Field Service Time As Social Currency

Quotes from Reddit by Happy1914:

One of the defining qualities of a cult is the diminishing of everything else of value in your life other than the cult itself. Things that the rest of the world view as success, like finding a fulfilling career or being a genuinely good person, are minimized. Normal human emotions are twisted until you feel guilty about something as small has having a political thought, not taking every opportunity to witness, or not reading the daily text every day.

I want to talk for a minute about the one of few organization-approved social currency, service time. You can walk into any congregation in the world and without know anyone, probably determine who has the most time. Those people are strutting around the hall, commenting every paragraph, and typically looking down on the other members. By comparison, those low-hour publishers are often head hung low and spending most of their time feeling bad about themselves. It is almost hard, as I am writing this, to overstate the importance of service time in shaping the typical witness self-esteem and psyche. Every position of power in the organization is tied to what you put down on the little slip. And, I think without question, distorts any kind of attempt to transform the organization into a more palpable mainline christian organization.

While I try really hard not to make generalizations about witnesses globally, I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of witnesses despise service. Or, let me put it more accurately, they despise the actual witnessing part of service. That is why you have those long coffee breaks, the lengthy drives to the other side of the territory, and the lingering in the kingdom hall after the arraignment. It is this bizarre song and dance that everyone plays: pretending to be in this urgent life saving work while sipping lattees at Starbucks all morning.

Witnesses are looking to collect time to feel good about themselves, they are not equally interested in sharing the good news. That is why you often hear as you are pulling out of the Kingdom Hall parking lot “I have a call nearby where we can start our time.” The concern is not for if that person needs help, but to start time. Or how about the deranged notion of “early morning service” that was plague here in the midwest for years. Diligent pioneers would drive around at four in the morning a drop of tracts to gas station employees and 24-laudrymats. This was (and suppose still is) one of the most naked attempts to get easy hours that I have ever seen. Ever see how eager most witnesses are to do letter territory? That terrible method of preaching that is almost entirely about mindlessness writing drivel on a page while keeping the clock going? Or how about the GB’s newest obsession, the cart work. You get to sit there, chat with your friend or play on your phone, and get those sweet sweet service time for doing NOTHING.

If this was really about reaching people, the work would look differently. I have argued this point to many witnesses to the point that my apostate started to show. If the purpose of this whole thing is to drive people to the warm spiritual food of JW.ORG, why not use internet ads? I could, with $5, get more interested people to the website than a pioneer could in a week. So why the strange doorstep videos? Service time.

Now most of what I am saying is nothing new to the readers of this sub. Many of many the comparison of service time to getting a sales qouta in a business and that the service itself is more a way to keep devout witnesses busy with “spiritual activities. I agree with that wholeheartedly, but I also want to talk about its subsequent affect of the average witness. I have seen pioneers, good kind people, crying at the end of the service year. I have seen people neglect their ailing parents, abandon their parental responsibilities, just to get some imaginary number that doesn’t mean anything.

To highlight the absurdity of it all, I want to talk about one of the strangest hour-related policies the borg had created: the RBC pioneer. For those of you don’t know, the organization allowed certain pioneers to count time they spent on building projects through the RBC. Pioneers with special skills (or more likely special connections) were able to count time wondering around a construction site with a cup of coffee in there hand on their service slip each month. This was not something regular publishers got to enjoy, despite the fact that some of those publishers were some of the most capable and hardworking construction volunteers. Some of them even lost their privileges in the congregations because they were spending too much time on RBC projects. Sort of crazy, eh?

Because the actual ministry is so miserable most witnesses flock to anything that can make it more tolerable, whether it is cart witnessing, letter writing, or early morning. The greatest example, seen recently, is the Russian letter writing campaign. There was this flurry of activity in my area. Large “letter-writing” parties were thrown. And while few witnesses may admit this, a large part of that was how easy it was to write a letter compared to actually going in the ministry. It is that kind of gross armchair activism that just reeks or hypocrisy and is entirely self-serving. Its like those viral videos that occasionally get around social media where everyone screams outrage, alleviates their own guilt, and nothing is actually done about the problem. (KONY 2012 anyone?).

The Russia letter writing campaign also showed just how much latent energy is in the organization. You have almost eight million people who are willing to do almost anything if they are told to do so. Part of me things this was a bit of a test of the GB’s part, or at least something that they might learn from. What other issue can they point their 8mil followers towards?

