Two MORE Classes of Christians at the local Kingdom Hall

Terry

The current membership at the local Kingdom Hall is composed, roughly, of two classes of people.

I'm not talking about "anointed" and "other sheep" either!

The newcommers and newly converted are drunk on a headfull of doctrine fresh and robust that makes them stagger with self-importance.

They cannot wait to demonstrate how strong and faithful they are. They gladly embrace (in principle) the notion they are ready to die to prove how

spiritually strong they are.

The second group, however, is composed of older JW's who have been around the block several times with changed policies,

wrong interpretations and other disappointments. These people have taken a few blows to their wellspring of "certainty" and

are--while short of skeptical--certainly inwardly wary of absolute thinking.

The older JW's warily and suspiciously wait for Jehovah to knock some sense into the (collective) head of the Governing Body.

They count on it happening sooner or later. Call them the "Wait on Jehovah" gang!

They are like the wife who has taken a beating a few times who is promised by the

brutish husband the next day that he won't do it anymore and that he is sorry.

The first group of newcommers and newly converted have not yet considered how precious life is--their own or their loved ones.

They look upon life as a log of wood to be thrown into the bonfire of vanity Jehovah apparently requires of those who serve him.

They are martyrs-in-waiting looking for chances to leap into the flames and self-immolate for proof of their righteous zeal.

For them, Jehovah is a "what have you done for me lately" kind of god.

The older JW's nurse their wounds and grumble among themselves privately. These people know (even in their cognative dissonant thinking)

that something is wrong with the blood policy's erosions over time. The back peddling explanations have taken them to the point of confusion

and despair with making it logical to themselves or others. It is a "tune out and go along to get along" case of collapse of personal responsibility.

The Watchtower Society takes fully functioning human beings and treats them like pumpkins.

First, they hollow them out. Then, they carve them into a fake smile of agreement. What is left is not a human being but a Jehovah-o-lantern lit from within by "new light."

What a pitiful and cowardly waste of the human mind!

When I was in the organization, I often heard older ones say that new JW's should be put in a cage for a while because they're so apt to witness to anything and everything that isn't nailed down. These new ones overenthusiastically witness to relatives, friends, coworkers, etc. - really believing they'll see JW doctrine with the same excitement that THEY do. However, this rarely pans out. After a while these new ones calm down and realize very few, if any that they talk to will give them the time of day.

My aged JW parents are among the "wait on Jehovah" crowd. They put on a brave, happy outer face. Anything that goes wrong in the organization is, in their mind, because of a problem in a certain congregation and certainly not the fault of the mother organization. They have no children who have followed their way, and it is a cause of embarrassment to them - but they moved 1500 miles away so it is less painful now, maybe. They have thrown in their lot with the old men from Brooklyn, whom apparently they love more than their own children or grandchildren -- just because the old men from Brooklyn told them that this is God's will.

Honesty

You nailed it, Terry.

Julia Orwell

I've been in the first group: a new convert, whereas many others here were born in. I remember that as a convert, it's like anything novel, you think you're going to save the world and are all gung ho with enthusiasm. It's the same when someone new comes into anything: I also remember first year teachers out to revolutionise education and change kids' lives, and have observed young political aspirants with all this enthusiasm. It's part of human nature to embrace the novel and have newcomers' zeal.

I certainly didn't aspire to show everyone how righteous I was. I've noticed that the zeal newcomers have is rarely about showing off to other people, it's about being so thrilled to have 'made it' and found 'the truth' they're just talking about it to everyone and can't understand why people can't see it the way they do. Yes, they're drunk on doctrine and that thrill of 'joining the brotherhood' but it takes them to start pioneering usually to get that self importance thing happening. The converts who didn't pioneer, and I know heaps of them, are usually quite humble people who live quiet lives and joined because they think they're pleasing God.

LongHairGal

TERRY:

Wow, great analogies.

I like what you say about the "log of wood thrown on the fire". You are so right and it makes it sound like god is hooked on human sacrifices. This always made me furious.

Also the smiling jack-o-lantern aptly describes many JWs: All hollowed out and with a fake smile.

Yes, it is a sad assessment.

biometrics

I suspect a lot of the older ones see it for what it is. They cling on because all their friends are "in the truth", they gave up on worldly friends decades ago, and it's really hard to make new friends at that age. They're just going through the motions, putting in a token amount of "field service" each month. And like you said they're waiting on Jehovah to fix things.

Finkelstein

The Watchtower Society takes fully functioning human beings and treats them like pumpkins.

First, they hollow them out. Then, they carve them into a fake smile of agreement.

What is left is not a human being but a Jehovah-o-lantern lit from within by "new light."

One of the most poignant and yet funniest comment ever posted on this forum .

Good one Terry

Two MORE Classes of Christians at the local Kingdom Hall

Terry

Gopher

Honesty

Julia Orwell

LongHairGal

biometrics

Finkelstein

Finkelstein

Narcissistic Supply

JakeM2012

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