Call me paranoid, but its possible that this 30 hour initiative is a weeding out process....a cull if you will...

by miseryloveselders 64 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  seenitall

  All this is - a way to build up hype and get the invitations for the Memorial out. The pressure will be on for everyone to do the work - especially the servant body. The obsession with numbers, placements, hours, etc will never end. Time for bragging will follow. Look at what we did!!!

  If it was announced at the next meeting - NO MORE TIME REQUIREMENTS!!! - the clapping would never end. But, it will never happen. Why?
  Only 25% of the pubs, pios and servants would even go out. The guilt factor would be gone and things would go from hype to death.
  So, dangle the carrot, show off with your works and give a mighty cry to the world - we are the only group doing God's will and we can prove it by these numbers. So much for humility. Jesus would hide his head in shame. Titles like pioneers are disgusting!
• 

  tia.dalma

  @Vidiot: yes, the name is from Pirates movie, I like it, too, obviously.

  @sebastious: Even if it wouldn't exist the title of "pioneer", there still are other "titles" used in the congregations that could create smth. like an elite class: elder, ministerial servant, circuit overseer.

  So in a way, it's a good thing that there is a position to which the sisters can aspire, too. Otherwise, sisters who want to get more involved in the congregation could only have the goal of marrying a man with the position above.

  Tha fact that theese positions (pioneer, elder, ministerial servant etc.) exist in the congrgation is not a problem. The big problem is that some don't understand that it is not ok to use these positions and titles to satisfy their ego and it's not ok to do this to impress others. The purpose is to serve others, to do it for God, but few do it for this. They transform something that should be spiritual in something material and something that has more to do with social ambition than devotion to God.
• 

  miseryloveselders

  So in a way, it's a good thing that there is a position to which the sisters can aspire, too. Otherwise, sisters who want to get more involved in the congregation could only have the goal of marrying a man with the position above.

  Tha fact that theese positions (pioneer, elder, ministerial servant etc.) exist in the congrgation is not a problem. The big problem is that some don't understand that it is not ok to use these positions and titles to satisfy their ego and it's not ok to do this to impress others. The purpose is to serve others, to do it for God, but few do it for this. They transform something that should be spiritual in something material and something that has more to do with social ambition than devotion to God.

  I think I'm in love...........
• 

  brotherdan

  Tha fact that theese positions (pioneer, elder, ministerial servant etc.) exist in the congrgation is not a problem. The big problem is that some don't understand that it is not ok to use these positions and titles to satisfy their ego and it's not ok to do this to impress others. The purpose is to serve others, to do it for God, but few do it for this. They transform something that should be spiritual in something material and something that has more to do with social ambition than devotion to God.

  Fantastically put! I think many of us thought that JWs had the truth even after disagreeing with the Watchtower. I know for myself I initially thought that it was just certain men that had gone corrupt. Unfortunately the problems go a lot deeper than that.

  If you ever get a chance, you might find this talk interesting.

  http://jumbofiles.com/i98xdawf8uhr/david_reed_gods_org.mp3.html
• 

  sabastious

  The purpose is to serve others, to do it for God, but few do it for this. They transform something that should be spiritual in something material and something that has more to do with social ambition than devotion to God.

  The road to hell is paved in good intentions, my friend.

  -Sab
• 

  inbetween

  There is a lot of enthusiams here in our congo as well. Our service overseer told me, what is probaly the real intention behind it: "It will many encourage now to aux.pio., who did not dare before"

  So its really all about the title ? Why sign up for it, if your heart moves you to do more , why not do more anyways ? why do you need a slip of paper ? Its simple, this slip of paper will be read during the meetings, you raise a level in the perceived spirituality parameter. Its all about appearance, really.

  We will have our co week afterwards, I`m sure, he would frown upon the elders/MS if at elast the majority did not support this new arrangement. He is that type of guy, mentioned more than once, that annual aux.pio for serving brothers is almost mandatory....

  MLE: you crack me up sometimes. ;-)

  oh and welcome tia.dalma.
• 

  streets76

  I don't know, hmmmmmm..., do I pioneer in April, or get a lobotomy?...pioneer in April, or get a lobotomy?...pioneer in April..........

  Just wondering, what color is the P that you get to wear on your chest?
• 

  jookbeard

  tia ; it is a problem because the WTS is so obsessed with separating itself from the churches of Christendom yet is has a similar hierarchy in regards to the various levels within the organization just the like these churches;

  ministerial servant

  elder

  presiding overseer

  CO

  DO

  Zone Overseer

  Bethelite

  Governing Body Member

  Regular Pioneer

  Special Pioneer

  Missionary

  there are many more where as the main stream churches have fewer names and titles in the hierarchical system;deacon,priest,pastor,verger,father.

  Also ironic Tia is the vitriol that the pages of the Watchtower reserve in attacking this clergy class, used to condemn them for their support of the League of Nations later to become The United Nations the Wild Beast of Revelation, yet the WTS secretly became a member for over 10 years and lied when the exposure was made public, such sickening hypocrisy don't you think Tia?
• 

  tia.dalma

  @ inbetween: if you do more and don't sign up the elders find this suspicious, like you want to rebell against the rules of organisation, so you'll only get yourself into trubble. Not all do it because it gives them a better status in the congregation. I've met a few people who are very sincere. And guess what, in my congregation there are some elders who are not happy to see people pioneer, so they do their best to make life harder for someone who wants to pioneer. It's not easy to do it if you are in a congregation like that, and it's not easy even if you are in a very supportive congregation. The activity itself is not only time demanding it is also somehow psihologically demanding - though this depends if you are an introvert or extrovert type. The idea is that it is not so bad that this pioneering thing exists in the organisation. The problem is with the way some understand it - or not. Or better the problem is with the reasons some undertand to do it for.

  And one more reason why it is ok to sign up, it is the human nature itself, if you don't sign up you don't organise your time to do it, you'll probably use the time to watch tv, read, .. write on forums... like me now...., but if you sign up, you know you made a promise to God and organise yoursellf so that you can do it.

  However I do agree that it shouldn't be read at the meetings a list with the people who pioneer.

  @ miseryloveselders: you can be as ironic as you want but what I wrote is true - at least from what I saw in the two congregatins I've been.

  @ brotherdan: I know for myself I initially thought that it was just certain men that had gone corrupt. Unfortunately the problems go a lot deeper than that.

  I have always thought that there are some elders who had gone corrupt and who don't understand the true meaning of being a christian and an elder. A few times it stroke my mind that maybe their atitude is something that propagates from the top.... I don't know that yet. I live in europe and we have less to do with the Governing Body members, other than the publications that we receive, we don't get to meet them to see what kind of people they are.

  Anyway, something is wrong in this organisation and I don't know exactly what. Are there some members who don't understand things as they should or is it something that is rotten at the top of the organisation?
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Like several others here, I am surprised at the impact this seems to be having on the rank and file. It has been a long time since one of the dumbass schemes coming down from Brooklyn actually WORKED. This one seems to be working. Many rank and file are thrilled with this "loving arrangement" and looking forward to April.