Hope verses Reality

Can you imagine if witnesses could “count time” while volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter? Could you imagine how much better the world would be if they could count time for meaningful volunteer activities? Its is tragic to think how much potential is there, potential that will sadly never be fully tapped.

The reality is, however, I can see the org widening how what they consider “the ministry.” Can you imagine, for example, how much cleaner the halls would be if every member got to count up to five hours a month of their slip for cleaning the hall? They would be falling over themselves for that privilege. Or could you imagine young ones getting to count their time for remote-bethel work? That could serve as a way to boost morale and get service-phobic witnesses back into the fold. For a young person in the organization today, the only path forward is through service time. No matter how much of a student of the bible you are, no matter what technical skills you may have, forget having privileges and the subsequent self-esteem boosts that come along with it if you can’t force yourself to get out x amount of times per month.

I think I went a bit off topic than my attention, but I thought I would put some of those ideas forward for you to talk about. I know my posts tend to be on the longer side, so I will end it with what I always do, a thank you for reading.

Stake or Cross Debate

Reminds me of the text msg with Baski or Baskaran Nair before I left in 2014.     Below is taken from a discussion forum.

” Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christ was crucified on an upright stake which they refer to as a torture stake. Whenever their New World Translation mentions the cross it is rendered torture stake. The Witnesses insist that all the individuals within their organization agree that the instrument upon which Jesus died was an upright stake resembling a square telephone pole. If that particular configuration is not confessed by an active Jehovah’s Witness, he or she could be disfellowshipped from the organization, and that punishment could include being shunned by the individual’s family and forbidden to see his or her grandchildren.
One question that this issue generates is, “What difference does it make?” The configuration of the cross is irrelevant to the redemption Christians have in Christ. It isn’t the appearance of the cross that saved us, but what happened on it that is eternally significant. The Roman government was known to use different shapes of cross to crucify individuals, which included the traditional looking Christian cross that is displayed on church signs and necklaces. It also used “T” type of crosses as well as the “X” variety. Does the Scripture give us any clues as to the appearance of the Lord’s cross? In all the literature produced by the Watchtower Society, it always depicts Jesus with both arms extended above his head with a single nail through both hands. Above his hands is the plaque where his alleged crimes were inscribed. What is interesting about this Watchtower artwork is the fact that it doesn’t conform to the Bible’s description. The Scripture tells us that more than one nail was used in his hands (John 20:25). It also says that the plaque was placed “above his head” (Matthew 27:37). In the Watchtower’s drawings of the scene, there is one nail through both hands and the plaque is above his hands.
The Watchtower makes the argument that the New Testament Greek word rendered cross means stake, which it does. The word is used in secular writings to depict fence posts and staves. But the etymology of a word often has nothing to do with its use. For example, the English word nice comes from an Old English root meaning ignorant. We still refer to people “standing trial,” although they are always sitting. That comes from colonial days when defendants literally stood during their trial.
There are also some tantalizing clues in secular history. The Roman playwright Seneca the Younger used the phrase infelix lignum (unfortunate wood) to describe the crossbeam of the cross (letter #101 p12-14). Plautus (254-184 BC) described a condemned criminal carrying the transom (variously referred to as the patibulum or antenna) of his cross to the place of execution. Plutarch (46-120 AD) described a similar picture (Titus Maccius Plautus, Arthur Mack 1997 p109). The historian Josephus, who was a contemporary of New Testament times, said that the crossbeam was routinely carried by the prisoner that probably weighed about a 150 pounds. No one carried the 300 pound cross by himself.
Perhaps the most startling evidence of the Lord’s cross comes from an anonymous artist in the Italian city of Pompeii. The city was buried under the ash of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This eruption took place well over 25-hundred miles from the scene of the crucifixion, in a time of very primitive transportation and communication, and only within 55 years of the events of Calvary. It would have taken months, if not several years, for the news of the Lord’s crucifixion to have reached Pompeii. The city lay hidden for well over 16-hundred years until it was excavated by the Frenchman de Alcbierre in 1748. He found a very sophisticated city with all kinds of modern amenities and in one of the bedrooms there was unearthed Christian graffiti on the wall, and accompanying this scribbling was a drawing of the tradition Christian cross with a crossbeam.” Think about that!

Fear and Demons attack

The below post is an experience from a born in exJW.

Reminds me of some JWs who are constantly thinking demons are testing them and critical of the current news.

