentious Witnesses. They all had the Circuit Overseer's ear, though.

james_woods

Back in the days before the elder arrangement, there were a few guys who were not really committee members but who were kind of on the "A" team for getting speaking parts at the assemblies. Now maybe this is just an Okla City thing, but several of my teenage friends and I started noticing that these guys had taken on a sort of "look"...they almost all had the superslick hair style (sort of like the young Conway Twitty), light pastel suits, white shoes, white belt, etc. We made up the name "pretty boys" for these sort of people. But, for a long time these guys would get the plum speaking parts, pantomime parts in the "dramas", etc...even if their field service was pretty much nonexistent. Finally one really decent older district servant just put out the word that he did not want any more people up on stage that looked like a cheap TV evangelical and "pretty boy" style suddenly died out. Many of these people ended up kicked out (DF) for extramarital affairs etc, but for quite a time they were really the E ticket around the district.

minimus

It is true that in the early 70's there were these guys getting all the attention. Then the Society cracked down. You had to look like a businessman. And from that point on, it was the beginning of the Stepfords.

james_woods

From Minimus: James, and that man is probably a GB member now.

Actually, I learned from someone who knew him after I left the JWs (yes, here on JWN) that he had died of cancer some time back. He continued to claim to be annointed to the end. His wife reportedly did have a baby, though, and stayed one of the "other sheep." I forgot to mention in the post here that he was actually not a bad sort of fellow - but he sure was convinced of being of the heavenly class (even though he could not really explain why).

I just thought I would bring this classic Minimus thread back from the archives - it was one of the first I posted on here five years ago, and there were quite a few lost old-timers on it.

Plus, the subject of status and class devotion in the JW congregations seemed like it was worth bringing up again.

James

Ding

Galatians 4:17 (RSV): "They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to shut you out, that you may make much of them."

The Watchtower Caste System & How We All Bought Into It

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