Guilt Trip

by Mister Biggs 4 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Mister Biggs

  From the 2/15/2002 Watchtower article, 'Coping With "A Thorn In The Flesh" '
  "A longtime servant of Jehovah in New Mexico was in two automobile accidents. Her neck and shoulders were injured, aggrivating an arthritic condition with which she had been coping for over 25 years.

  She relates: 'I had great difficulty holding my head up and carrying anything weighing over five pounds...(One article in The Watchtower) commented on Micah 6:8, noting that being modest in walking with God means knowing one's limitations. This helped me to appreciate that in spite of my condition, I should not get discouraged even though the time I spent in the ministry was less than I wished. Serving him with pure motives is primarily what counts.'

  "She also reports: 'The elders always commended me for my efforts to attend the meetings and to go out in the field ministry.'"

  Side Bar: She has guilty feelings because of lower-than-usual field service hours. She tried to counteract her guilty conscience by concluding that serving him with pure motives is primarily what counts.
  However, the elders "commended" her for her efforts to go door-to-door. Did their doing this counteract her method of counteracting the guilt? What did their "commendation" entail?

  The article continues with the answer:
  " 'Young ones would greet me with a hug. The pioneer ministers were so patient with me and often rearranged their plans on my bad days. When the weather was difficult, they would kindly take me on return visits or invite me to sit in on their Bible studies. And since I could not carry a book bag, other publishers put my literature in their bag when I went out in the preaching work.' "

  My thoughts: So, the elders apparently just commended her, or more likely asked her to keep her hours up. But who carried the book bag? Who rearranged their plans? Who gave her hugs? Certainly not the elders. They only seem to be interested in how much time she spends going in field service. Lastly, if pure motives are primarily what count, why do JW's feel guilty when they feel like they can never do enough? Why is your spirituality determined by how much time you spend going door-to-door and how many magazines you place?

  So many stupid people, so few comets! :o)
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  badwillie

  Good observations Mr Biggs. I finally got a phone call of "encouragement" from the PO in the cong, only took him more than 3 months (since my public reproof). After his call I joked that it must be getting close to the CO's visit, I was right - it was that week. All they care about are the numbers, they're obsessed with statistics.
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  Bang

  Spirituality of course has nothing to do with going door to door, and is virtually the opposite of JWism, which is at the forefront of prosperity christianity, a modern American phenomenon - don't you want these conditions? look at this house and farm etc.etc.

  They will always be guilty because it can't be earnt, and the only progression from there is into serious wankerism.

  Bang
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  ozziepost

  Why is your spirituality determined by how much time you spend going door-to-door and how many magazines you place?

  Because they don't have anything else!

  Think about it. The whole direction that any witness and interested person alike is pointed in is to engage in field service. Nothing else in the way of ministry is ever mentioned.

  The dub never has any surety of salvation. It's always dependant on their field service activity and their maintaining the illusion that they are without sin.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

  
  - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress
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  Satanus

  MB

  Your story of the poor guiltridden jw lady reminds me of the monty python skit where they force hospitol inmates in castes, braces etc, and old people to run obstacle courses, like the activity will somehow make them better. Since it's not funny in real life, it shows how sick the wt is.

  SS