Serving Jehovah Doesn't Take Much Effort

by God_Delusion 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  angel eyes

  GM I see your point...but ive had many many more times when i have wanted to be at a meeting rather than not want to be there,and ive never not wanted to do the ministry...never. People can make it hard,we arent living in a God loving society but hey Jesus suffered for us and never thought of backing out.

  I guess freedom GD could be seen in many ways.....whos parachute will open??? Is the person whos wont open the free one? or the one who has restrictions on how far he can fall before having the warning of releasing the help needed to guide him to safety?
• 

  dissed

  I view it this way, "it so easy, even a Caveman can do it!"

  How to do as little as you can AND still be considered a good JW

  1. Turn in time report no matter how small. "at least 15 minutes a month" That will keep you regular and make the Elders look good when the CO visits

  2. Attend the meetings occassionally then complaining on why you miss a few, "its my stinking job!"

  3. Contribute to the Worldwide Work with a signed check, (so they know you did it)

  4. Share in field service arrangements, not actual field service, then go out to breakfast. Its not important as to how much time you spend in service, but that you are seen at the KH before service

  5. Study: Not necessary to study for the whole meeting. Prepare for only one comment, that's all. They will think you to be wise. "Man that BR/Sis really knows their stuff!"

  6. You can still have fun with all the JW rules and restrictions: NO Smoking, getting drunk, etc...etc... This is the harder part. You need to apply the "What stays in Las Vegas rule" and not get caught! Party in another city where they don't know you.

  Apply the Golden Rule: "Its not what you do, but what they think you are doing!"
• 

  Narkissos

  The idea that "God" might actually not require anything (or at least anything special) is definitely not an easy one for a religious mind -- although there are many clues pointing to that direction in the Bible itself, from the OT shabbath which was not about doing anything, just the opposite, to Paul's "no-work justification" -- also texts insisting that God doesn't require anything extraordinary or specifically religious like Micah 6:8, Psalm 50, or Ecclesiastes (especially 7:16f).
• 

  Open mind

  If you have "right" attitude, ANY lot in life can at least be bearable, if not an actual pleasure. Think Concentration Camp stories, etc.

  If you BELIEVE it 100%, you can get through anything. Even killing yourself and/or your family.

  When I was literally sacrificing my health and family life for the ORG, I didn't really resent it that much because I thought if I pushed myself hard enough, long enough, the light of Spiritual Health would finally shine through.

  Well, it finally did.

  Listening to various books on tape during my middle-of-thenight 3rd job gradually awakened me and I realized that much of what I was doing was unnecessary.

  But hey Angel Eyes, if it's working for you and your hubby, more power to you. I just feel bad for your kids.

  om
• 

  darth frosty

  They are truly loaded down. Evry time my wife talks to her fam or friends hey all say how they are struggling with the regimen of meetings and study (and this is with one meeting cut out...compared to when we were going.)
• 

  angel eyes

  its not serving Jah that loads us down its everyday life. bills,work, reccession etc....too much and satan wants us to feel too tired but its not hard,honestly its not,when you can see the devil staring you in the face its so much easier.

  thanks open mind, nice to have your view :) Yup it works for us because we see clearly...... thanks though buddy .
• 

  GapingMouth

  Angel Eyes

  Thanks for seeing my point. I would like to comment further. I was thinking about what you said. "but ive had many many more times when i have wanted to be at a meeting rather than not want to be there,and ive never not wanted to do the ministry...never. People can make it hard,we arent living in a God loving society but hey Jesus suffered for us and never thought of backing out."

  1. I specifically said you could find fulfilment in it, and I also didn't specifically say that the majority of times you like it and only a few times you won't. My point was that when you said "its easy", it was a gross generalisation. Thank you for coming half way with me though and seeing sometimes it actually is hard work.

  2. You have NEVER not wanted to do the ministry? I find that hard to believe, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I never said you didn't WANT to do it - my point was that it is still DIFFICULT to do. If not for you particularly, I personally always felt embarrassed or shy to speak to people I didn't know. I was a regular pioneer - I wanted to be out there too for some time - but even then, it was HARD and BURDENSOME. It was tiring walking around in 35 degree celcius heat for example. I only had a part time job then too, and I was a teenager. For many, with busier schedules, it is even harder. Motivation wasn't the point. Besides, if it wasn't hard, we didn't make a sacrifice, right?

  3. We are actually living in a God loving society. It's a common misconception many JWs have, and I was once one of them. The majority of the Earths population believe in, and LOVE him. Extremist Muslims love Allah so much they'd die for him. Jews mutilate their baby boys for Him. The idea that all religions outside JWs aren't sincere simply isn't true. Even if you can find fault in every religion, the majority of its followers are sincere and do love God.

