by NikL 20 Replies latest jw friends
The experiences include all the elements of an Urban Legend:
1. No names
2. No locations
3. No dates
FOAF = “Friend of a Friend” A FOAF is a real flag raiser. “this happened to a friend of a friend, I don’t know his name.....” Yea, right!!
One time I pointed out to our visiting CO that one of his experiences was a UL. Good book for identifying ULs is “The Mexican Pet.”
JWs also take situations and turn them into something they are not. When I was in 8th grade, another JW girl was in my grade also. One day, I saw her give my best friend a recent copy of the Watchtower. Of course, I was "out" by that time so I asked my friend what the exchange was all about. She told me that the JW girl wouldn't leave her alone, so she finally took the magazine. She didn't want to be mean, so she chucked it in the trash and avoided her for the next three weeks.
Imagine my suprise when I see the same JW girl on the stage at the next assembly relating the "experience" of placing the magazine with my friend.
I totally knew who she was talking about, because she described my friend (who was pregnant, sadly enough). I asked her about it, and she refused to tell me who it was about, but I told her I knew that it was about my friend.
I told my friend when I got home and she snapped. That girl lied about the whole thing and witnesses were congratulating her and everything.
Just to ensure that you don't think THIS is an urban legend,
my friend's name was Tia Townsend
the JW's name was Sarah Graffeo
It was 1992 and we went to school at Oak Street Middle School in Burlington, IA.
The assembly was held in Janesville, WI.
Peace.
lol rebelledat12, this is par for the course with ministry experiences. in fact the 3rd experience in the original post probably started out this way, with a guy that took the magazines just to get rid of some annoying kid that was being persistent ("when you say you are not interested, do you mean not interested in religion or just me? ... but these are different magazines than last time you said that...") and the kid went away saying 'haha, he really wanted the magazines and is just PRETNENDING he isnt' and the brother he was with said, 'haha jimmy. that's right, he was. what a fine attitude!'
mox
See people, this is why you shouldn't be nice to those JW's that you see out in public but don't want to be unkind to them. You take the magazines from a kid to be nice to them you end up being an example.
Ahh ... such heartwarming tales ... makes you realise that it *must* be the troof eh?
I remember hearing one about two "sisters" who went to the door of a psycho rapist who did not harm them. For some strange reason the police asked why not and he said it was because of the huge man that was with them. Of course no one was with them. It must of been and angel!!!
Oh my God! I can't believe how many times I was told that one as I climbed out of the car at a scary house! AHHH! It never occurd to me to ask why the police were asking him questions after or how the witnesses ever heard about it to begin with.
Aww,What cute little "JW Cult Fairy Tales."[8>]
I remember these things well.
Funny how they have a stomach turning effect now instead of the
"delusional selfrightious pride" of the past.
ChiChi
http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/9c9f4603/bc/My+Photos/big+eyed+jumping+chi.gif?bc6pZA9AwLIz.f9q
yes, there is. elders are told to be very cautious about emailing experiences or using emailed experiences and they pass this advice along. jeez you cant have it both ways. dont you think the WT is scared of the internet and too controlling of what members do? and youre complaining that theyre not controlling enough?? ULs are a part of every culture and JW ULs are just another group of them with interesting twists. you dont have to find fault with the WT every time you read anything JW-related, you know
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actually you missed my point- I have not desire to HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
the telling of tall tales by the organizations repS co, do AND elders and repeated by publishers have been going on long before the Internet and Email came along-
I can't comment on any BOE letter - , but there was no letter in 1998 when i stepped down, the 98 Nov KM did mentioned what you spoke about in ref to Email exp ,
but my point is i have been hearding tall tales for over 35 yrs and the "ISSUE" of not putting a stop to it has not occured I was merely highlighting the fact that when the wt want to control it's people on an issue it can ask any jw about missing meeting and field service, they know what they are suppose to do
but have you every heard a bro tell one of those wild tall tales and someone say- "You need to make sure that is accurate before you repeat that"
of course not for the wilder the story the more it shows that Jah is backing us
that was my point , not whether wt has enough control or not
yeah, well i certainly agree that ULs are given ripe ground to flourish in the JW culture and that most elders/MSs that give parts are extremely injudicious about the sources of experiences they use. I also agree that any efforts to curb the enthusiasm of listeners of these dubious experiences are met with suspicion or defensiveness. but i think thats just a common fact of all cultures, especially religious cultures. i dont really think theres any particular desire by the WT to allow unfounded ULs to spread unchecked. if anything, they instill a fear of spreading or listening to any stories that arent straight from them. ("I'll believe it when i read in the Watchtower!")
so, i guess it kinda sounded like you are blaming the WT for not keeping a tighter rein on this, and i just think thats misplaced. on the other hand, i think it is partly a product of the WTs being too controlling, so that a simple publisher is discouraged from questioning an elder's talk that contains one of these stories. ie too much control. i just cringe a little when i hear something that sounds like 'not enough control.'
mox
ConnieLynn:
That same UL is addressed in the book, Mexican Pet.........