“The deeply troubling nature of Jehovah’s Witnesses and their brainwashing is difficult to see unless you’ve been personally touched by it, and then escaped to see it from the outside.

While I lived with my father, it was a nightly occurrence that I would come home to find him and my stepmother sitting on the couch, watching the evening news in absolute horror. Every terrible thing they were seeing—shootings, murders, robberies, car crashes, gang violence, war—was proof to them that Armageddon was beginning.

My father believes that Satan has a legion of demon soldiers that are constantly attacking him and all the other Jehovah’s Witnesses. He believes that every bad occurrence in his life is proof that Satan is after him, and, by extension, evidence of his righteousness. He is certain that the world is going to be destroyed at any minute, and that his god is going to murder everyone who doesn’t follow what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe.

And he believes that I am one of the people his god is going to murder.

While I lived in his home, I tried to have conversations with him about how he saw the world. I tried to understand what was going on inside of him, and to share my perspectives on things. I wanted to know if there was any malleability to his insane beliefs.

If they were changeable, that would mean that he was changeable. But over and over again the answer came loud and clear: “Nope!” It’s impossible to reason with someone whose identity and beliefs can only survive in the absence of reason.

In 2002 the BBC made a short documentary on Jehovah’s Witnesses called Suffer the Little Children. It looks at the massive epidemic of pedophilia that the organization is hiding, and how they’re protecting known offenders from the law because they believe ‘Jehovah will sort it out in the end.’ ”

 

Ex-elder sharing his awakening experience

Background:

My parents got the “truth” while I was in primary school. I was baptised at 14. I loved school and was extremely studious. Achieved a very high Tertiary entrance score (what you in the US call a GPA I think?) and could have pursued virtually any career, but gave it up to start pioneering and commence my theocratic career at 18. Pretty boring growing up story – never got into any trouble in my youth – was always very serious and very focused on the “truth.” Always did the right things and was very serious. Never smoked, never touched alcohol etc… lived a model witness life and was very zealous.

Some theocratic highlights:

Served as a pioneer for over 15 years years.

Served as an Elder for nearly 20 years.

Worked with the writing department for a few years, mainly as a researcher but also had a number of articles published.

Speaker at Circuit and District convention level for last 15 years including Elders schools.

My awakening:

For some years I had become more and more bothered by dogmatic statements appearing in Watchtower articles. They would keep using words like “evidently” without actually supplying any scriptural evidence. They would admit to making errors, say they were going to be more cautious and “discreet,” and then in the same breath/paragraph make another indiscreet and dogmatic statement without any back-up, doing exactly what they had just promised not to do. Particular examples are of course the Generation, Types/Anti-types, explanations of 10 virgins parable etc. When they moved the “appointed over all his belongings” part of the F&DS parable to the Great Tribulation, without comment on the implications, I realised they had been presumptuous this whole time claiming they had already received that appointment since 1919. They had acted with unauthorised authority over Christ’s “belongings,” and were not just concerned with feeding spiritual food. Of course this was all a mute point anyway as by this time I had read the Finished Mystery book and realised there was no way Jesus would have approved of that spiritual food anyway. However I continued to loyally push these problems aside in my mind and justify everything as we’ve been trained to do!

Then a couple of situations kind of lined up at the same time to push me over the edge. Firstly, I have alway had a love of science and reason, and I always enjoyed learning more about how the brain and cognitive processes work. So at this time I came across a book called “The Art of Thinking.” I read it in one go and was blown away. It opened my eyes up to critical thinking and the whole field of cognitive/logical fallacies in ways I had never thought about or applied in my life before. Well not to my beliefs anyway. I could clearly see how people were fooled by poor reasoning and biases when it came to other religions and things like pseudo-science and superstitions. But this book got me thinking for the first time whether I was a victim of my own confirmation bias and many others in my own beliefs. I pulled on a thread – 607/1914 – and suddenly the house of cards started to collapse. I could not defend my own beliefs to myself without using a ton of assumptions and biases, especially confirmation bias. I ran this by a fellow elder and he confirmed all the assumptions so it wasn’t just me.

