I saw a sad sight yesterday.

wobble

I was strolling up our High Street, trying to avoid the Sally Army Chuggers, when coming towards me was an elderly lady, she suddenly approached a young lady and offered her a tract, the girl refused.

The old dear was weirdly dressed in very old-fashioned clothes that still screamed "pioneer",they can't have been exactly fashinable when they were new, she must have been in her seventies, but was weird looking, not helped by bright orange hair and very red lipstick, I checked, and she was holding the tract "You can trust the Bible" (Oh yea??)

I have not seen anyone doing street work for ages in our town, even she was not that dedicated, she dodged in to a charity shop and had a look at what was on offer,still counting her time I guess.

I thought of engagng her in conversation, but then I thought no, better to leave her in the cult, she will do more harm reinforcing the impression that JW's are a bunch of weirdos by her desultory street work than she would if she woke up and left the Dubs.

Years ago we used to get a bunch of young people together and we would all go in street work, and to the markets etc. we used to make it fun, as much as we could.

Now all they have as the public face of the JW's is a sad, weird old lady.

I think we shall see this more and more, the glory days are gone for the WT.

Good.

cantleave

I wonder how many years she has wasted on this delusion? Very sad.

cedars

Thanks for the experience wobble. I've been in three different congregations during my time as a witness (two of them in the UK) and I firmly believe that each and every congregation of JWs keeps a healthy stock of certifiable nut jobs. It always struck me, even when I was relatively firm in the faith, that such people were more of a hindrance to the "good news" than a help. If two people turn up at your door who are smelly, strangely dressed, and just plain weird, this reflects on the organization they supposedly represent, and you immediately switch off to anything they have to say, unless you are bonkers yourself.

The simple fact is, the organization is like a magnet for people who are 'a penny short of a pound', because where else can an insane person go and have instant "friends" (just add water, i.e. baptism) than their local kingdom hall? When you're a Witness, your fellow Witnesses are more-or-less FORCED to be friends with you, even if you are not normally the kind of person they would choose to strike up a friendship with (because perhaps you're a looney and have poor bodily hygeine). If you're slightly bonkers, it's a win-win scenario, however warped the teachings of the Society may be.

I hope the barmy army continue to frequent the streets of Britain and other countries. Ducking in and out of charity shops, picking up curious things from the pavement, wearing strange ensembles of outfits - they are a living testimony to the mental fragility of the organization they represent.

trailerfitter

We have two old dears come around the industrial estate I worked on handing out the Awake booklet. I did do feel sorry for them but always refuse to discuss anything with them. It wasn't until my beloved got snared by the cult that I actually met Ruth ( the one and the same old girl who came around to our workplace). Ruth I now call her "the rat catcher" since finding out her little JW technique for discussing anything and she lays traps ( red herrrings) for the opposer to walk into. She'll be forthright and persistant with that attitude that she would convince anyone the god is the one...didn't work on me however.

Religions are dying especially here in the UK.. Couldn't the ol' girls find something better to do like fund raise for sdtarving africans? A lot more practical and useful I'd say!!

fade_away

Yeah I remember when service consisted of a bunch of young people ages 15-25. We would go as a group as early as 6 in the morning to do street work, or sometimes just at the bus station. Those were some cold mornings in the fall-spring. About 15 degrees and below zero sometimes. But we made it fun and spent most of our time in a Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's just joking and laughing. I don't see that in the streets anymore. Now it's just sad lonely elderly people.

punkofnice

Not long before the JWs will end up with Kingdumb Hells that only have just a few eccentric old women in them.

The youth are leaving 2 out of 3. My son was telling me of another 2 of his teen friends that recently told their parents they'd had enough of the JWS.

It's on the cards. 2 Tim 3:6 onward----- 6 For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

trailerfitter

For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

That relates to something close to home.

WTWizard

The worst is that they are trapped in their inability to cut their losses. The longer you have invested in the cancer, the less you have left to invest elsewhere, the more the "I got this far, I might as well go all the way here" kicks in. Yes, they took a bath on their resources invested in the cancer. But, they could at least cut their losses--even someone that is 98 and only has a few more months can at least get back those few months without pio-sneering. They could research other things, they can take online "trips" to countries they have no hope of real-visiting, they can enjoy one last real holiday, they can examine a regular church during their last few months--anything that doesn't waste every second pio-sneering.

And those who are thinking of joining the cancer should look at these old people that are afraid of cutting their losses before joining. These days, it is very cheap and easy to research. Whether moving to another country or joining another religion, research is very cheap and action can be very expensive. If the majority of those within the new religion are stagnant and repressed, it is a bad investment. Those who are born in can and should cut their losses as soon as they are able--again, research is very cheap and action can be very expensive. Check out the possibilities: Another religion, community service, college, apprenticeship, starting your own business, moving to another country (or several countries--again, the research is very cheap), and just enjoying things not part of the witless religion are possible research targets. You should act soon--but, as soon as you can, at least start researching so you get some idea of what action is right for you.

If you don't act soon, you will only be wasting even more of your time in this rotten investment. Just because you already have invested in a bad religion is no excuse to not cut your losses. Better to do this at age 18 or soon thereafter than wait until you are 35 or 40. Or, if you have already wasted that much time, better to cut your losses at age 35 or 40 than waiting until you are 65 or 70. And that is better than waiting until you are within months of the end of your life. Even that is better than wasting your whole life on the cancer--people that are afraid of cutting their losses usually take the biggest bath.

And, unlike moving to another country, leaving the witless religion involves little money cost (unless, that is, you have been placed in a structure where your landlord or employer are witlesses). Yes, it is expensive--you will lose whatever family and friends you had, and you will be hounded and guilted into going back. But, even if you physically stay right where you are, simply quitting boasting sessions and field circus will free up quite a bit of time and probably money. If you are willing to risk getting disfellowshipped, you can gain even more freedom. But, letting yourself stay a witless until you are nearly dead is the ultimate in wasting your life.

LongHairGal

Wobble:

I agree this is a sad sight and all somebody with her appearance does is reinforce the impression that people in this religion are odd. But, the religion doesn't have much to choose from who are available to do this type of work. But, I am GLAD odd types like her are out there to make the religion look the way it deserves to be seen.

I am sure the religion would rather have young people dressed in a "business-like" way in order to give the false impression to the unsuspecting public that the religion is filled with educated, prosperous people. Nowadays, any young JW in their right mind is in school or on a job supporting themselves. For a time, I did streetwork many years ago when I was on my lunch hour. Those days are long over.

While it is true that many JWs are trapped in the religion who won't leave no matter what happens, what I observed in my time in the religion is that many of the older ones came in after they made their living. It is quite possible that some of those eccentric looking ladies are widowed and living on a pension that some man who is not a JW worked 40 years to earn!! They are not in the same predicament that some younger person is. A young person must get an education and be trained in a career, and a woman especially.

While this religion is seriously damaging, there are some who will come out of it more damaged than others, depending on their age and when they came into the religion.

LV101

ahhh, great thread/better than comedy hour. there's an old woman working my starbucks corner (oh, my). i was parked in the lot and she started tapping on my window and i told her (thru the window) i already have the magazines and she was still persistent --- i didn't want to be rude to her but had to tell her at least three times.

I saw a sad sight yesterday.

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