Personally I think if a person wants to be a Jehovah's Witness, s/he should attend all the meetings, do all the study, go to all the assemblies and conventions, visit Walkill at least once a year, skip all education after high school, pioneer, never use the Internet, dress well, drive a newer 4 door car, donate at least the suggested amounts for literature, shun all former Witnesses, don't use aluminum pans, and reject blood medical treatment.
A person not willing to live the Witness life should leave the group and quit being an embarrassment to themselves and to the other Witness people.
WTS Reason for Not Missing Meetings?
by ICBehindtheCurtain 15 Replies latest jw friends
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garybuss
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dedpoet
I recall a conversation between me and the po when I first started missing meetings on a fairly regular basis, not long before I stopped going altogether
po: I haven't seen you at the hall much lately, and you haven't been at the bs for over a month, is there anything wrong? Also, you haven't been putting in service reports lately.
me: I haven't been in service lately, and as for the bs, you got that wrong, I haven't been there in 6 or 7 weeks
po: What's the problem? You used to be so regular in everything, now you have me very concerned.
me: Problem? What makes you think I a have problem? I'm absolutely fine, but thanks for asking.
po: You may be fine health wise, but how are you spiritually, that's what concerns me. Missing meetings deliberately is like throwing jehovahs provisions back in his face, saying you don't want what he is offerring.
me: Well, maybe I'm losing my appetite for some things.
po: (a little more firmly) Then it's time you worked on regaining your appetite. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?
me: Can't think of anything at the moment.
po: There must be some reason why you are behaving like this. And I find your attitude flippant, to say the least. Don't you realise you may be putting your life at risk?
me: (I was trying hard not to laugh, while he was deadly serious) Me flippant? Never, what makes you say that?
po: (by now starting to get a bit angry) You know very well why I say that. I am genuinely trying to help you, but if all you can do is ridicule my efforts, and I can tell you are finding this funny, then I won't waste any more of my time. I really don't understand what's got into you lately, I really don't. Are you sure that there is nothing you would like to say to me?
me: (With a serious look on my face) Well yes, there is one thing I'd like to say.
po: (Looking relieved, he had got through to me, so he thought) Go on, I'm here to listen.
me:(Grinning) Goodbye, see you again, maybe.
I think that pissed him off more than anything, he was pretty red in the face as I walked away, especially when I turned at the kh door and waved to him. That was in November 1999, I only went to 2 more meetings afterwards, the last one being on Nov 29th (6th anniversary next week) He never approached me again, I think he might have been relieved when I finally stopped going in some ways.
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ICBehindtheCurtain
dedpoet, youv'e got guts, that was great!
Luna2 - I heard that alot also, I remember back in the mid eighties I went through this party phase, where my JW freind and I would go to clubs alot, we loved dancing, well they gave this talk at the sunday meeting, where they mentioned that if armaggedon came and you were in a nightclub with worldly immoral people at the time you would probably be destroyed, because you shouldn't have been there in the first place it's not a place for true christians, I heard that and soon stopped my partying ways lest I be destroyed in armaggedon , damn, there was such good music playing in that place, I should have kept on going.
IC (of the at least I got to party for a while class)
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observador
Controlling the flock is numero uno to these guys. They don't give a damn how many Witnesses burn out, suffer from depression, exhaustion or have nervous breakdowns due to the ridiculous amount of time you're supposed to spend at meetings, studying for meetings and service-----the status quo cannot be challenged. You'd think with meeting attendance at an all time low in so many places, they might stop and say, "hey, maybe there's just too many meetings." They won't. Instead, they blame the R&F for "lack of appreciation" and being "spiritually weak".
I think they see those problems, but the status quo cannot be changed too quickly.
Remember when Conventions were 10 days; and then 7; and then 5; and then 3 and 1/2? Now it is only 3!
Remember when one would have to spend 90 hours peddling magazines to "regular pioneer" ? Now it is 70.
Remember when the mid-week meeting was 2 hours? Now it is 1:45!
Remember when Asleep! was bi-weekly? Now it is monthly!
The WT organization is one that changes SO GRADUALLY that sometimes we fail to notice...
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luna2
That's true, observador. I remember wondering how people could stand those week-long conventions...I had all I could do getting through three or four days. If you had a job, the conventions and special assembly days might eat up all or a good part of your available vacation, and, if you didn't get vacation days, you might run the risk of losing your job for taking off for so long. You were supposed to bring your kids too. Very hard for kids to look at those long days of sitting on uncomfortable benches or hard plastic chairs as anything but torture after a while. Glad the WTS got a clue and eased up a bit. I wonder if it was in response to falling attendance?
ICBC, I remember that counsel. There were bros and sis's (including married couples) who enjoyed going out dancing and clubbing, but such fraternizing with the enemy was displeasing to Jehohum. Not that missing meetings for any reason was smiled upon, but that was like the worst. Even if you didn't miss a meeting, going out and having fun like normal people do was a big no-no. Sad that married couples couldn't even go out and have a good time together. I guess they were supposed to sit at home, not talking to each other, in front of the television or maybe have a nice family Bible study on Friday or Saturday night. Woohoo, now there's some entertainment!
dedpoet, very nice. LOL Sounds like you almost caused the PO to burst a blood vessel. Its tough to play the helpful authority figure when your target refuses to allow you any power over them.
I played the depression/I'm not worthy card. When they called wanting to meet, I would always tell them that I wasn't ready...and I meant it. I wasn't going to go through the embarrassent of a sheparding call when I wasn't ready to come back yet. I still believed and all that rot, but I'd come to the point where I was tired of following the WTS's direction which had yielded such consistantly lousy results in my life. I know it frustrated Brother Bookstudy Conductor on the two whole times he tried to get me to meet with him over the last four years. Actually, I shouldn't complain about that. I was delighted that he didn't call more.
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ICBehindtheCurtain
Luna2 - That depression/I'm not worthy card is a good one. aint it? So many people use that one, but hey it works!
IC