Secondly, about the same time the Australian Royal Commission was in full swing and I watched some of the elders testimony and especially Geoffrey Jacksons testimony. As the scripture promises, “do not be afraid for what you will say in that day, as I will put words in your mouth and help you, says Jehovah.” I expected to see a great witness. What I saw instead was a very smug man doing his best to avoid answering questions directly and honestly, just like a politician. He made misleading comments and even outright lied on a couple of points. I was horrified and disturbed. Then I saw some of the other Elders lie also, or admit they had done nothing, even when they had confessions they believed and didn’t need two witnesses. I could not believe it, but I had to admit I had been lied to. The “abuse problem” was not just an apostate lie or a media beat-up, it was real and we had been in denial and covering it up for years.

So now I had concerns not only about the foundation of our doctrines, but also the quality of the “spirit anointed” men that God was supposedly using who I felt could no longer be trusted. So I started to do a more earnest investigation into our history, and this time I was prepared to consider outside sources to eliminate or account for any biases. So it was at this time I dared to read “Crisis of Conscience” and “Captives of a Concept.” The documented evidence of the royal commission (showing the true state of affairs with our child abuse problem) and the documented evidence of our history and the character of the men who served as our first four presidents was overwhelming.

This was my turning point. I now realised I had been conned. I had believed in a lie. And the implications were devastating to say the least. I cried for days. For my lost hope of everlasting life. For the harsh reality of my mortality. For the years I’d wasted knocking on doors spreading false and erroneous teachings instead of living up to my potential. For all the damage I had inadvertently done, even though my intentions were good. And for all the family and friends I would potentially lose, who I would be unable to rescue. I had always suffered from depression on and off, but this spun me into a deeper, suicidal level of depression than I had ever know before, one that I am still struggling with, but am very slowly coming out of. And yes, I have been getting help with counselling etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had a good life, but I could have done so much more with it if I had known the real truth. I could have been a real help to people, not just pseudo help.

My current situation:

So I resigned as an Elder and left cold turkey – I haven’t been to a meeting in over 6 months (other than funerals). I just couldn’t stand sitting there listening to the fallacious arguments and disinformation in nearly everything that was said. My fellow elders have been reasonable (as far as they can be within the confines of the Society) as they are a bit more liberal here than most places, but after a few shepherding calls they have basically given up on me I think. They are happy for me to fade as long as I don’t rock the boat and talk to others. So for the moment I have managed to avoid being disfellowshipped, though I do not now recognise any authority of theirs to do so anyway. During one of their calls I actually suggested to them that they should and they would have grounds to, but they refused.

My wife and family are still in and I still see some close JW friends from time to time. We keep the peace by not discussing anything at all controversial. I plan to formally disassociate from the Watchtower Society at some point in the hear future, but waiting for my wife’s health to improve so that she can cope with there situation better. In the meantime, as a kind of therapeutic endeavour, I am writing a thesis based on everything I have learned so far, which will be a sort of testament or manifesto for why I have left. Hopefully those friends who really want to know will read it.

I realise my story is quite a bit different from most here, in that I have woken up quite late in life, unlike the many young ones who see sense and get out before they devote their life to the org. However, my long time in the “truth” probably also gives me a different perspective that may be useful in helping others. So happy to answer any questions – AMA!

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5726777819267072/my-introduction-ex-elders-story-waking-up-later-life

 

Do your Research

My Friends,
The fact that you are reading JW SURVEY is encouraging.I hope you continue to research what other well meaning and informed voices have to say about the organisation, as opposed to reading just material from the Watchtower Society.The “Truth” should be able to stand firm and not be afraid if well argued and provable light of a critical nature reveals serious problems with the Organisation.

The Boreans ( Act 17:11 ), are often used as an example of examining what has been said to determine its truth.Using their example of testing things you should not in any way be afraid to examine what the Organisation says ( about so many issues), but rather continue to probe for the truth about the “Truth”. You could be richly rewarded with your freedom from what can only be described as a dehumanizing organization.
John 6:68. Did you understand what it says ? It is Jesus ( not an Organization ) that has the words of eternal life. According to the Bible you simply go to him… John 6:35 Again, quite clear, Jesus says ” I am the bread of life. He that comes to ME will not get hungry at all…” No reference to being fed ” …food at the proper time..” ( by an Organisation founded in the 1870`s ?). The interpretation of one of many parables at Matthew 24 to jusify what the “..imperfect men in the lead..” say about the “faithful and discreet slave” has no Biblical/ exegetical justification at all. It is simply made up!The Organisation have no recognised Biblical scholars and have long been noted for their lack of scholarship.They do, however, know how to alter the Greek text( in the New World Translation )to fit in with their theology!
You mention ” Jehovah`s kingdom”- have you attempted to read the Bible and do a study on what the Bible says on the subject of the “Kingdom”. Use a Greek /English Interlinear to help you in your Biblical study. Wescot and Hort used to be used by JWs. I do not think it is used these days – the Greek text shows serious problems in the New World translation. This is all material you can research. Ok?

