Were any congregation '' special privileges'' ever taken away from you?

by RULES & REGULATIONS 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  

  If you don't measure up to the Watchtower Society ''high standards''... you might lose some ''special privileges''

  miss meetings...lose ''privileges''

  don't meet the monthly 10 hour ''field service'' ...lose ''privileges''

  not ''spiritual'' enough...lose ''privileges''

  What are some ''privileges'' that can be taken away from you?... passing the microphone...working the literature counter...offering congregation prayers...book study conductor...read the Watchtower from the platform...work the sound and music board.

  I lost many of these ''privileges'' due to missing too many meetings and low ''field service'' hours. Since I haven't been to any meetings in over 10 years, I've noticed that my old congregation elders have an unwritten rule, where only baptized Jehovah's Witnesses are considered for pallbearer duties. I have been taken off as a pallbearer for all my close family funerals. Everyone that is asked to be a pallbearer are all baptized Jehovah's Witnesses.

  What a bunch of ''petty'' men the Watchtower Society turned out to be!
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  Ding

  When I first attended a meeting at a KH, I noticed the man passing the microphone and I wondered how he got stuck doing that job.

  Imagine my surprise when I learned that you had to earn special privileges in order to be the microphone passer.

  It reminded me of Tom Sawyer and the great honor his friends had to be able to paint the fence.
  
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  Ron.W.

  I was the assistant to an elder that was extremely difficult to please many years ago.

  He used to rant that his return visits were in bed on Xmas Day and New Years day at 9.30am when he called on them - He went ballistic when I suggested he could adapt his ministry holiday calling times slightly.

  After that he took every 'privilege' he could off me to try to get to me.

  Our book study was in the KH.

  It got to the point one week were he took the study, read the paragraphs, did the roving mike and the sound all by himself.

  I took myself and my family off to another group study away from that nutcase after that..
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  My Name is of No Consequence

  But unless you get disfellowshipped, you'll never, ever lose the special privilege of cleaning toilets.
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  jhine

  As a never been a JW my mind boggles that grown men and women are somehow bent into a mindset to consider being " allowed " to hold a microphone is a privilege.

  How does this happen?

  Jan from Tam
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  LongHairGal

  JHINE:

  Yes, it is absurd and it boggles the mind to imagine that seemingly intelligent adults would see some menial task/drudgery as a ‘privilege’.

  I remember all the Witnesses trying to climb the ‘spiritual’ ladder and wanting to be seen as very zealous.. I remember years ago some of the pioneers that were my age at the time who scoffed at me because of my full-time job.. They tried to sell me on the ‘blessings’ of being in the full-time ministry.. I often wondered what I was missing besides getting invited to dinners and secret gatherings.

  Today, in retirement, I can honestly say I am thankful I never listened.
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  TonusOH

  Jan, it's an insular community that revolves around devotion to the organization and its leadership. It is drummed into your head that serving the organization is a privilege, and for most people that happens at the congregation level. And for men, the long path to becoming a ministerial servant --and eventually an elder-- often begins with small privileges like reading the paragraphs during the weekly book/magazine study, saying the opening/closing prayer, and handling microphones. These are visible signs of devotion and also a sign that you are on the right track to gaining those important positions of 'service.'

  I can't describe how proud I felt to be named a ministerial servant, even though it came just before I began my long, slow fade. By the time it happened, I'd been conditioned to see it as a very high honor. And even now, so many years removed from it and from the organization, I still feel some sense of value from having been named one. That slow and constant conditioning stays with us for a long, long time.
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  Beth Sarim

  Not spiritual enough,,,taken off microphones for no explanation.

  Not spiritual enough,,,,soft shunning and being left out of "get togethers".

  Not spiritual enough,,,not "marriage material"

  The above 3 experiences,,,with no explanation or reason why.

  Just made to feel that ""you"" yourself is the problem and nobody else to blame but yourself.
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  jhine

  In my church we can't get people to volunteer 🤣. Maybe the leadership team ( warden and readers at the moment cus we are inbetween Vicars) should start to push cleaning and tea making as " privileges "

  Jan from Tam
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  sloppyjoe2

  I was taken off the school to give talks because of my poor meeting attendance. I don't blame him for doing it, I purposely skipped the meetings when I had a talk. It was odd though, I still carried the microphones which is supposed to be a "privilege" even though my meeting attendance was no better than 20%. That same year I spent a total of 4 hours out in service. I learned to just turn in low hours each month to be "regular" and no one bothered me.