LAST NIGHT'S MEMORIAL.........

by Mary 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Country Girl

  I was born & raised in the truth. My mom was babtized in 1970, and my dad always remained an 'unbeliever.' I was able to stop going to the meetings in my teens because my mom was no longer able to physically make me go. I haven't been back in about 10 years. My mother and I now have a very close relationship. I have found a personal place with God, but I just can't find a religion that I agree with. Throughout the years, my mom has mentioned the memorial to me, but I've never really given her a response. Last year, she forgot to get me the invitation in time. This year when she mentioned it, I apparently suggested that I'd think about going. I figured I could go for her, especially if it meant a lot to her. I planned on attending the memorial up untill about an hour before. I guess I chickened out. I feel bad for letting her down, but all these thoughts and emotions kept running through my head. I didn't want to show up and have everyone think that I was interested in coming back. I was interested in how everyone would treat me, but I was afraid some would shun me, even though I've done nothing wrong. I feel really guilty now because I feel that I let my mother down. I told her last night that maybe I'd attend a Sunday with her. Now she is planning on me going with her this Sunday, and that's a 2 hour commitment! I don't mind spending the time with her, and having a little 'godly time,' as long as she knows I'm not interested in going to meetings all the time or bible studies. I think I'll tell her that just to set things straight.

  I had forgotten about how 'important' the memorial is to JWs. I remember when I was a child how excited I'd be because it was something different from the normal boring meeting. I can't beleive how excited I got to see the crackers and wine passed in front of me. Imagine that being the highlight of the year!

  Point being: a "personal place with God." That's how it's meant to be: no organization was meant to replace the personal place with God that you have. If you find fellow believers, that is good, but if not, you still have that personal place, that place called "Christianity" which is nothing more than the belief in Christ as the savior, and your personal relationship with him.

  CG
• 

  jeeprube

  For Christians, Holy Week is about remembering Jesus' last days on earth - his arrival in Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Last Supper with his disciples, the praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal, arrest and trial. His death (Good Friday) and finally it finishes with the celebration of Jesus' resurrection (Easter).

  Wow, you mean they actually focus on Jesus instead of meeting attendence? JW's are so caught up in the ritual of a memorial observance (we can't start until after sundown, the bread must be unfermented, wine is needed, only this group can partake) that they have missed the truth in front of their nose: Jesus died so that we may live. JW's put their faith in their works, not in Christ.

  The only thing they've accomplished is leading people AWAY from Jesus.
• 

  upside/down

  Can you imagine if they ever put out a manual on how to have sex?

  I shudder...

  u/d
• 

  LaCatolica

  Well, last night, I attended the Memorial. It was my first time setting foot at a JW congregation (KH). I felt a bit uncomfortable and it seemed as though everyone there was being SUPER FAKE in their way of greeting everyone....Oh please, you can see right through them!!! I was there with my husband and his mother. The people there came up to us and said hello and all. When it all began, I politely stood up while they sang. When one person on the podium began preaching, My husband handed a "Bible". THe preacher guy sporadically quoted verses from the Bible...he jumped around and quoted things and fixed them to sound like they made sense...they didn't!!. We followed along. I remained emotionless and went along reading and (in my mind) noticing how different the bible I was holding was different from mine (Cath). Oh well, then the bread and wine were passed. What was the point of passing around a plate and a cup just to look at it? I don't know!!! At least WE (Catholics) consume the bread and wine on Sundays.

  The thing that bothered me the most was that the podium guy kept telling them that they will be saved or something and then went on to say that only those 144,000 will live in God's kingdom. WEll, to me that's called giving everyone "false hopes". All those people are told they will never enter God's kingdom or go to heaven. Man, that's sounds so mean...it breaks my heart!!! We are taught that God will forgive our sins and we are all worthy of entering God's kingdom. These JWs are enticed with the mention and presentation of this "paradise' they will go to when they die...and yet...they really WON'T GO THERE...Only a small few...so why even keep believing or following this organization!!!

  And yes, the end of the speech sounded like an army recruiting video...if you'd like a free bible study...yadda, yadda!! I didn't see many people there that were visitors...I should've worn my rosary beads or my cross chain...darn, now that I think about it...

  Hanging from my car's rearview mirrow, I have a rosary...I like it there...it's my own personal choice..Well, since we went to the Memorial in MY car...my husband made sure he hid the rosary so that no one saw it hanging there on our way out. WHAT THE F**K...When the coast was clear he put it back. Then, we stopped at a red light and a JW family was next to us in their car and they kept staring at us and smiling this evil smile...My husband looked at them and then came to the conclusion that they were staring b/c of the rosary and said, 'oh, no, now I'll be getting a phone call"..OH, NO, THE HORROR.. .WHO THE HECK CARES!!!! SO, DARN RIDICULOUS!!!!!

  I'm glad I went to the Memorial...all it did was make me an even STRONGER CATHOLIC!!! THERE IS NO WAY I'D EVER JOIN THE JWs...I realized how GOOD I have it and how I can be sure that my GOD is a loving, forgiving God! So, positive things happened for me!

  MEMORIAL FOR ME....NEVER AGAIN!!!

  (oh, and get this, my husband tells me that he CAN'T go to Easter Sunday mass with me b/c of the oath he took)...KISS MY A**...HE'S GOING, LIKE IT OR NOT! LOL
• 

  Legolas

  I should've worn my rosary beads or my cross chain...darn, now that I think about it...

