If you ain't a PIONEER, You ain't SH**!!!

by Open mind 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  choosing life

  I was a pioneer for a couple of years and yes they have an elite club. It can be fun for a while, sort of like the love bombing at the beginning, but after you watch how they accomplish their ministry (not) and listen to all the constant gossip, it becomes nauseating.

  I heard many times from pioneers that only pioneers would live through the end because the rest were unwilling to really give their utmost in service. Many of them have set themselves up as beggars and use govenment aid when they are quite able to work, but refuse. One elder, who was also a pioneer, bragged about keeping himself and his wife just below the poverty level so they never payed any taxes. Talk about a drain on society.

  I absolutely hate titles. I hope your wife continues to see through the facade of "special people."
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  icyestrm

  I'm a pioneer but was never accepted into the clique of pioneers who had been doing it for 10 years or more. At one pioneer meeting, they were all laughing how many Bible studies they are conducting without thinking it was meant to embarrass me.
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  Open mind

  We had a C.O. who tried to pull a back-handed guilt trip with this one:

  "As long as you can take it to Jehober in prayer, and honestly justify to him why you can't pioneer, then your sacrifice is acceptable."

  Did this little gem ever make it to your neck of the woods?

  Open Mind
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  Warlock

  Yup.

  Warlock
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  Brain Dead

  Yes I remember that quite plainly, there was a degree of arrogance amongst the pioneers especially from the women which was probably due to the fact that women are put down and degraded to such a existent in this religion. The sad part is that none of them really knew what they were involved in. The mind controlling aspect of being brain washed was apparent
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  OnTheWayOut

  I concur with Choosing Life:

  I heard many times from pioneers that only pioneers would live through the end because the rest were unwilling to really give their utmost in service. Many of them have set themselves up as beggars and use govenment aid when they are quite able to work, but refuse. One elder, who was also a pioneer, bragged about keeping himself and his wife just below the poverty level so they never payed any taxes. Talk about a drain on society.

  Many pioneers felt that most others were not exerting themselves. Many pioneers would
  actually expect or straightforward ask others for handouts because "I am a poor pioneer."
  Many pioneers kept their income low so they qualified for aid, some saying they were
  incapable of working more, but they somehow could go all day in the "ministry."
  I knew of one pioneer that was clinically depressed, qualified for aid because she was
  unable to do a job with that condition, but told her doctor how she did 70 hours a month in
  the ministry. The doctor said he was obligated to report it, telling her she could no longer
  qualify for aid unless she ceased this level of activity that perpetuated her depression. She
  passed away shortly after as a poor pioneer. If she lived, I don't know how she would have
  made ends meet.

  An elder whose whole family pioneered had a smug atttitude that he was a real elder, real
  pioneer, while many others were "all that was available."

  While not all pioneers acted like they were better than others, they pressured each other to
  continue pioneering even through personal hardships. Many felt that quitting would cause the other
  pioneers to look down on them, gossip, turn on them- so they refused to quit pioneering. That's
  real cult indoctrination- members keeping the pressure on other members.
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  babygirl75

  I think every hall is guilty of holding pioneers, elders, and bethelites above the regular publisher to a certain degree...

  I remember when I was a teen I did pioneer quite often with my best frient up until her and her husband got accepted to Bethel. I then became quick friends with another group of teenagers. I remember going to a teen party (what a joke to call it a party!) and there was this one pompious a-hole of a brother that was there that was a regular pioneer. I had stopped pioneering at that point in my life and he asked me if I was pioneering. I replied, No I'm working full time and making $$$. He made a smart ass remark about me not pioneering and therefore not a good example or good association..or something to that effect, I was half listening to him, and then he said to keep working toward my goals and find favor with Jah or some BS like that...I NEVER PIONEERED AGAIN!!! I hate the arrogant attitude that most pioneers posses.
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  erandir

  In our congregation there were a couple of pioneers who quit for a while for personal reasons and later went back to being a pioneer. They were not fully accepted back into the clique for a while, if ever. Both moved to other congregations.

  Anyone hear about the Pioneers Assist Others program that was started a few years back? It didn't go over so well in our congregation due to lack of interest from the R & F and due to lack of pioneers. We only had 2 or 3 full time pioneers and maybe 1 auxilliary pioneer (aux. pioneer every month for the year). That kind of putting pioneers on a pedestal thing just adds to the clique-i-ness of it all.
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  exwitless

  I always used to despise it when they would read the list of auxiliary pioneers for the coming month. Then we all had to clap for them. I began to refuse to clap for them, because I think they shouldn't get any special recognition more than anyone else who put forth the effort to go out in service.

  They always hammered on the idea that 'As long as you're doing as much as you can, it is acceptable to Jehovah'; then ensued the tired story about the old lady who gave two small coins at the temple in Jesus' time, blah, blah, blah. Well, I thought announcing and clapping for someone who signed up to aux pioneer was the exact opposite of what that parable was trying to teach. So I refused to clap.

  There were lots of cases of older widows with lots of health problems, etc. who would at least go out in service 10 hours a month, even though they were exhausted and not feeling well. But did anyone announce their names and clap for them?
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  OUTLAW

  Pioneers are the very privaleged..Who spend more time than anyone..Preaching WBT$ Doctrine,that no JW will believe in decades to come.....JW`s like to travel in pairs..LOL!!...OUTLAW