Contolling the answers at the meetings

by Lady Lee 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  stillajwexelder

  I know when on the body, there was a temptation to ask Sister Safe Pair Of Hands - in other words one who would know and give "The Correct Answer"
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  Poztate

  The WT conductor is encouraged to say, "That is a good question. Why don't you and I discuss that after the meeting?"

  {edit: usually with a "We still have a lot to cover in the assigned material." for good measure}

  AuldSoul

  And then after the meeting he tells you to research it yourself as he doesn't have time to do it. By the way if you do research DO NOT try to comment on your findings at the next WT study. The WT study is just for show... not for discussion or research...It is a mindless ritual only.
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  BluesBrother

  Just had to join this thread even though not at home and formatting will be stuffed. W/T answers - a hot topic in our house for decades.. I know many W/T conductors who hate answers off the paragraph. Why? because they are not skilled enough to handle them. The prepare their study in great detail and expect set answers to their set q's . A skilled conductor, like the ones I grew up with, could listen , absorb what was said and work the study back to the point if necessary. But that takes confidence and ability - two things sadly lacking in many WT conductors today. Too often I have seen sisters stumbled when their good and intelligent answers are dismissed sniffily by the man on the platform. It is a manifestation of Christian love to show respect for somebodies "public declaration"of their faith When I did that job, I did try to encourage spontaneous answers . [Blowing my own trumpet maybe, but...] Last congo we had an elderly Bro, who had been there since "Adam was a boy" and he used to give long often slightly eccentric answers, but I loved it - it woke people up! and I just talked the study back on track and still finished on time.. "Simplification" = dumbing down and dumber elders ...
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  Mysterious

  Lady Lee, I certainly didnt find that to be my experiences in the congregation here but that was fairly recently as well so perhaps things have changed.

  Indeed we were encouraged to put things into our own words and it was more of a paraphrase than anything else. Though other things such as experiences or relevant illustrations were also encouraged. I remember being very proud of my ability to make up appropriate illustrations on the spot when pressed, this has served me well in philosophical debates ever since.

  When someone would say something that got "ahead" of the paragraph they were reminded that this would be talked about in the next portion of the study and things were brought back on track again. If they said something that was against the JW grain they were tactfully corrected, though since I never did it I could not speak for what may have gone on behind the scenes that I did not see.
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  Golf

  LadyLee you would have been done my alley. I loved conducting the WT.study. I wanted others to answer the question in their OWN words and NOT repeat it from the literature. The reason for this was "I knew you knew the answer to the question." Its' like talking to you and then I would ask, explain to me what I've just said. I still do the same thing when I teach golf.
  
  Here's what bugged me about WT conductors. They would spend zillions of answers on a short paragraph and skip through lengthy ones! Going OVERTIME was and is still my pet peeve.
  
  Golf
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  PoppyR

  I HATE the meetings going overtime, every single sunday the WT conducter would spend too long on his favourite paragraphs and then race along to the end and still be covering the points for review at 1 minute to the end with the song and prayer to go! I just used to lose all concentration, I mean the meeting is 2 HOURS long! why does it have to have that extra 5 minutes every single week!

  A few of us rebellious ones used to try and answer up and put the same word in.. like Actually, or similarly and it got to the point where we'd just be giggling like fools when any of us put our hands up, but it just lightened things up so much! Why is having fun so wrong, I used to be so envious of those fabulous black gospel congregations where they'd sing and bop along, and there we were with our dry songs and endless prayers.

  Phew.. so glad to be out.

  Poppy x
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  BluesBrother

  Why is having fun so wrong, I used to be so envious of those fabulous black gospel congregations where they'd sing and bop along, and there we were with our dry songs and endless prayers.

  You and me both on that one Poppy, perhaps we had been at the same meetings? Come to think of it, if you are talking more than 8 years ago - it might have been me taking the WT ! (shudder]

  I would only say that it is very easy to allow the study to run over time, but if he takes it every week then he ought to get the hang of it. Trouble is that too many don't take that aspect seriously.