Lifesavers story . . . Jehovah's Witness love and honesty . . . missing (page 2)

Scully

This is the part of Theocratic War Strategy™ that the vast majority of JWs do not get.... that the WTS does not consider its own followers to be "entitled" to truthful information.

So while JWs are out there protecting Mother™ from Persecution™ by committing perjury in courtrooms, saying that the WTS does not require them to shelter their children from extracurricular activities, or does not view the governments of the world as tools of Satan the devil, or does not expel people who accept blood transfusions, they put "Out Of Order" signs on candy machines that actually work.

If they are willing to lie to JWs about candy machines so they can ensure that a JW's money goes into their Contribution Boxes™ instead, they will lie to JWs about anything.

10

The person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and the person unrighteous in what is least is unrighteous also in much. ~ Luke 16:10

AlmostAtheist

They said "Brother Matz said you can use the machine just keep it to a minimum." I was shocked, my son cried, and it was a lie.

I'm sure you were relieved to know that Brother Matz ok'd your candy acquisition. It would've been a shame if he'd said "no", eh? When Jesus talked about "what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven", I wonder if he considered its implications for the use of vending machines.

Good Gawd. It's so hard to believe I lived in that world. Thanks for this story, Gary.

Of course it's easy to get caught up in the ludicrous notion that they would discourage people from using a vending machine, and entirely overlook the fact that they were willing to lie to make it happen. Then to stand in front of you -- after you USED the machine -- and tell you it was out of order. I just can't get that out of my head. Zounds...

Dave

juni

Very true, Gary. Saw horror scenes and heard horror sounds. Kids getting beat w/the belt in the bathroom. Made me sick. I should have got out then and there.

I heard from another former brother on this site about your experience w/the candy machine. Those assholes. Liars. Looks to me like you're big enough to take them all on. I suppose because they weren't getting the money they didn't want anyone using the machines. What a crock.

garybuss

TallTexan, That Bismarck assembly must have been either '75 or '76 and they did have a food sales fundraiser set up. My run in with Matz's vending machine security cops happened during a speaking marathon session. A session my two year old wasn't very interested in. The whole thing with the vending machines and the children getting beaten and my own realization that I had been scammed, I broke out in hives AT the assembly. My wife had to drive us all home and I went from the assembly to the hospital.
I only ever tried to go to one other district assembly and that was in Lincoln Nebraska when they still sold food from a kitchen and I get food poisoning the first day. We returned home the next morning with my wife driving me home sick again.

garybuss

Juni, I just wanted what they said was truth to be true since I had made so many life altering decisions based on what they wrote and said, and I just wanted me and my family treated as if we were valuable to them, to be treated with respect. Watching those cops push me and my toddler son away from a working machine with a out of order sign on it really pissed me off and it told me how much they valued me and my family.
We try to HELP people with little kids. We don't go out of our way to hurt them and make a tough situation tougher. That's what the Witnesses did. It really pissed me off that Matz wouldn't come out of his hole and take his ass chewing.

Jourles

And just think of all the poor sisters who had to endure the "out-of-order" paper taped across the bathroom mirrors.

I realized something about the old food tickets. You would pay a dollar per sheet of 10 tickets. Do you recall how many families would try to burn through their remaining tickets at the end of the assembly? And if they didn't, the Society basically kept the remaining funds while offering no refunds. Of course, you could "donate" the tickets, but what good did that do? Yep, the WTS made a killing on food services.

joelbear

Gary, i would say you were lying except for the fact that I have experienced hundreds or thousands of witness-think episodes like the one you describe at kingdom halls, assemblies and at bethel.

there is an eeriness about witness sociology and the way they treat each other when in large groups.

james_woods

Gary & TallTexan,

You both pulled up a long lost memory from a big convention back in about 1972 at the Houston Astrodome. I was a young guy working in the cafeteria administration office (buying supplies, keeping track of inventory, etc.). We had a semi-trailer load of cubed steaks, chicken breasts, etc. for the cafeteria. This was about a 6 or 7 day convention so the food was just stored right there in the trailer - it was one of those refrigerated kind with a gasoline motor on the front to drive the refrigeration. It either quit or ran out of gas or something about tuesday, and the temperature naturally went up fast (houston in the summer). It took about a day and a half to get it running again.

There was a big discussion between the big-wigs there in the office - did they dare go ahead and use this stuff after it had seen about 65F for at least 6 or 7 hours before they got it cooled back down? I just sat there and listened because I was only about 23 years old.

It turned out to be one of those Prince Charles type decisions: lets see-

Diana //or// Camilla

Spend the money to buy fresh food //or// Chance food poisoning the friends

Well, I hope Charles and Camilla are very happy. And, to my knowledge, we did not give anybody salmonella. But, you can be sure that junk got cooked and served. Only one senior brother tried to stop them and he got shouted down and told to trust in the lord.

garybuss

Joel, I experienced several things with the Witness people that made the Jehovah's Witnesses a social group I didn't want to be a part of. The vending machine belly pushing event was one.
Several experiences were associated with the illness and death of my first wife from leukemia. The one that shocked me the worst was when she went blind by refusing blood medical treatment, she needed someone there with her almost all the time. She couldn't get a glass of water or find the bathroom on her own. One Saturday her father and his wife, her brother and his wife, and her sister and her husband were all visiting and I asked them if any of them could come and sit with her during the day so I could go to work. I needed the job and I had takes all my vacation, all my sick leave, and I was out of money.
None of them volunteered, so I polled all 6 of them, one by one. They were all pioneering and they all said no except for Delores' step mother. She said yes, but Delores' dad told her he wouldn't allow her to do it. She had to get in her time. None helped.

Later in 1974 the local elders made it a mission to get me to wear a tie to every meeting. I was 30 with two sons. I wasn't an elder or MS or giving any talks. I was just there. They would walk up to me before a meeting and say in the snotty nasal voice, "Where's your tie . . . brother?". One Sunday they asked me to be microphone boy and after the meeting they wanted to see me in the back room. They got out a book and read where I had to wear a tie. I told him to stick it up his a$$. I kicked the door on my way out. Didn't go back.

calico

I remember being at a district convention and a brother was walking around with his baby girl. I suppose he was trying to quiet her down--I don't remember. Anyway, his form of discipline was to snap a large comb on her bare thigh. I remember tears streaming down her face and she was not making a sound. He kept doing it--I looked him in the eye--he looked at me and still kept it up. Wish I had said something--I sure would now. What a creep.

Lifesavers story . . . Jehovah's Witness love and honesty . . . missing

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