The Kingdom Hall is no place to pray

by JH 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  JH

  Yesterday, I took a long walk and ended up at the Shrine in this city. It's well known and many tourists come and visit it every year. It just happened that I had to pee, so I walked inside and after finding the toilets, I visited the huge Catholic shrine. I didn't go inside there in over 30 years.

  It's a huge place. But what struck me the most was how quiet it was and I saw a few seated here and there just praying silently. There was no mass at that time, but just a few people that decided it was a nice place to pray.

  Right away, I made a comparison with our Kingdom halls, and I thought to myself, "did I ever see a JW pray with his eyes closed before a meeting, or after a meeting, or even during a meeting. NO !!!!

  You only pray when they tell you to pray, and all you do is say Amen to their prayer.

  Imagine closing your eyes on a Sunday morning while the brother is giving his talk, and instead of listening to him attentively, you just decide to pray to God and take your time.....

  No, a Kingdom hall is no place to pray or meditate.
• 

  Finally-Free

  JW meetings don't resemble 'worship' at all. They are more like sales meetings.

  W
• 

  Honesty

  This sounds familiar.

  Oh yeah, I know why:

  And He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves! ” Matt 21:13
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  Dismembered

  Greetings JH,

  Good point! I've done the same as you when visiting Montreal. I visited one of the immense basilcas which was peacful, and very ornate.

  Dismembered
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  poppers

  Back when I still attended mass I used to love to stay afterward and just sit in silence with eyes closed. Sometimes I'd pray, sometimes I'd meditate, or sometimes I'd just sit and become absorbed in the space of the church an soak in the quiet. That's one thing I really liked about church.
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  yaddayadda

  Yes, you're right. Good observation. I hadn't really thought about that before in over 30 years of being a dub.
  
  If a JW was moved to pray tearfully to God during a meeting everyone else in the hall would think they were nuts. In other churches it is common.
  
  Something is not right with that picture.
  
  Occasionally you see JW's tearful at the assemblies , but it's usually nothing to do with prayer (probably tears of joy that the tortous 3 days of mind-numbing boredom is over lol)
• 

  SirNose586

  Oh, there are plenty of prayers said at the halls!

  "Oh God, please help me not to screw up on my talk."

  "Oh God, wait a minute--I FORGOT MY TALK!"

  "Oh God, the attendance is really low today. Please help everyone to comment."

  "Oh God, I hope he ends the Watchtower study on time. I've got places I need to be!"

  "Oh God, we just passed the resolution and we don't have enough to cover it. Please help other elders to dig into their own pockets so I don't have to come up with the cash."

  "Oh God, won't someone shut up that baby! I'm trying to pay attention!"

  "Oh God, the brother isn't here to cover his assignment! And no one else wants to help!"

  "Oh God, I just hope people won't be too mad at me for coming in late. I've had a hard day at work. Please help people not to stare at me when I try to find a seat."
• 

  jayhawk1

  Good thread! I had never thought about that before. I have been to a couple of services since leaving the JWs and you're right, it is more relaxed and you do feel like praying. Meanwhile in the KH, all you want to do is get it over with. I felt like that long before I had doubts about them being right.