You seem to have put your trust in a group of men in New York. Do examine what they claim( like the Boreans). Continue to follow your deep instinct – the fact that you have looked at JW survey shows you feel some freedom to research.Don’t be captive to a concept.
Your mind/life was not meant to be held captive by an organisation – freedom/truth lie ahead for you. Just continue to do research; there are plenty of exellent material on the internet. Let your bible trained conscience guide you.

If the “announcements” made by this organization concerning “Jehovah’s Kingdom” have always been wrong, how can we hold that up as a reason to stay in the Org? When I was a JW the “announcement of Jehovah’s Kingdom” was that the folks who saw 1914 would live to see the kingdom on earth. That announcement has been proven dead wrong. It was a false prophecy!No amount of clarification, refinement nor adjustment can make it right.

What sort of organization makes false prophecies? A true or a false prophet? The answer is as obvious as what your next step should be (Deut 18).

Let’s call spade a spade

See Nov Broadcast
In recent congregation bible study, the book discuss how the “truth” is progressive…..
18 Just as Jehovah progressively revealed truths about the Kingdom in the period leading up to 1914, he continues to do so during the time of the end. As Chapters 4 and 5 of this book will show, over the past 100 years, God’s people have had to adjust their understanding on a number of occasions. Does that fact mean that they do not have Jehovah’s backing? On the contrary! He supports them. Why? Because those who fear Jehovah have displayed two qualities that he loves—faith and humility. (Heb. 11:6; Jas. 4:6) Jehovah’s servants have faith that all the promises in God’s Word will come true. They show humility when they admit that they misunderstood exactly how those promises would be fulfilled. That humble attitude is reflected in the March 1, 1925, issue of The Watch Tower, which said: “We know that the Lord is his own interpreter, that he will interpret his Word to his people in his own good way and in his own due time.”
19 When the Kingdom was established in 1914, God’s people had only partial knowledge of how prophecies relating to the Kingdom would be carried out. (1 Cor. 13:9, 10, 12) In our zeal to see God’s promises fulfilled, we have on occasion drawn wrong conclusions. Over the years, the wisdom of another statement made in The Watch Tower quoted in the preceding paragraph has become apparent. The article stated: “It seems to be a safe rule to follow, that prophecy can not be understood by us until it is fulfilled or in the course of fulfillment.” Now that we are deep into the time of the end, many Kingdom prophecies have been and are being fulfilled. Because God’s people are humble and willing to be corrected, Jehovah has allowed our understanding of his purpose to become more complete. True knowledge has become abundant!
Refinements in Understanding Sift God’s People
20 When Jehovah refines our understanding of truth, our heart condition is tested. Will faith and humility move us to accept the changes? Christians living in the middle of the first century faced such a test. For example, imagine that you were a Jewish Christian living at that time. You deeply respect the Mosaic Law and take pride in your national heritage. Now you receive inspired letters from the apostle Paul stating that the Law is no longer binding and that Jehovah has rejected natural Israel in favor of gathering a spiritual Israel made up of both Jews and Gentiles. (Rom. 10:12; 11:17-24; Gal. 6:15, 16; Col. 2:13, 14) How would you have responded?
21 Humble Christians accepted Paul’s inspired explanation and were blessed by Jehovah. (Acts 13:48) Others resented the refinements and wanted to cling to their own understanding. (Gal. 5:7-12) If they would not change their viewpoint, those individuals would lose the opportunity to be corulers with Christ.—2 Pet. 2:1.
22 In recent decades, Jehovah has refined our understanding of the Kingdom. For example, he has helped us to see more clearly when those who will be subjects of the Kingdom are to be separated from unresponsive ones as sheep are separated from goats. He has also taught us when the full number of the 144,000 will be filled, what the Kingdom illustrations given by Jesus mean, and when the last of the anointed will be raised to heavenly life.How do you respond to such clarifications? Is your faith strengthened? Do you see them as evidence that Jehovah continues to educate his humble people? The following material in this book will reinforce your conviction that Jehovah is progressively revealing his purpose to those who fear him.

