Aleksandr Ivshin

[Isabella]

Aleksandr is married, has two daughters and eight grandchildren. He has two accreditations. He mastered the trades of lathe worker, forging and manufacturing; worked as a lumberjack and as an engineer. Having become a Christian, Aleksandr Ivshin refused to participate in military training. Now he is under persecution as an ”extremist.”

https://jw-russia.org/en/prisoners/ivshin.html

[Arauna]

No respect for age. Reminds me of Hitler camps.

[Witness]

It is a sad situation, and can be interprested as a very "extreme" move, which could remind one of Hitler camps.  

But so does this situation: (translated from German).  It makes one wonder what party is more Hitler-like.  

Dear Brothers.
This is my [response] to the way you dismissed me of the Special pioneer service [effective the first of] January 2016. The [fitting] “loving words” cannot reduce my disappointment.
As you mentioned, I experienced a lot of joy and went through a lot of challenges. I was willing to set the kingdom interests first and to [make] sacrifices to serve Jehovah, wherever you thought it is necessary.
In the belief that the end is near and that the organization is [led] by Jehovah’s spirit, I started pioneering in my youth. I [turned down getting] a good education in the hope that the organization needs me. Jehovah is the best employer, as I was told.
And now you decided that my special pioneer service will end [on the first of] January 2016. I ask myself what changed that you do not need my service anymore after nearly 30 years?
I am astonished that you advise me to serve as an normal pioneer in the future. If the end is near, why is my service as [a special pioneer] not necessary anymore? Is it the money? Am I too expensive for the organization?
Do you need the money, which is donated to support the preaching work for other activities? For example for building projects, like Warwick or temple farms? I really feel betrayed and exploited.
It seems to be the case that some buildings projects are more important for the “slave” than humans, who try to help others. Your offer to release me from my duty to reach the monthly hours goal, that I can do necessary things like looking for a job or for living, is really generous. Until January you want to pay my allowance as usual.
Really generous of you! To be honest it feels like a hit in my face or a kick in my ass.
I have no financial back up in my age and no education. I can probably not expect any support from my family, as they warned me [about getting into special pioneering].
As you mentioned, I did not expect this decision and I do not believe anymore that the Governing Body or the Branch Office are really valuing the work I did.
Your encouragement to trust at Jehovah sounds like derision. As I thought Jehovah provides for his servants through his organization. You do not want to lose my service and my experience, but you do not want to spend a single dollar for it anymore.
How else could I interpret this sentence? Quote: “In view of the valuable experience you have gained in your ministry, we hope your circumstances will allow you to engage in the regular pioneering”… “In that way, your full time service will not be interrupted. As a regular pioneer, you may choose the congregation in which you want to serve; however, we hope that, if possible, you can stay in your current assignment. If you move to another location, please talk to the circuit overseer or write to the Service Department to know where you might be more useful.”
I truly understood now, what is important for Jehovah`s organization: the only things that are counting, are efficiency and the gain for the organization, not the people.
Disappointed greetings.
Your Brother
(I do not want to tell you my name until I am not longer depending on you).

 

https://jwsurvey.org/downsizing/betrayed-and-exploited-dismissed-special-pioneer-lashes-out-against-downsizing/comment-page-1

 

[Arauna]

2 hours ago, Witness said:

It is a sad situation, and

In Hitler camps, one is there AGAINST your will..... but I guess you do not see this reality - due to the OCD.

I read on this forum recently how you guys pulled brother Lett apart for owning a property which could be sold and used together with his pension when older. He was wise but all you saw was avarice and a person who is materialistic..... so now you change your positions very quickly when it suits you...... like a wind blown hither and tither. No integrity.

All I see in the letter above is a person who has become institutionalized and had become a free-loader which quickly turned to bitterness...... because he had stopped serving jehovah a long time ago.  The comfort and security offered him (he was hoping for life) was like having a free  provider - just appointed for you. He had lost his goal of why he went to serve at Bethal in the first place. The self-sacrificing spirit was maybe never there! or was lost along the way.

He knew things could change at any time and he also knew he can go and serve where the need is greater.  Bitterness grew because he now had to go out of his comfort zone and work and preach like other pioneers. 

If he was really old  - he would qualify for a state pension and still go and preach where the need is greater - like I am doing. I get less pension than the average American, even less than the refugees, but it works for me. I am grateful to get it.

