Puppeting the Message

Hope4Others

Quite a few years back I had various pioneer friends who were asked to give experiences at the Circuit conventions.
They were to write up there experience first give it to the elder and they would go over it.
However, when it came time for this the elder who was giving the part decided to change their experience and it did not
and was not even truthful now, it was not how it happened. My one friend in particular was very upset about this because
it bothered her that it was not truthful and no longer her experience.
But he just said its for encouragement...
So guess you can readjust anything if it helps the brothers...

Have you heard of similar experiences where things were changed in such away they were no longer truthful?

Its about drama to make things sound better than they are or too good to be true, to pump people up.

One woman who was very new was asked to tell about her husband and how opposed and abusive towards jw's he was. Of course he was not like that anymore but he did attend that particular convention. He was just crushed by what she said and he never went again to another meeting. He was totally exposed and now every one new about it. She was apprehensive about giving it in the first place but was encouraged to tell it anyways because it would help the brothers to see how Jehovah helps to bring changes to your life by seeking first the kingdom...But at what cost to your relationships?

hope4others

bluecanary

I knew a teenage girl who was in an assembly part on appropriate dating. It was a lie because she constantly dated both witness and worldly guys behind her parents back, but I assume the brothers who asked her to do the part were unaware of it. Of course, the rest of us teenagers whom the talk was aimed at knew exactly how good an example she was.

rebel8

Yes, I think I started a thread about assembly experience lies a few years ago.

I had a part to give "my" experience and was told what to say. I objected because it wasn't true. The elder doing the part said to say it anyway b/c it's meant to be 'encouraging' and doesn't matter if it's true.

neverendingjourney

Your experience with assembly parts is not an exception. It's typical. I gave several when I was a teenager, and I was always encouraged to embellish my story. I don't think I ever said anything that was an outright lie, but careful use of language to convey an incorrect impression was viewed upon favorably. We would meet with the circuit overseer (sometimes the district overseer) and rehearse our parts. If it didn't conform to the society's outline, he would make you change it. I saw him completely overhaul experiences, although this never happened to me.

One clever trick was saying that you had turned down a scholarship or an "opportunity" for a scholarship in order to pursue kingdom interests. What was not mentioned was that these scholarships were often for small amounts of money such as $500 or less, but the audience was left with the impression that you gave up an all-expenses paid college education to wash windows and peddle propaganda.

I gave an experience at an assembly saying I had passed up an opportunity to for a full scholarship in order to pioneer. What justified that statement? The fact that a college counselor had referred me to an organization that gave out scholarships. That's it. I never filled out an application, never directly spoke to anyone about my chances of landing one, but I carefully chose my words to convey an incorrect impression.

I've seen numerous threads on here regarding assembly experiences that contain other examples of deception and outright lies. They're fun to read.

Quirky1

Encouraging thread.......

bluecanary

The same teenager I mentioned above applied to several prominent colleges, just so she could tell everyone she turned them down in case they accepted her.

rockmehardplace

i always sit and listen to the experiences and my wife and i play this game called "bull$?|*". we always try to pick out the ones that are real and the ones that are added to. most times i get to yell "BS"

Mr. Majestic

WHAT…..!!!! You mean that the stories at the conventions are not true..???? I don’t believe it….!!!!

Next you’ll be saying that the stories in the back of ‘Playboy Magazine’ aren’t true either……..

rebel8

One clever trick was saying that you had turned down a scholarship or an "opportunity" for a scholarship in order to pursue kingdom interests. What was not mentioned was that these scholarships were often for small amounts of money such as $500 or less, but the audience was left with the impression that you gave up an all-expenses paid college education to wash windows and peddle propaganda.

Several times I asked others in the cong how these kids were offered scholarships if they hadn't applied to college--one of many questions that went over like a lead balloon.

I guess there must be fleets of Ivy League college recruiters combing through high school transcripts across the nation, looking for jw kids who didn't apply to college, didn't take college entrance exams or college prep courses, didn't participate in extracurricular activities, and don't aspire to become anything other than Professional Window Washer/door knocker.....and then offer them full scholarships.

villabolo

I was at a talk by an exJW which was being held at a secular humanist/atheist meeting(Prometheus Books). When the talk ended a spokesman of the place holding a letter from the WBTS got up on stage and related the following story.

They had previously hosted a series of Evolution centred talks. Unknown to them there was a member of the Society listening in the audience. Some time later they received the letter thanking them for proving the Bible's stand on Creation. The letter indicated that the Watchtower would do a report on those talks as if they were in support of Creationism.

This brazen falsification made me realize, long after I thought I had heard and seen the worse of the JWs, that they don't merely twist and distort things but they also make things up out of thin air.

Villabolo

Puppeting the Message

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