How does one get marked?

On the Fence

Ok, I've been involved with JW's for 15 years or so, but I've not been deep enough into any "clicks" to know how someone gets "marked". Will someone explain? I'm sure I must have been marked more than once for stupid reasons - only going to 2-3 of the 5 weekly meetings (hey, some of us do have to do laundry every now and then), not commenting enough (they wouldn't want to hear my comments now), not going out in service enough, etc. It's funny to me that what is preached is, so often, not practiced. For instance; Judge lest not ye be judged... oh, wait. That's not the NWT version. Maybe that would go something like this... ahem... "Judge everyone by this ridiculous set of arbitrary rules that the organization has established but can not be found in the bible. Make sure you constantly judge yourself by these rules, too. If you live up to this, you can look down your nose at everyone you think does not." ;)

Dune

Anything can mark you man. I'm an active witness who averages 15 hours a month, miss two meetings a year, do mics, watchtower and literature and just had a part in an assembly. But over all these things i've been "Marked"

Things that have me marked:

1) I'm in college (This i probably THE reason that i'm marked, it doesnt stop them from asking me to do work though)

2) The elders realized that at one point i wanted to become a ministerial servant but now i could care less.

3) I only comment during the watchtower study (the meetings i'm doing the reading).
Right now, i plan on increasing my hours to 25, commenting twice a meeting and reaching out more...the only reason i'm doing it though is so that when I leave the congregation in June, they wont be able to put anything bad on the report and then i'll be able to decide if i should keep going with my hypocrisy or just fade.

On the Fence

Dune, What a load of #@$#. Get "marked" for going to college. Ya know, I had an elder tell me that, in the round-about way that they use, that I should quit my decent paying job because it required overtime occasionally. He said it would be better for me to be a ditch digger or sewage worker and not work overtime and make much less money, than to keep my white collar job and have to miss meetings sometimes. ha ha ha. I don't see him playing around in sewage. Easy for him to say. So how do the elders or other sanctimonious people go about marking someone? Is it just spread like gossip or what?

Dune

Thats the thing, before that college article and the elder's meeting, there wasnt a set definition on college students. There was only one elder who ever gave me crap about going to college (and i kid you not when i tell you that he works AT a university).

Most of the elders would ask me about school but wouldnt give any input good or bad. One elder who gave a talk came up to me and said that he was glad that i was in college and said "The world isnt the same place it was 20 years ago.".

But after this article its been crazy. The congregation as a whole has ignored my presence before the article, but i think the article has given them a supposed "right" that they can mark me.

But as i said, it doesnt matter, i choose to hold up the masquerade for a few more months, leave the congregation and decide what to do from there.

Ellie

You mean to say they give you a report when you leave a congregation?

Finally-Free

I think I was "marked" for the entire 20 years I was in. I was counselled for having a moustache, having a 2 door van, being overweight, joining a gym to lose weight, wearing bright ties, taking part time courses, being poor, being materialistic, biting my nails, not underlining my watchtower, having a dirty car, having a damaged car, taking the damaged car off the road, not buying a new car in a timely fashion, having an unsubmissive wife, not commenting enough, saying short prayers, wearing tinted prescription glasses, and a shitload of other felonies.

W

Sunspot

Sometimes something like parting your hair wrong can get you marked! It is a ridiculous concept from an even more ridiculous organization that wants to keep its members in constant fear of displeasing them.

bull01lay

I got marked for booking to go to the Monsters of Rock concert - even though I never made it there! Thanks elders !!

I got marked for standing up for myself when my stepfather punched me in the face.

I got marked beause I knew an elders son was up to things he shouldn't be - diversionary tactic.

I got marked cos I had a motorcycle.

The net result for each of these was less 'privileges' in the cong - looking back it was a blessing !

Bull! <= the Tarnished One !

On the Fence

I didn't word my question correctly. What I want to know is how does the fact that someone is "marked" get around? Is it spread like gossip or is there a meeting amongst the elders or ??? Now that I know you can be marked for just about anything, I could make a long list of the things that I've likely been marked for... let's see... 1. Not attending all the meetings 2. wearing boots with a dress. (there was 2 feet of snow on the ground, for Pete's sake) 3. wearing dress pants to a meeting once instead of a dress/skirt. Oh no, I'm going to not be resurected for that one! 4. owning sports cars instead of "service" cars. 5. hating being single and hoping for a "mate". Damn those natural desires! 6. working overtime a few times a year. 7. having worldy family and friends that I refused to shun 8. reading Stephen King novels or other non-JW magazines/books I could go on like this but I won't bore you any longer.

Finally-Free

I think they give a talk in the "local needs" part without mentioning names. Then the congregation gossip machine switches into high gear and people will either know who to mark, or select someone they don't like anyway. Also, an announcement that a certain person has been reproved is enough to mark him too.

W

How does one get marked?

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