Hey Bliss,
Getting ?dobbed-in? made me laugh, it?s not an expression I have come across much before, but I get the idea.
I think sometimes, when good-hearted people are left to themselves, there occurs an outbreak of what you might call ?spontaneous reasonableness?. Decent people will, instinctively and sensibly, ignore other people?s shortcomings or peculiarities, live-and-let-live, and take the view that that ?well, it?s none of our business, it?s not for us to tell them what to think/how to act/live their life?.
But of course this kind of attitude is no good at all for controlling the rank-and-file. Under the repressive Watchtower regime it is everyone?s business to dob in everyone else, nothing may be forgiven, nothing may be turned a blind eye to.
So you?re constantly having brothers dob on others, constantly having elders giving out counsel, no one is allowed to relax for a minute, and everyone is constantly worrying about keeping their ?good standing? in the congregation. Having your ?spiritual maturity? called into question over some conduct or shortcoming comes to be regarded as a social disgrace.
This story shows I think the way the repressive social control works among the dubs.
I remember, back in the early seventies, being invited to a party one Saturday night at the home of Jeanie, one of the teenage girls in our little congregational gang ? we were all going to be there. Word was that some young brothers and sisters from a nearby congregation were invited, too. The basic set-up was that everyone there would be Witnesses in good standing, but it promised to be a half-decent party. There would be alcohol, music, and dancing ? all in moderation, of course.
Jeanie was excited for weeks beforehand. I knew her folks pretty well, and they were decent enough people. Her Dad wasn?t an elder or anything (and never became one, although her brother eventually did); he certainly wasn?t the nazi-type fanatic that some were.
We all turned up, and Jeanie?s dad opened the party, the way you did, by asking Jehovah?s blessing on the get-together. All normal enough. But then it became clear that him and the missus were going to retire to a neighbour?s house ? Witnesses two doors along ? and leave us to it. They would be back at midnight.
Looking back on this now, it?s clear to me that he was just trying to do the best he could for his daughter, giving her an almost-normal chance of a proper teenage party at her house, without mum and dad hanging around getting in the way. He would be only two doors away, he trusted his entirely sensible daughter, and he trusted all of us, too, to not get up to anything , or set fire to the place, or whatever it is ?worldly? kids are supposed to do.
Jeanie?s mum and dad went off to watch Saturday night TV at the witness friends house, and the party got going...
?half hour later, Jeanie?s dad was back.
He?d been called back, by Kenny, an extremely serious, rising young brother, you know the sort - burning with righteous zeal for Jehovah?s organisation (what on earth did she ever invite him for in the first place??)
Anyway, Kenny?s conscience was ?troubling? him. Here was worldly pop music playing ! At Disco volume! Low levels of lighting! Suggestive dancing! It was all very wrong ? and to cap it all there was a song being played with simply unbelievable lyrics!
I remember this so well, Kenny coming back to the party with Ron, Jeanie?s dad, in tow, the lights going on, the hi-fi switched off and Kenny saying to Jeanie?s dad:
?..and then it said - Get Up Like A Sex Machine!?
I couldn?t help smiling. Sure enough, James Brown had been the previous record. I looked over to one or two of my pioneer mates ? our eyes met ? we all agreed in unspoken, knowing looks. What an utter, utter pratt Kenny was. Spoiling the whole thing for everyone.
?Ron, Like A Sex Machine!? Kenny repeated, for emphasis. I can?t find a way to tell you how much sheer outrage he put into those words.
My guess is now, looking back after all these years, Ron knew perfectly well what records Jeanie had, and what she was going to play on the hi-fi. I bet that track had been played a million times in that household before (it certainly had in mine, and pretty much everyone I knew had that song, and played it). Jeanie?s mistake had been in inviting Kenny to the party at all.
However, Ron was caught. Even if he?s wanted to say (my guess is he did want to say) ?Shut up, you uptight little prick, and let everyone have their party? ? he had no way to do so - he?d been publicly called out over this worldly behaviour, and was now compelled, by social pressure, to take a stand for righteousness sake.
So, the lights stayed up, much more ?acceptable? music was played ? Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and so forth (although Kenny mentioned to me how wrong it was to sing along to ??making love in the afternoon with Cecilia up in my bedroom??)
Anyway, Witness honour was saved. The actions of the tenderest conscience ? Kenny?s ? had dictated the outcome for all.
Ron stayed in the kitchen all evening, sipping beer, looking miserable, not daring to abandon the proceedings again for fear of being denounced by Kenny.
Being denounced for lax standards! Social death among the Witnesses.
Duncan.
