Embellished assembly interviews/"experiences"

by ab.ortega 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ab.ortega

  Oh how wonderful those experiences at assemblies and "schools" are - not.

  At times it seemed as if these "experiences" were scripted. Well, they are not. The speaker gets criteria in the outline regarding what the experience or interview has to be about. Then he has to ask around and find someone who fits it or is pretty close. The whole thing is prepared and sometimes the experiences are not exactly true but rather embellishments to make a point, etc.

  I remember participating once and the interview was about leading a "simple life" The elder with the assignment guided me in what to say. How this simple life was good and how it allowed me to regular pioneer, etc. All the stuff we always hear. When in reality, I had just purchased my own house and was driving a brand new car. Why I ever really went along with that deceit, I do not know.

  Did anyone ever have this sort of participation as an interviewee or interviewer? Comments?
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  ttdtt

  So I have given many district assembly talks, and have experience in this area. It is one of the things that really upset me.

  In consecutive years I had talks that needed real life experiences . Both times I knew exactly who would be perfect for the parts. They and their experiences perfectly fit the theme and the intent of the part (in my opinion).

  I was shocked both times when the C.O. made them actually change their "true life experience"! He didn't like the details and thought it would be better if he modified what really happened.

  The first time this happened it was with a sister who just meekly went along with it.

  The second time it was a friend of mine, and though he did it (completely lifeless presentation - who can blame him) he was confused, hurt, and angry about it. I believe it has put big doubts in his mind since then.

  These are not the only occasions I have witnessed. Having been giving assembly parts for years, I saw in rehearsals this happen to other people, or having "important" sections cut out (always so it looked like dogs hand was in the matter).

  I was VERY VERY DISGUSTED! I was happy most of my parts were longer talks where I had control.
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  freddo

  My experiences - and I only gave talks at circuit level - were the same as ttdtt's.

  I was at a rehearsal for a demo in a talk and waiting my turn and listening to a demo in another brother's talk - and the DO and the CO were there.

  The guy being interviewed said how he had stood aside as a MS and later re-qualified. The DO, in front of everyone in the room said it was too negative and tried to re word it so the brother didn't tell that he had resigned. The brother bravely said he felt that wouldn't be accurate and he didn't want to do that.

  The DO went as red as a beetroot and said he shouldn't do the part! Then he (the DO) told another toady brother in the room to give a different experience that the DO obviously had prepared instead!

  The poor brother was embarrassed and angry but he kept his dignity and sat down and waited for his ride home.

  But there was an excellent result. The badly treated MS resigned a few months later and a few years after that the DO got demoted in 2014 to CO when they got rid of the position.
  
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  Magwitch

  I remember in my 8th grade class (about 1980) giving a oral speech about abortion; I read some story out of the Awake magazine. Afterwards a school mate asked me for the source of the article and I gave her the Awake. Fast forward a few months and for some crazy reason (the DO was dating my older sister), I am giving the experience on the circuit assembly. The DO changed the story to ..."I placed all the Awake magazines I had with me with my very interested classmates"
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  OUTLAW

  The speaker gets criteria in the outline regarding what the experience or interview has to be about. Then he has to ask around and find someone who fits it or is pretty close. The whole thing is prepared and sometimes the experiences are not exactly true but rather embellishments to make a point, etc.

  I`ve been reading about WBT$/JW Assembly Experiences on this forum for over a decade..

  I was forced into one as a kid..

  I can`t recall 1 WBT$/JW Assembly Experience,that was Reported as being Told Truthfully..

  .

  .....................WBT$/JW Assembly Experiences..

  ............................................AKA..

  ............

  .................
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  ttdtt

  freddo - may it really show how DISHONEST the organization is.

  They lie, distort facts and misquote people in their literature, so why would that not carry over to assemblies and talks.
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  ToesUp

  So if they embellish the demos at the assemblies, what else are they embellishing? Things that make ya go.... Hmmm!

  I am now calling "theocratic warfare, theocratic bullsh*t".
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  ab.ortega

  I was at a rehearsal for a demo in a talk and waiting my turn and listening to a demo in another brother's talk - and the DO and the CO were there.

  
  

  Speaking of rehearsals. It was always strange to sit through one. Usually a group of about 50 was in the room as the participants rehearsed the part. Then when the DO and CO were making adjustments, they almost whispered to the participants and everybody else was watching and trying to hear what he was saying.

  
  

  Was this just at our rehearsals?
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  freddo

  @ab.ortega

  No. That was at every rehearsal I ever went to here in the UK.

  Welcome by the way.
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  sparrowdown

  I recall a pioneer sister I knew being very distraught after a rehearsal for a part she was in in which she was supposed to relate her experiences as a pioneer.

  You know the story, marriage broke down because she was a faithful sister and her husband was a bastard, demanding boss who didn't respect that she was a pioneer and needed time off for meetings/assemblies etc, loneliness, health problems, yada, yada, yada. Anyway she started going into her tale of self inflicted woe and the CO cut her off mid-whinge saying (her words) " the brothers don't want to know all your problems be more encouraging." She changed her story to sound more Jehovery but she was really cut by the CO's dismissal of her story in it's raw form.