Favoritism in the Organization

by William Penwell 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  William Penwell

  Not sure if this topic has been covered before but I have a question to all of you, did you run across much favouritism while being a Jdub? I know as a working person favouritism is standard practice. Growing up as a Jdub and being a naive teenager I always thought that they were above "worldly" people but I learned the hard way and from my own brother in law. In the congregation he had his little "pets" that he thought could do no wrong and he favored them. Now looking back I actually thank my brother in law for opening my eyes to the hypocrisy and helped me see the true light. He is no longer my brother in law but if only this pompous hypocrite knew that he was the start of my leaving the cult. HA HA

  I was wondering if any of you others had similar experiences?
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  prologos

  inasmuch as JWs often have left a long established startified society , the "world", in the new suroundings, it is often a scramble to the top, a fresh start.

  rather than governed by the idealism of Jesus's recorded teachings, it is a tooth and claw society. just look at the scramble for seats at assemblies.

  the same goes on in the congregations socially, unabashed.

  so-called overseers overseeing it all.
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  The Searcher

  Overseers & shepherds??????? As one former elder told me, many elders he knew just loved 'treading the boards'! There are so many who stand out with the attitude, "I've climbed the ladder of prominence & authority".

  And boy, do they try and milk it sometimes! Jesus gave the classic description - "by their fruits ". As I've said before to fellow Witnesses, compare how many hours are spent trying to get new converts, compared with the hours spent encouraging and helping existing Witnesses - it doesn't look good. However, that's simply down to the Org's directives to focus on recruitment, not brotherly love, and the elders are acting no better than the overseers did in the days of slavery, by trying to get more productivity out of the labour force for the 'Mastah' - aka GB!
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  Julia Orwell

  It's in every human institution no matter how hard you try not to, for instance I make a conscious effort not to have favourites in my classrooms but it's inevitable as u connect better with some than with others. Some rub u the wrong way or u clash no matter how hard u try to be even. Ite humans. So jws pretending it don't happening their org are deluded or deluding themselves.
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  prologos

  In a public talk a brother, surely going off the outline, spoke about the danger of parents favoring one child over another.

  He used as a warning example the story of Cain & Abel and

  Cain's extreme reaction. But

  there you have it, If Jehovah can do it, it is no surprise those molded in his image will too.

  What is surprising, that contrary to Jesus' instructions, his efforts to reform human behavior, it is such a major feature among JWs.

  It must be the way the Company, the Corporation works.
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  braincleaned

  To be fair, favoritism is anywhere mammals roam. Humans especially. It is at the workplace, at the Kindom Hall, on these sites, even in family... ect..
  There is no escaping it. True, the JWs should follow a higher standard — but they are simply as human as the others.
  In my ±40 years as a JW, I haven't seen it more in the Org. Nor have I seen it less.
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  blondie

  1) brothers with jw parents who "grew up in the truth" were considered more seasoned as jws and advanced more quickly

  2) the WTS even tells jws to avoid too much association with newly baptized people who still have the stink of the world on them

  3) I remember an older elder giving a talk about "cliches" in the congregation, "woops, I wasn't supposed to use that word" as he looked at the other elders

  4) In white congregations, black brothers progressed slowly.

  5) Few socialized with single parent families except other single parent families (add families with only one jw parent)

  6) Sisters--unless you were married to a jw or had a jw father/brother with appointed positions, you were invisible; single sisters were seen as rivals by the wives

  It's not that it happens in other groups but rather then WTS brags that they are not like those groups.
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  LisaRose

  Sure, it's there, of course it is. I agree with braincleared, it's no better or worse than in any other organization. It just seems more unfair because they pretend it doesn't happen. You think the organization is so much better, it's part of the belief system, so when reality proves to be different, it causes a disconnect. I had a disfellowshipped husband, so I was pretty low in the pecking order. As my husband would say, lower than whale poop in the Marianas trench.
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  DATA-DOG

  We had a " local needs " talk about how nepotism did not exist in the congregation. This was after 3 Elder's sons and one Elder's son-in-law were all appointed to MS at the same time. All were exemplary in field service and still lived with their parents or in-laws. All single, but one, and zero children. Not one had a real job, so getting service time was a breeze. Violent video game parties, worldy concerts, porn ( allegedly), poker-parties and fantasy football/ pretend gambling were common place.

  There is no favoritism in the Organization. Holy Spirit directs every action.

  DD
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  William Penwell

  I know it happens in every aspect of life but the JW's like to claim they are above these imperfect traits but in reality they are no better than anyone else. I detest hypocrites.