by purrpurr 19 Replies latest jw experiences
At the assembly I noticed something new and disturbing. When a brother is introduced before a talk the audience is now given their life history/ major accomplishments .
"Brother arsehole who served at bethal for five years, pioneered in the foreign language territory for ten years, is an elder in x congregation and serves in the construction projects blah blah blah"
This puffing up never used to happen? Did it?
I think this has been going on for quite a while.
We don't have titles. But we do
Yeah - I've noticed this from the videos. It just smacks of arrogance and I would have hated to be introduced in such a way. Apparently they introduced my cousin at the DC as "in full time service for 11 years". In reality , he was a pioneer for 7 years , came off for a couple of years for health reasons then back on about 18 months ago so not really an accurate claim but I guess it sounds better.
so is this like the Pharisees of old who would wear special fringes, or shawls to make themselves look more pious?
We wont hear of a jw who sat with someone who was dying or the brother on low income who took in a family that had hit the skids; or the brother and sister who stretched their housekeeping to put food on a down beat family whose man was sent to prison (guess why).
Blowing your bags with 'kingdom' service is out and out arrogance.
I recall a scripture that referred to doing good things in secret as being pleasing to God.
Incoming!
I noticed this as well. It seems in the past, they may have listed the congregation or if they were from Bethel but now they are stating the amount of time they pioneered and any other accomplishments.
It stood out to me because it was like they were trailing off a list for some brothers.
I remember hearing that at the 2015 RC, so it's not a new practice that was just introduced this year
I also see many younger (almost average) brothers giving parts or contributing in some way from the platform.
There was a time when it was mostly the heavy weights from the circuit giving parts, but now they have so many short parts, it seems they are opening it up for more brothers to give parts.
At least 4 of the newer brothers that gave parts, we use to hang with. They arent doing anything special. I wonder if it somehow brings the level of control down notch, because these brothers now have a higher level of responsibility to uphold within the congregation, so to speak and JW's look up to them a little differently.
It's all about status and the titles, accomplishments etc, it puts them up on a pedestal.
Actually, I remember in the early 80s an article featuring some person from the GB. The article was all about him, so no, I don't think that that's new.
Yep, I noticed this in the UK at the RC.
A couple of years ago it used to be "Let's listen carefully to Brother Windbag - an elder from Fumbuck Central as he expounds on ..." and of course all the item takers at an RC or CA are elders of some description or another so no big deal there.
Now it's:-
"Let's listen to Brother Scripture Containing-Case who serves as Assembly Hall overseer, who has pioneered for 20 years and who is co-ordinator in the Plymouth (Drake) congregation."
What they should say is:-
"Let's listen to Brother Clipboard Hitler who helps pregnant mothers die for want of blood on the HLC and who solicits donations at the circuit elders meeting for the Chelmsford lakeside retirement complex and whose grossly obese wife is on anti depressent meds because he shows her no attention."
Did my bitterness show? Sorry.
Let's listen to Brother Tech, He was the first to introduce an Ipad into the KH, he also used it on the platform during his Bible Reading. ........
The next speaker is Brother Full-time service example, He lives at his mom's home, he collects government assistance cheques for a mysterious illness. He doesn't own a car. His suits are purchased from Good Will. His theme is, "Honor God's House with Your Riches"