If he really wanted to serve God he would get on with serving and trust jehovah to survive - like many other pioneers do.  I know of many older ones who have to work and pioneer - like Paul did.  They trust in jehovah.

Technology has changed.... we no longer use books......and many of us gave up great careers and education..... but are not bitter about it. We gave it up willingly to serve where-ever we were needed, through hardship, hunger, beatings, shipwreck, adversity etc... as Paul said. 

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

 We gave it up willingly to serve where-ever we were needed, through hardship, hunger, beatings, shipwreck, adversity etc... as Paul said. 

The challenge hasn't hit earthwide yet. Here in the UK JWs have an easy life, and possibly in America too. Time will tell. 

And as for books, there is only one book a person needs. 

 

[Witness]

14 hours ago, Arauna said:

so now you change your positions very quickly when it suits you.

It's not changing anything, but showing the organization's hypocrisy in all forms.

[Witness]

14 hours ago, Arauna said:

All I see in the letter above is a person who has become institutionalized and had become a free-loader which quickly turned to bitterness...... because he had stopped serving jehovah a long time ago. 

You might want to do a headcount of all who were 'let go' at Bethel, at a moment's notice.  Had they all "stopped serving jehovah"?  

[Witness]

17 hours ago, Arauna said:

In Hitler camps, one is there AGAINST your will..... but I guess you do not see this reality - due to the OCD.

There's a term called, PIMO (physically in, mentally out).  Their "will" is to leave the organization, but the leaders have instilled the pervasive fear that by acting upon the will to leave, it will bring an end to all relationships held with loved ones.  

I'm sure you know what I mean.  

Col 2:8 - "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ."

 

Rev 13:10 - "If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed.

This demands the perseverance and faith of the saints."

Rev 13:15 - "He (false prophet) was permitted to give a spirit to the image of the beast (spirit-directed organization), so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed."

Disfellowshipping is a spiritual death.  

"Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God's law through Christ forbid us kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. However, God's law requires us to recognize their being disfellowshiped from his congregation, and this despite the fact that the law of the land in which we live requires us under some natural obligation to live with and have dealings with such apostates under the same roof. Satan's influence through the disfellowshiped member of the family will be to cause the other member or members of the family who are in the truth to join the disfellowshiped member in his course or in his position toward God's organization. To do this would be disastrous, and so the faithful family member must recognize and conform to the disfellowship order. How would or could this be done while living under the same roof or in personal, physical contact daily with the disfellowshiped? In this way: By refusing to have religious relationship with the disfellowshiped." Watchtower 1952 Nov 15 p.703

[Space Merchant]

As stated in the past, as long as the RoC has this amount of power, anyone who is not for them will be targeted in someway shape or form. Ever since the little Havana  and Antarctica situation, it has always been this extreme and tragic.

 

That being said, with the Covid-19 situation, parts of the world has adopted the method of the FSB's Jesuismaidan FF blueprint.

[Arauna]

On 5/10/2020 at 12:23 AM, Witness said:

Their "will" is to leave the organization, but the leaders have

That is your diagnosis or opinion - I think they have nowhere else to go.  JW's teach the truth and they know it. 

Paul made tents while preaching. He set a good example for all of us.

[Witness]

18 minutes ago, Arauna said:

That is your diagnosis or opinion - I think they have nowhere else to go.  JW's teach the truth and they know it. 

Paul made tents while preaching. He set a good example for all of us.

If they know that the organization teaches the truth, then how is it PIMOs are those responsible for the information leaked to the exJW community?  Much of this information hits exJWs before it reaches the congregations.  There is no motive to do this if they believe the organization is "the truth".  

[Srecko Sostar]

On 5/9/2020 at 4:16 AM, Arauna said:

I know of many older ones who have to work and pioneer - like Paul did.  They trust in jehovah.

 

On 5/9/2020 at 4:16 AM, Arauna said:

I read on this forum recently how you guys pulled brother Lett apart for owning a property which could be sold and used together with his pension when older. He was wise ...

If it is advice to be as Paul, ....than why all this people in WT branches living on other people money donations?!

Don't you think how your response on this ex pioneer letter is inappropriate. GB members, and Lett specifically, publicly asking for more donation, money. Why he and other in his team not get secular jobs and give money from own salaries?? That would be better way to show "trust" in JHVH. And not just better way, but according to "inspired" Paul Letters. Mr Lett TV preaching (call for money) is not "inspired", according to WT publications.