by LevelThePlayingField 73 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
"I know that this comes as a surprise to you. We were surprised as well."....
...."We are at a disadvantage as we honestly have few answers at this time."
Translation: We don't have a darn clue what to do considering the Organization promised we would not reach 2015. Therefore, we listened and obediently gave up any type of secular training and education in order to remain faithful to the Organization. Now we don't even have a pot to pee in or a place to put it in.
I agree Dozy, I do not think the higher ups approved the letter. Reading between the lines, it appears that they were shocked and are still trying to deal with it. They are trying to believe that it will all work out and all this is God's will, but it probably doesn't feel like that right now.
This is not really how things worked before, or at least not how they understood it, they probably assumed they would do this work until they retired and they would be taken care of. It's really rough to have to start over at that age, they went from JW royalty to average Joe in a month and have to earn a living and worry about retirement. I almost feel sorry for them.
I gotta say, they're making it easier and easier for fakers and fence-sitters to make that final transition.
At this rate, they'll be phasing out virtually everything but the website/channel and the Warwick HQ by 2020...
I just have to laugh a little because my wife wanted to feed the CO during his stay, so we did. Well, I had a doctor's appointment that morning so I came in during their lunch NOT dress in service clothes, just jeans and a t-shirt, said hi and sat down and ate with everybody.
Well, he, the CO was giving his experiences from the field (this was before he got his pink-slip). And I thought to myself, "he's kind of bragging a bit here". But he kept on and on, experience after experience and really didn't give anyone else a chance to talk. This went on for about 20 minutes. Finally it was time for him to go. We shook hands, and he "went off to the field". Yeah!
But now, looking back, that was one of his last meals! :)
Now he's gotta cook, clean, work, do it all himself. AND one more point, in the letter it was said that they were being asked to be "reassigned to the field activity" right? Well that's a crock. All CO's are already pioneers!!
I think that before these layoffs became common, a CO couple would have said that it was their choice to leave the work for health or family reasons. I don't think they would have said they were "fired" from the circuit work if this had happened 20 years go. It would have been personally embarrassing. It would have put the organization in a bad light. So they would have revised the story in order to avoid awkward conversations and questions.
But in this letter, the CO seems genuinely honest about what has happened. As others have noted, although he says things about trusting the org, the tone of the letter puts that trust into question. Since bethelites and special pioneers have been getting pink slips, it wouldn't be that embarrassing to say you've gotten one too.
I also have a gut feeling that he's circulated this letter in hopes that someone in the circuit will be able to help them get settled out in the real world.
pepperheart - "The PR people at the borg must be tearing their hair out..."
I wonder what the turnover is like in that department. They must experience a shit-ton of burnout.
