To Loyal Witnesses: Please Listen! (page 3)

stillajwexelder

Look around - are the pioneers burned out - faking it?

Do you mean driving one end of the territory to the other (on somebody else's gas dollars) to do 2 calls only and taking 90 minutes - yes this bit is oh so true

We (including me) often blast the JW elders for their unfeeling actions (and they deserve it), but it's good to be reminded that a few elders are good guys trying to help others with kindness, at least as much as the WTS will permit. Predictably, those few burn out, give up, and eventually show up here.

under_believer

What a great thread resurrection.
I have known so many bright young fresh-faced elders who swore they were going to change things and make a difference. Without exception every one of these guys is now broken, downcast, bland, discouraged, disillusioned. It breaks my heart to think of them and their broken dreams.

Makena1

Missed this thread when it was first posted. Yep, I was one of those starry eyed new elders around 10 years ago. One of the first elder's meetings I attended was at the home of the PO. There was such a feeling of comraderie and genuine affection, with comments from 20 year veterans, "This is the most tight knit, loving group of brothers I have ever served with". Within 3 months, the entire mood changed dramatically. The PO had health problems - could not attend meetings and take the lead, but would not step down. Ego's took over and basically divided the group down the middle over having the PO step down. Got so bad, the CO and DO got involved. They ended up bringing in a new PO from the outside with an even bigger ego who made sweeping changes. The best of the bunch IMO ended up moving to other congregations - some including me, left the borg entirely for various reasons. Reading COC confirmed that meetings at Bethel were no different than what I experienced over a short period of time.

fullofdoubtnow

We had a couple of elders who were genuinely caring, and made a real effort to help people instead of sticking by the rules, but the rest of the boe, including the po, were total "company men", and not susceptible to change. Neither of the two caring elders are in the org now: one of them is one of my bf's best friends and they still keep in touch, the other moved out of the area not long after he was df'd.

Doubting Bro

Thanks for bumping this to the top. I love that, Gary Cooper at High Noon. That is EXACTLY what I thought I could do. When I first became an elder (in my twenties) I thought that I could shake things up. My congregation had a major split on the BOE just before I moved in. Half the congregation took one side and half the other side. It was a pretty depressing place to be. When I moved in, I thought by being neutral, I could help refocus the congregation in a more positive direction. WRONG. My first elders meeting ended up in a shouting match. I was horrified and wanted to resign right away. My best friend (who was also made an elder at the same time I was) talked me out of it. Things eventually calmed down, some of the hotheads moved away and things were fine for awhile. But, something always comes up that causes divisions on the BOE. I can't imagine that GB meetings are any more civil. Especially with the egos invovled.

The more I read, the more amazed I am that so many here have experienced the same things I have. My life has been pretty easy, so I can't say that I've experienced the heartache of many.

But, although its taken me 10 years of being an elder to face the truth, everything is starting to click. I'll be sure to read some of these old threads because there is alot of wisdom to be had.

Thanks again!

done4good

Somehow, I knew this was an old thread based on those IT job statistics. The glory days of the late '90s-early 2000's, (in IT), are certainly over. However, I remain employed. It's just a lot harder to move around now, (I been with the same company for the last 7 years).

j

Gill

Great Post Metatron and a timely warning to lurkers.

We too found out what happiness was before it was too late to live a real, meaningful life.

WE're all so happy to have left the bOrg but still feel sad for those trapped in that 'everlasting nightmare!'

R6Laser

I stand corrected. You've said it better. There comes a point
in life when you realize that helping others is the thing to
center your existence around. It's like life's default setting-
you've done it all, seen it all - there's no other purpose to
be had!

Isn't that what jw's try to do anyways. While they might be misguided that is what they beleive they are doing. And your purpose of life does not match my purpose of life. I don't want to spend the rest of my life helping people realize that my point of view is better than theirs. Everyone has their own purpose in life and if they are happy in doing whatever it is that they are doing than why change that?

Your post also makes some generalizations about certain things that I don't agree with. It mentions elders not been able to hold jobs, same with pioneers. I don't know which congregation you belonged too, but the ones I was at the elders had nice paying jobs, nice houses, cars, etc. Even the president overseers own son was the high school valedictorian and went on to college in a different state to get his degree. I myself went to college and graduated. Almost everyone I knew of about my same age went to college when I was attending the meetings.

Lastly you mention about IT jobs, a section where I do have experience and let me tell you its not as easy as you make it sound. In the past 10 years I haven't been able to find an IT job that will last longer than 2 years. Reason being is companies are outsourcing and downsizing. I got outsourced once out of a nice paying job and anther time the company was downsizing so they elimintated half their IT people.

The IT field is so saturated with people that its hard to get your foot in the door. When I was a system administrator in a big company in downtown Chicago we posted an opening for an IT position. I had to setup a different mail account just for that position because of the hundreds if not thousands of applications the HR department got in a couple of weeks. Funny thing is that after they got the position filled they decided to downsize and half the IT staff went out the door.

Now I actually work overseas as an IT contractor for the same reason, no jobs in my field that actually have decent pay. One thing I'll be doing as soon as I get done with my contract is trying to get into another field.

carla

Isn't that what jw's try to do anyways. While they might be misguided that is what they beleive they are doing. And your purpose of life does not match my purpose of life. I don't want to spend the rest of my life helping people realize that my point of view is better than theirs. Everyone has their own purpose in life and if they are happy in doing whatever it is that they are doing than why change that?---

-Jw's try to help people? Your joking right? They try to help themselves earning their salvation and keeping in good graces with the elders and cong by getting enough hours to remain approved association. Are you suggesting that if one merely believes they are doing the right thing and they are 'happy' doing it, all is well? Hitler, Stalin, PolPot, Musselini, and others of their ilke also believed they were 'doing the right thing' and I'm sure many days they were happpy doing it. The SS guard may have believed he was doing the right thing and may have truly enjoyed what he was doing and was happy in doing his 'job', his 'purpose' in life. As long is one is sincere right? That's the important thing. Obviously you don't see it as an extremely selfish attitude to destroy lives and families for your own pleasure, your own payment (ie-earning your salvation the jw way). The jw's are not some harmless misguided folks, they are a dangerous cult and people should be warned about their real intent.

To Loyal Witnesses: Please Listen!