Comments:
1. So really prophesy can only interpreted by what has happened? Sort of defeats the purpose of prophesy. In fact the whole study seems utterly ridiculous and blatant.
2. Clear cut errors are called refinement adjustment and progressive clarification. Your current understanding could be wrong in future. This can’t be Truth.
3. Teaching that the parable of FDS changed from all anointed ones to mean only GB. Progressive revealing of truth is not taught in the Bible ever. Jehovah and Jesus taught it right first time, every time and stood the test of time.

4. Being faithful and humble does not relieve one from responsibility of teaching errors. Life have been lost from its abstain from blood teachings. Time stolen from avoid higher education teaching. GB need to be responsible over what they taught while claiming to be acting under God’s direction.

Cool facts about donations

Do you know that the Circuit, Regional and SDA coventions are huge money makers for Society? You’ll notice there’s always a “deficit” mentioned during the announcements. Before the assembly even begins, Watchtower knows how many publishers should be attending and assigns a per publisher rate, like an attendance fee. Once they multiply the per publisher rate times the expected publishers attending, they have the desired cash amount they expect to receive even before the programs begin! Plus hall or room rental, total sum “incurred” explains the constant “deficit” required for donations during assembly.
It’s always good to know more about your Organization.

Nice DA letter by Bro Diego

February 20, 2015

Body of Elders

Re: Official Notice of Disassociation
Dear Brothers,
Through this letter I’m informing you of my prayerful decision to discontinue my association with Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, religion into which was baptized as a minor on November 28, 1992 in Xxxxxx, Xxxx. Effective immediately I do not consider myself one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

My reasons are many and some very personal. I do want to explain one those reasons why, after more than 22 years of being a baptized witness and a lifetime of being around the organization, I’ve decided to separate from this organization and follow only Our Lord Christ Jesus.

The reason is that I’ve read “The Finished Mystery” by Charles T. Russell (1917) and the booklet “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” based on a speech by Joseph Rutherford (1920). Both of which are cited by “The Watchtower” as examples of light or spiritual food given at the proper time during and after the inspection, cleansing and selection of the organization by our Lord Jesus Christ as predicted in Matthew 24:45-47 from 1914 to 1919. These two pieces of literature are so erroneous on most biblical explanations attempted that I fail to see how the authors, the publishers and those that believed this could ever assert to be carefully chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ as his “faithful and discreet slave”, His spokesmen to the world, His channel of communication. Any reasonable Christian upon reading these books will, inevitably, arrive to the same conclusion.

I do want to express my deep love for you as persons, as individuals, as friends. I have never met anyone better. Thank you for your friendship and love. I do have to ask that you do not visit me in your capacity of “elders” for any reason. However, you are always welcome to visit me as friends and Christian brothers. I will keep you in my prayers, please do the same for me. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV).

Your Brother in Christ,
Diego

Warning Signs of A Potentially Destructive Group

Adapted from http://www.culteducation.com

“Potentially unsafe groups come off very nice at first, they go for vulnerable people who are looking for answers, lonely, what you’d call ‘normal people.’ They’re very good at what they do and can get people to believe anything. ”
Margaret Singer, Ph.D.

10 Warning Signs
1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability (Impose strict interpretations on blood, leading to lost of lives of innocent brothers and sisters. Now, blood factions is acceptable and up to your conscience. Where is a accountability for lives lost, esp. those who chose to adhere to earlier interpretations? There are no apologies.)
2. No tolerance for questions (Try this. Ask the elders “How do we know the Governing Body is anointed by God’s Spirit?” or “Does the Truth change?” See Watchtower 15 July 2013 studies articles for example on yesterday Truth becoming today’s error!)
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement. (Not congregation but HQ Watchtower Org financials. Do you know how much is Brooklyn Bethel Properties sold for in totality? Answer : USD 1.3 billions. So stop asking congregation for pledge (tithe). Congregation Bros and Sis are already poor and skinned like shepherd-less sheep.)
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe ( Armageddon, last days, be watchful for the end is near).
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former believers are always wrong in leaving, seen as evil ( Spiritually weak, apostates, turn their back on Jehovah, betrayal, feeding on Satan’s table).
6. Former members often relate the similar stories of abuse and reflect a similar grievances. ( Please Google or visit jehovahs-witness.com for experience of being brought up in the Org. Hear former members share stories of enduring boring meetings, endless conventions, WT preparation, meaningless doors knocking, congregation politics, wasted time, opportunities, child abuses…)
7. There are various records, books, news, or Youtube programs that document the abuses of the group (Start with the book Crisis of Conscience, your eyes will be open)
8. Followers feel they can never be “good enough” (Can we do more in the month of Memorial? Surely it is excellent way do more for Jehovah by enrolling in auxiliary pioneering. Let’s be resolved to do more and contribute your valuables to the Kingdom work.)
9. The group (Governing Body) is always right. (No apologies if they are wrong. Eg. Millions now living will never dies.)
10. The group is the exclusive means of knowing “Truth”, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible. (1John 5:19- over emphasize on separate from the world/ Satan . If that’s the case, why God so love the world? -John 3:16. Can God’s Truth only be found in a man-made organization? Or is it only through Christ- the Way and the Truth- to God )
Be a good BS Detector
Don’t be naïve. You can protect yourself from unsafe groups and leaders by developing a good BS detector. Check things out, know the facts and examine the evidences. Make use of what Jehovah gave you at birth- your BRAIN. Start thinking. Something is very wrong with this religion. A safe group will be patient. If a group grows angry just because you want to make an informed and careful decision before joining, beware.