  LMAO!!!!!!
• 

  hartstrings

  I went. We got there during the initial song and left within a minute after the closing prayer. In the car my JW husband asked me what was wrong. I said I was angry. During the prayer it occurred to me how much they stressed how hard it was on God to give his Son and all I kept thinking about was all the millions of parents through the existence of mankind who have had to watch their children die from unnatural cases, often very torturously. Here we are "celebrating" how great it was that this man was a martyr and it occurred to me that it doesn't mean anything to me.

  1. If God is perfect in love and justice how could he allow so much suffering and yet require people to laud his one sacrafice? Why is his pain so much more important and worthy of acknowledgement than they millions of others who have watched the children's lives be taken? Yes, it must have been very painful, but aren't we all God's children? Did he "cry" when he instructed the Isrealites to kill whole tribes - including innocent women and children? Wasn't each one of them deserving of acknowledgement?

  2. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it boils down to why the org and organized religion for that matter angers me. It puts others lives as more valuable - the priest or elder is more deserving of consideration than the woman or poor parishioner. I know this is the way it is in real life, but to me religion is sacred and should be on a higher level of humanity.

  I'm sorry for the babbling, I just really needed to get this off my chest.

  HS
• 

  merfi

  I wasn't going to go -- had the kids all excited to go see "Benchwarmers", then middle kid said "Isn't tonight memorial...?" Crap. I'm trying to wean them off this stuff. Anyway, so we went. I was feeling sort of hyperventilate-y before we left and I'm awfully glad that I had a seat in the row of the damned so I could try to compose myself. I was just a ball of nerves because of all that I know and feel, yet had to undergo this torture. (I'm still taking kids b/c I don't know what the ex -- he's JW -- would/will do as far as custody fights yadda yadda. Not willing to find out yet)

  Kinda funny moment -- when the wine was passed to my 10yo, she leaned in to sniff it -- looked as though she was about to drink. LMAO

  That letter at the end was so barf. I couldn't help but think that it was in letter form to make it sound more "official", therefore VERY IMPORTANT.

  I hope this is my last one.

  ~merfi
• 

  upside/down

  merfi.... I hope it's your last one too.

  "They" are just thinking... there she comes with her tail between her legs...that little worldly whore with her brood... but we'll make her kiss our toes before we let the likes of her back in... (of course this will actually be said when you're not there)...

  You can do soooo much better than this inbred bunch of gossiping losers!

  u/d
• 

  GoingGoingGone

  I went last night. It was actually an interesting experience for me on many levels.

  I read Elsewhere's post on the talk and the "Special Announcement", and showed the announcement to my son. I told him it would be word for word and he decided it would be fun to memorize it and mouth the words along with the speaker at the end. Since I'm trying to avoid DFment, I wouldn't let him do that...

  I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be. It was held at a school along with another congregation, so I figured I'd get lost in the crowd to a certian extent. The love-bombing started in the parking lot. But I was prepared.

  One after another, people approached me and offered a hug with their happy-but-sorrowful smile (the, 'we're-so-happy-to-see-you-but-know-you're-a-gonner-because-you-don't-go-to-meetings-anymore' look - you know the one...) They asked in a concerned voice, "How are you doing?" to which I replied, "Fine!" and then proceeded to ask a question specific to their personal life. Every single last one of them forgot their concern for me, and launched into a monologue on their problems. I encouraged them with questions at the appropriate times... the fact that people were standing around 3 deep to say hi didn't stop the in-depth unburdening of their personal problems.

  We sat way in the back (my husband was a 'server' so I got to pick my own seat!) I had forgotten how utterly miserable the poor kids are at meetings. Stressed out parents trying to keep their kids quiet, and little kids trying to understand why they can't be little kids, but have to sit like statues as some guy drones on and on about something they can't understand. The kids get louder, the parents more stressed, and finally they grab the poor kid like a sack of potatoes and stomp off into the back. The kids who sat quietly had this sad, blank stare. It's so sad.

  I pointed out some scriptures to my kids during the talk, (why did the speaker read this verse but not the one after, which changes the whole meaning of the verse he just read...?) More love-bombing after the final song, which I couldn't bring myself to sing because I don't agree with it....

  All in all, it went pretty well. When I think back to last year's memorial, and where I was in my exit then as compared to now, it's truly amazing. Last year, I felt very nervous, scared even, guilty, and insecure. This year, I feel sorry for all these people. I understand how trapped the truly 'good ones' are, and how stressed out and inadequate they feel. I wouldn't trade my feelings of freedom and self-worth for anything.

  The love bombing was kinda fun, though! I grew up a JW and have never been love bombed before.... made me almost wanna join again... NOT!!!!!

  GGG (of the I'm So Glad It's Over Class)
• 

  Country Girl

  Does it ever occur to anyone, like it does me, that there are MANY saviors, and all have a special holiday? The major religions of the world all have their special holidays, and their special saviors, written on the HOLY books of their particular religion. The Buddhists have BUDDHA, the Christians have Christ, and the Muslims have MOHAMMED. All fo these religions do no less, or no more, than say that if you don't believe in THEIR savior, you are not saved? However, all the SAVIORS say something different: they say that if you are a good person, and you love God (whatever God that may be), and live by the more of "the golden rule" that salvation shall be yours.

  CG