  Further, meetings and ministry were only a small part of the schedule of a JW. If you were to do EVERYTHING the WTS asks of you - personal and family study and all the other things on the list, there would be NO time to do anything else. No TV for an hour before you go to bed. No time to post here on JWN. Motive wasn't the point - the workload was. It really does contradict two points - that Jesus load is light and also having a spiritual BALANCE.

  If nearly all your free time (and it should if you are a full blown JW who adheres to all they want from you each day, and never take a night off from exhaustion), then it is not balanced at all. I heard an expression - 8 hours a day is for work, 8 for play and 8 for sleep. If you do all the JW tasks (and I was a JW all my life, so I truly know what that entails), where is the 8 hours for play gone? That expression is old and now people have to work more than 8 hours. Then they get home and have to clean the house, look after the baby or take the dogs for a walk... then you do your spiritual side... it ISN'T by any stretch of the imagination 'balanced'.

  I am not having a go, I am actually very calm, but I know some of my writing may read aggressively. I actually wish your family all the best to keep to this tough schedule and if you find fulfilment in it (that's another thread), well then I am happy for you. Just please don't deceive yourself that it is easy.
• 

  tinker

  dissed has it right, it's easy even a caveman could do it. It is a routine, no thinking required, thus a cavemans mentality. They do not need to think of anyone but themselves and the WTBS. JW culture is a closed group and all activities are prescribed for you.

  No need to remember anyone's birthday, save for Christmas gifts, volunteer at your kids school, organized a youth soccer league. Community service unessessary, knowledge of political candidates positions - who cares. Why give a dime to charity when god is going to take care of all those unfortunates in the New System. Why recycle trash when the whole earth is going to be a Paradise real soon without any help from us. Don't go to college because you do not want a developed brain as critical thinking is not allowed.

  I can't think in easy/hard terms regarding lifestyles. Work is involved no matter how you live. It is a matter of quality and thoughtfullness. If you are simple minded and enjoy having someone else organized your thoughts then the Jdubs are for you. On the other hand if you are independent and reflective, considerate and compassionate, crave knowledge, curious or sophisticated it is very difficult to remain among those that think like cavemen.
• 

  angel eyes

  Hi GM....sorry if my reply came across that its easy for all....I do find the ministry fantastic and i have a love for it..truly truly i have never ever not wanted to go out,hand on heart thats true. We prepare and we study etc...yes there is much to do but Jehovah knows our limitations and ive always said on this forum that its Jah we answer to, not mere man. What i mean is, aslong as we are trying,even if that mean having to take time out for family members in replace of personal study,then so be it,Jehovah is the one we answer to. Jehovah is the one who we serve.

  If you have this mental attitude the truth is fun and simple, its people who make it hard....and both my hubby and I have been at the hands of people,likewise many of you have too,but there gets a point when you grow back bone and do things for JAH not sisters,brothers,elders etc...im not saying you did things for others but im sure you have been presured to do more,yet that isnt Jehovahs way of doing things.
• 

  GapingMouth

  AE,

  Please read this post honestly and answer the questions objectively. Your initial reaction may be to defend against what I will point out, but please take a minute, pause, and then look at the questions again because I think you made a big point here.

  "but im sure you have been presured to do more,yet that isnt Jehovahs way of doing things."

  Question 1: Who is it that tells JWs all the things that need doing?

  Your initial answer: The brothers and sisters

  Your second, more reasonable answer should be: In every Watchtower, Awake!, book, meeting and assembly, there is a lot of reminders for daily bible reading, meeting attendance, ministry... yes it is the WTS that pressures the usual JW to do all those things. Pressure? Yes - by saying so many times, over and over again what needs to be done, a JW will feel pressure to do them. With the way they also stress that you need to do those things to be spiritually strong, they also make you feel spiritually weak should you not do them. This adds more pressure for someone truly wanting to serve God, or more pressure from other JWs who may judge you. You might not mind that, but for many it adds pressure.

  Question 2, and thanks for carrying on reading: If that isnt Jehovah's way of doing things, can the WTS be Jehovah's chosen people?

  Your initial answer: It isn't like that, it is the brothers and sisters who put on the pressure, not the WTS themselves,

  Your second, more reasonable answer should be: Christ condemned the Pharisees for demanding things of the Jews that were not required and putting undue pressure upon them. Those who prayed on the corners as a public display were also condemned. The WTS puts a lot of requirements on a person, unduly, as we saw in the answer to the previous question. By your own reasoning from "its not Jehovahs way of doing things" and the Governing Body directly claiming to be God's channel to Earth, a contradiction is made and we reach a logical conclusion: The WTS are not doing things Jehovah's way and therefore do not have his direction.

  You may consider me an apostate now, and may never read another post, but I think I have at least shown how not all apostates are evil slaves of Satan but actually have used reasonable logic to come to their conclusions. At least take some time to think of what I said, and the next time you go to a meeting, listen to how many times they say from the platform things that you should be doing. You'll be surprised once you pay attention to it just how much pressure there actually is.

  Thanks