Isn't it a big No-No for Dubs to refer to KH as CHURCH?

limbogirl

Last Saturday I was at my favorite coffee shop with my three year old son -- great place because it has a train table to entertain the kids while mom has some coffee. First thing I notice is what appears to be dubs but on closer inspection the two daughters look way too trendy to be dubs -- the parents, however, are spot on and were so dubesque I nearly laughed out loud.

So, hanging out having coffee with some other moms and I notice the daughters of the above mentioned family keep smiling at my son. Not a big deal but as we're leaving, the two hipster daughters (probably 17 and 19) follow us and I hear them saying my son's name. That's odd, I think, how do "Brittany" and "Paris" know my son?? Finally, one of them -- says, "do you know [insert my super dub ex-father-in-law's name]?? uh....yes, I reply cautiously, how do you know him? (but I already know the answer at this point.) All of a sudden "Brittany" and "Paris" are sqirming..."well, um...he goes to our CHURCH." Ah, I see, says me, of course, your....CHURCH. "Yes, that's how we know your little boy." GREAT, I say with big fat fake smile plastered across face and then march the little guy out the door.

So the main point of this whole story....I thought it was illegal to refer to the KH as a church if you are a dub.

And to elaborate on the above point and point out the secondary points (oops...the dub speak is kicking in)

1. This exchange confirmed my suspicsion that my little boy is obviously attending some meetings when spending time with my ex-inlaws during my ex-husbands custody days.

2. Wow...the dress code has changed since my days.

3. My ex-father-in-law is about 85 and can't hear a darn thing...but these two hotties "know" him. hmmmmmm

4. Just kidding on number 3.

5thGeneration

I use the term Church but it is basically not acceptable. But how else would someone know what you're talking about?

limbogirl

Hi 5th Generation:

true...church is a commonly uinderstood word...but back in my days as a dub we were forbidden from ever describing the kh as a church. if we were speaking to a "worldly" person then it was a way in which to witness because if you said to someone, I went to the kh last night, you were apt to get a question and an opportunity to witness.

LimboGirl

Snoozy

We would say "Congregation"...they seemed to understand that.

It implied more of a religious nature than Kingdom Hall.
Which (Kingdom Hall) may lead some to think we belonged to a cult of some kind...

Snoozy..

spawn2u

It used to confuse people why I would never call it CHURCH. What do you mean Kingdom hall?

What-A-Coincidence

AHH HELL

WHEN I WORKED IN PATTERSON BETHEL WE WOULD ALWAYS SAY...

WUCHA GOT GOIN TONIGHT? O, I GOT LITTLE CHURCH (BOOK STUDY).

OR, BIG CHURCH (SKOOL AND SERVICE)

OR MASS (PUBLIC TALK)

MONDAY NIGHT WATCHTOWER WAS KNOWN AS "THE HOUR OF TOWER"

under_believer

I was taught to never call it a church, because those were the dens of evil, Babylonish whorehouses where demons lived. I am not making this up. However, at a certain young age, 8 or so, I realized that there was no other way to refer to my place of worship to people who were not Witnesses. Therefore I called it a church when talking to non-Witnesses and a Kingdom Hall when talking to believers. Yay for a genetically inherited moral flexibility.

fullofdoubtnow

I never referred to the kh as a church when I was active. Nowadays I might refer to myself as a former churchgoer, however.

Oroborus21

howdy,

the usage of "church" might correlate somewhat to how long the Witness has been in the Org and how old they are.

Of course back in the early days of the Rutherford Era "churchendom" (a term actually used at one time) and so forth was rejected and the use of church to describe KHs or the religion in general and even the use of "religion" were disfavoured. This has pretty much been softening within the culture of JWs ever since.

First "religion" came to be accepted and used, albeit with the adjectival "true" preceeding it...

The term "church" is frequently used by today's JWs in conversation, especially in conversation with non-JWs or even if there is just one non-JW in the conversation because to use the term KH would often entail an explanation or might not be understood and everyone understands that "church" in today's vernacular is less evocative of an ornate facility (like a cathedral) and simply means a house of worship.

thus for example, one will often here today's JWs say to their work-colleagues "can't go out drinking tonight, got to go to church" - though older JWs may still shy away from the term.

As far as in the literature or even in official transcripts (or talks) - the term is not used but I suspect this will change in the future as the term becomes more and more generic.

-Eduardo

sass_my_frass

They might have realised that saying 'he goes to our kingdom hall' sounds even less cool than 'he goes to our church'. At least they were too vacant to put the pieces together and be rude to you. Sorry, it sounds like a whole fresh new bad time is on it's way for you hey? Keep it together.

One of my fave elders used to farewell with: 'righto, see you in church!'

Isn't it a big No-No for Dubs to refer to KH as CHURCH?

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