Elder Indoctrination Methodology

The elders and regular publishers including pioneer go through a different indoctrination program. The WTS uses different inculcating ideas, attitudes, and cognitive strategies on elders.

That is one of the main reasons why elders have special schools, private meetings with CO, special letters from Branch to BOE only.

This information is for those of you who have woken up to TTATT and have husbands who are Elders or children who have fathers who are elders. Info is from an ex-JW Elder. I quote”

I want to give you a little insight on why generally, you cannot approach an elder with TTATT, the same way you approach a regular publisher. These thoughts are from my elder’s book that I kept.

The inculcating methods used on elders are more intense. I give you a few examples from one of the special elders meetings that I attended where no publishers are allowed.

First of all, all the elders in attendance were reminded that we are specially chosen by Jehovah because we were set aside, chosen and special, more spiritually qualified than ordinary publishers. (That’s why we were appointed by Holy Spirit).Then they use this scripture:

(Luke 12:48) Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him.

After reading this scripture, they tell us that we are in charge of the congregation, not the other way around. It’s theocratic order. With this in mind they read these two scriptures:

(1 Timothy 2:14) Also, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and came to be in transgression.

(1 Timothy 2:12, 13) I do not permit a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

The speaker remind us that wives have no say in teaching matters because Satan uses the weaker vessel to deceive people. He then goes on to quote different sources from unknown magazines that it has been proven that women brains are smaller than men’s. That is why in God’s organization women are only used for preaching, cleaning the Kingdom Hall and preparing meals.

Then the speaker starts instilling fear in all the elders by reading many scriptures, but I will only use a few to make my point on how elders are subjected to more intense indoctrination:

(Joshua 7:24, 25)Joshua, and all Israel with him, now took A′chan the son of Ze′rah and the silver and the official garment and the bar of gold

AND HIS SONS and his DAUGHTERS and his bull and his ass and his flock and his tent and EVERYTHING THAT WAS HIS (speaker mentions wife)

Then Joshua said: “Why have you brought ostracism upon us? Jehovah will bring ostracism upon you on this day.” With that all Israel went pelting him with stones, after which THEY BURNED THEM WITH FIRE .

(Daniel 6:24) And the king commanded, and they brought these able-bodied men who had accused Daniel, and into the lions’ pit they threw them, THEIR SONS AND THEIR WIVES; and they had not reached the bottom of the pit before the lions had got the mastery over them, and all their bones they crushed.

If you noticed, the idea is to get elders to BELIEVE, THAT THE LIVES OF THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN ARE IN THEIR HANDS.

If their wives fall prey to apostate ideas and lose their lives, then the Elder is responsible for their EVERLASTING DEATH. THAT IS PRETTY HARSH, INTENSE INDOCTRINATION

So with this in mind, you can understand why a wife who is aware of TTATT cannot just tell her husband that Watchtower and it’s 1914 is wrong.

Because from his point of view, first Satan uses women to deceive, like EVE.

Second, women is not allow to teach, especially to an elder appointed by God’s Holy spirit.

Third, Elder/husband is responsible for her everlasting death if he succumbs to apostate ideas that she might bring in, like Eve did with Adam.

So for this reason, wives or children who have Elders as husbands or fathers much approach them differently with TTATT than a regular publisher.

There are exceptions but generally all Elders are indoctrinated this way.