What Was Your Standing In The Congregation? (page 5)

Maddie

At one time I was considered quite spiritual and loved by some. I always felt that I was superfluous with the hierarchy because my husband wasn't a JW, if you know what I mean.

Robert7

For me the question is "What IS your standing?".

I am now working on slipping out of the meetings. Funny thing is, it is SO NOT true that "you cannot ever leave". The fact is, you can very easily leave, you just stop going, they cannot make you go. Where it is SO tough is the grips they have. Being shunned, viewed as evil, losing friends, etc.

After 10 years baptised, my standing is that I have never studied for meetings, I never comment anymore, I put in a very minimal field service time out of pressure to stay active. I have no responsibilities (and actually never had them which I was fine with, they make it seem like holding a Mike is such a great priviledge), and I never go to book studies. In the last 10 years, I never (or virtually never) prayed (which is why I feel like I've always been an Atheist at heart). So I only just showed up to Sunday meetings and the School.

However, until recently, I always 'believed' the story. This world is falling apart, you have to be in 'The Truth' to live. The new system is coming, etc etc etc. But given this, I never did any work, so I guess I didn't believe it that much.

I've been looking at all my beliefs recently, and everything I hear at meetings seem like such brainwashing and false, and this is why I'm looking to fade away...

fokyc

I was always a severe pain in the elders rears!

My wife and I were always early waiting for the KH to be opened.

I had the audacity to suggest that it would be useful if the KH was opened earlier than

10 mins before the meeting started,

I even discovered there was, in the KM's a suggestion that all elders were at the

KH 20 mins before meeting started.

PO sent a letter to the branch about me;

I only read the societies literature to find fault,

I spend too much time on the internet

In fact I am b***** useless as a JW

Tough

fokyc

minimus

Robert, welcome!!!

LisaRose

A brother used to call me "Kellogs", becasue I was a Flake. That pretty much sums it up for me.

Luka

if I ever had one it was to be practicing target for those giving sunday talk. Every time there was something about me, or am I paranoid? Nope, definitely about me.

eclipse

Welcome Robert!

Your story reads similar to mine...prayer was the first thing to go for me...(I do not believe in an intelligent deity)

then I stopped putting in real time even putting down less hours than I really was putting in...

I was apostate from a child, I just didn't know it yet.

So glad to have you here! Another free, intelligent mind...

I look forward to reading more of your posts.

RR

I was well liked in the congregation, especially among the older ones. My fellow elders hated my guts and were conspiring to get be deleted or DF'd. The P.O. was a much older man, an autocrat who demanded complete obedienace. He hand picked every servant and elder, and molded them to his liking and thinking. He had trouble when he chose me. Because I openly spoke my mind. I chastise the elders from the platform, usually on small things that just ticked me off, like an elder who giving a 10 minute part on the service meeting and taking 15, and then cutting my time by 5 minutes, because I was next to speak.

I remember one day I had a part on the service meeting, and I was introducing the new mags, the Awake! had a cover story on in-laws, I was just engaged and getting martried in a few months and I made a comment about how this issue was special, because as you know I will be getting in-laws in a few months, everyone laughed.

The P.O. took me in the back and scolded me saying that the platform is not for comedic training.

That very Sunday, he had the public talk and began telling jokes. When he got off the stage, I went up to him and repeated what he said. "You know the platform is not for comedic training" and then added "you hypocrite!"

Everything went down hill from there. I do have to say while he hated me and did everything in his power to have me removed. He respected me and whenever he needed a straight answer he would ask me because he knew he had a bunch of "yes men" in his circle and could count one me to tell him what I truly thought!

minimus

RR, GREAT to hear from you!

I'm sure that must've been quite funny to see.

RR

You know Min, it was at first. In the end I decided since I noi longer cared and was on my way out I would have a little fun with him and the others.

One time during a, elders and servants meetings, he accused me of being an apostate, mailing out Ray Franz' books to congregation members. It wasn't true, I wouldn't spend my money on people who would just throw it away, I mean at 20 dollars a pop, give me a break.

Well, I denied it, and spoke slowly and calmly, he screamed and shook his finger, I returned even more calmly, that made him even madder, so he got up and lunged at me, it took four elders to hold him back. I didn't even flich, I sat there with a silly smirk on my face.

"I will get you if its the last thing I do" Shaking his finger at me while being held back.

His greatest accomlishment was being the major architect for Patterson.

He died about 10 years ago from colon cancer so I'm told. He never got me!

What Was Your Standing In The Congregation?

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