My brother-in-law just graduated PSS

Frazzled UBM

So I was scrolling down Facebook and I saw that my brother-in-law was getting lots of likes and congrats (including sadly from my wife) for graduating PSS. Initially I thought Peter Pan (he is incredibly immature for a 23 year old) had gone against character and completed some sort of educational or vocational course until I found that PSS stood for Pioneer Service School. I was tempted to comment how sad this was but instead commented that "no matter how much you do they will always make you feel like it is not enough". Just trying to give him a dose of reality but I am sure my wife will not be happy even though she seems to have abandoned the cult. But by my way of thinking he is wasting his life and this would be fine if it didn't impact on me personally but my wife (using my money) already provides him with some financial support (no unemployment benefits in the Philippines) and this is set to continue indefinitely now he has become a Pioneer (I bet we will still be supporting him financially even after my own kids are self-sufficient). I hate the thought that I am indirectly subsidizing this cult. Just venting.

Magnum

That's Ok; vent away. We feel your pain.

I, too, went to PSS. Now that I look back, I realize what a waste it was. Maybe one day, he'll come to the same realization, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting.

Is just he in the Philippines, or are you and your family there, too?

KateWild

Sorry to hear your wife is sending money to support pioneering. This goes against your belief system and it might result in the the recruiting of vulnerable people. But having said this I am glad you are not forbidding your wife to spend money as she wishes. You are giving her financial freedom in your marriage and treating her as an equal.

Kate xx

Frazzled UBM

Magnum - my wife and I live in London - she is Filipino - I am Australian. I don't mind assisting the family as the Philippines doesn't offer the same opportunities as London but I do get annoyed when family members are not doing everything they can to become self-sufficient. I would be very happy to provide money so my brother-in-law could study something to improve his capacity to work but that ani't going to happen anytime soon. My father-in-law is to blame for the cult's influence over the family. They lost one family member due to this cult (the elders pushed her so far into a corner she took her own life) but he would never recognise this and so now he has pushed his youngest down the Pioneer route. Very sad.

Kate - my wife has more money in the bank than I do because she keeps what she earns, I give her a monthly allowance and I pay the mortgage and all the household outgoings. It works for us because when we need money for holidays or other lumpy expenses it comes out of her account. In due course we will also use that money to buy property in the Philippines (hopefully on a beach).

The Searcher

Frazzled, couldn't you ask your wife and your brother-in-law to consider your reasons for not wanting to go against the inspired Word of God?

(Ephesians 4:28) "....rather, let him do hard work, doing good work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with someone in need."

(2 Thessalonians 3:10-12) "If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat." For we hear that some are walking disorderly among you, not working at all, but meddling with what does not concern them. To such people we give the order and exhortation in the Lord Jesus Christ that they should work quietly and eat food they themselves earn."

Isn't your B-I-L acting like a parasite, by living off other people when he is able to provide for himself?

Your B-I-L isn't in need; he chose to work for the Org for free - you didn't!

Mad Irishman

Kind of a crappy thing to post to someone. You have to edit yourself to be kind sometimes you know.

sir82

"Graduated" from Pioneer Service School!

Yeah, that's a challenging school!

Ask him what his GPA was.

out4good4

Isn't this just what the organization is good at.....shifting their operating expenses to others as often as they can get away with.

Iown Mylife

You're not a worthless bum if you're sponging off of unspiritual workaholics while you slave for Jehovah. No! You are setting a good example for the materialistic, worldly sinful unthinking money grubber, showing him the Better Way To Live!

Just let him support you until Jehovah destroys him at armegeddon, and you're home free!

Been there, done that-

Marina

Frazzled UBM

Mad irishman - maybe you are right, it was crappy but it was also true - he might think that by Pioneering he will be doing the right thing but it won't be long before he is made to feel that whatever hours etc. he has been putting in it is not good enough because -- making the r&F feel bad about themselves is what the org specialises in...it was my attempt at sowing some cognitive dissonance...it just turned my stomach to see my wife Liking this state of affairs and other people congratulating him on something that is self-evidently not a good thing for him. As for being kind, like they say in the classics: "sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind". Frazzled

My brother-in-law just graduated PSS

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