SUPERBOWL AND THE JWS (page 2)

freedom96

The main congregation I attended as a witness didn't forbid football, but wasn't encouraged either. You didn't find Superbowl parties in that hall.

Our congregation ALWAYS had lots of Super Bowl parties. In fact, I met my future husband at one. What I thought was a little wierd when I was studying was that they would always turn off the volume for the national anthem and sneer about how they didn't want to listen to that. Of course, when I was a full-blown brainwashed dub, I didn't see anything wrong with that behavior.

Clam

In my old Cong a lot of the guys were well into sport, so much so that we sometimes got a team up to play a football (soccer) match agianst the neighbouring Cong. Also my mentor type JW brother in law used to take me to see England and Millwall matches all the time. He was nuts about football and it never stopped him being promoted to elder. A big beef I have though was that I was really good at rugby as a teenager but I was discouraged from attending my local club for fear of bad association. After leaving the Cong and joining the rugby club I soon saw what they meant LOL.

By the way, rugby is a bit like American Football but you don't have a suit of armour on and you have to stay on the pitch during the entire game.

DaCheech

I only had 1 elder (his whole family was elders/jr. elders/elderettes) that made a stink about sports altogether. I also knew a girl that tried studying with my niece, and reprimended my non-believer niece on wearing sports clothing!!!

all others had football watching parties

RichieRich

The brothers in my cong get together to play football against other congs. When no elders are there, they play tackle. I work so much now, I haven't been there in about 7 or 8 months, but they have a good time, and then go hang at someones house later.

In our Cong, there are always at least 2 Superbowl parties. There is always competition between who has the biggest TV, and the most beer. Last year, our sunday meeting began at 3:30 pm, and ended at 5:30. I swear we were all OUT OF THE HALL before 5:15.

Hypocritical bastards.

juni

Hi Mary,

I was the one who wrote that our cong. was admonished not to have anything to do w/football (likened to Christians thrown to the lions and people watching it). Mind you, our cong. was EXTREMELY strict. I'm sure now though that many including elders did things differently outside of the Hall. Also, another cong. rule was that the young people were not to sit w/the opposite sex for lunch at circuit assemblies. It was awful considering we had 4 children being raised in the org.

I'm so happy we left. Only 1 of my kids goes w/his wife to a Lutheran church. The others are non religious, but fine, giving, responsible adults. Even if we hadn't been in the org., our kids would have been taught values, responsibility and being helpful to people.

This religion is not the only answer to having a happy life - though that's what they pound into you. Like I've said many times, if this truly is the religion that God approves - I don't want to worship a god like that.

Juni ~~~~~~~~

mustang

Time: 50 AD

Place: THE Coliseum in Rome

Announcement over the PA system in the Christians dressing room: "Christians, 5 minutes!!"

Question: does tackling merit reproof?

Observation: it's good to hear that competition is alive and well in the spiritual para-dice.

(R-R: good to meet ya, Tarheel!)

And for the "True Worldliness Award", the winner is:

Like the rest of the population , most of the male dubs follow it and most of the female ones despise it.

Mustang

MsShockJock

The congregation I attended had super bowl parties. There was a couple who always had their "annual" super bowl party sending out invitations weeks in advance requesting RSVP's and everybody to bring a couple of 2 liters of soda and an appetizer to share . There were probably 30-40 people who came and enough food and drink for probably 100 people. I still think the couple did that so they would have groceries for the next couple of weeks as they were always known to have gatherings where everybody invited provided the food. The only thing they provided was a rented big screen TV which blared throughout the party. All the sisters ended up sitting out in the kitchen trying to carry on conversations over all the noise while the brothers watched the game in the living room....a real upbuilding, spiritual gathering. lol.

luna2

We were certainly counseled about sports mania but I know various dubs had their little love affairs with certain teams...they just didn't make a big deal about it. My sons and I had a little Super Bowl party with another sister and her sons for several years. The last couple of times we had it there was quite a group there. I could give two hoots about most sports, but I looked at it as an opportunity for my boys to get together with their friends and do something fun for a change.

I'm sure it depends on who the dominant elders are and if they enjoy sports or not as to if it's really frowned upon or if its totally acceptable. In the congo I attended in IL I can remember there being several comments made about the evils of rushing home from the meeting to watch the Bears play in 1985 (they were so fun to root for because it seemed like they couldn't lose).

One elder in particular used to lecture the congregation about watching football vs service while making his Watchtower comments or when he was doing the concluding prayer (Jebooboo, let us remember to use our time wisely to spread your word, Oh Jegoober, and to not indulge ourselves by choosing to skip service just so we can watch violent, worldly sporting events on television. Jeyoyo, please forgive our selfishness [all except me, because I'm obviously not like these other slackers and am even trying to correct them in what is suppposed to be a prayer to you]...blah, blah, barfdy, blah). Of course, he was such an annoying, self-righteous bonehead that his little comments were more likely to cause people to avoid service than to join him.

delilah