Granted, I'm a PIMO status, so I normally just play on my cell phone and ignore everything during meetings and assemblies. But at the assembly this past weekend, my ears were pricked for two experiences of two sisters dedicating themselves to pioneering. This was probably because I was extremely freaked out by both of them.
Their entire spiel consisted of "I worked part time. I began asking myself how I could do more for Jehovah. If you have to ask, you aren't doing enough. So I asked my boss to cut my hours to 10 a week. At first everything was great. I was completely happy slaving for Jehovah and making disciples. Then my boss said we were understaffed and I would have to work more. I realized I could no longer slave for two masters. So I decided to be Jehovah's slave. And honestly, that's the best slave we should be. Something we all should aspire to. There's happiness being his little obedient slaves." Talk about no valuable skills and being dependent for life.
The audience ate it up with a spoon. Ignoring the racial subtext for a second (both women being black and going on how they loved being slaves), I was a bit bewildered that no one saw anything wrong with catering to someone else's whims with no life of their own. Being a slave for everything else is terrible, so what makes Jehovah (a God whose proven to be...imperfect-to say the least) so special.
I then tried to broach the subject on a friend of mine whose still mentally in. I said "I'm not super comfortable with the word slave". "Oh that. Satan gave the word the negative connotations it has when he instituted slavery against the blacks. I know you're African-American yourself so it concerns you. But slaving for Jehovah is great, because he's a perfect God and your life won't go wrong if you serve him obediently".
Couldn't help but think maybe I read into things too deeply, but everyone's reacts were so bizarre, blindly accepting. Makes me glad I'm PIMO.