by truthseeker 13 Replies latest jw friends
What percentage of family heads do you think actually have a weekly Bible study with their family?
The WT is keen to say that if you're not holding/participating in a family study, you're spiritually weak.
Is having a family study a benchmark of whether or not you stay in the faith?
Off the top of my head, based on field service reports I see, maybe 20-30%.
Of course, that's misleading...out of those 20%, perhaps one out of 20 is effective, i.e., the kid gets something other than "another mind-numbing hour gone by" out of it.
I never had kids, but my ex wanted me to have a "family study" with her. She considered me "weak" and said I "wasn't taking the lead" because she was ready for the "study" before I was. She used a ruler to underline her watchtower, and I did not. I never read the days text either. Sometimes, being the weak and sinful person that I am, I forgot about the study altogether, and she had to remind me. The quality of my "study" was very poor, because I didn't want to look up every scripture and spend 3 full hours "studying" the watchtower article. From what I hear, she's doing much better spiritually now that I'm gone.
W
My dad wasn't regular at all. In fact, I can count on one hand the amount of times we had a family study.
The WT is keen to say that if you're not holding/participating in a family study, you're spiritually weak.
That means your not getting the proper amount of brain washing to be an unconcious zombie.
I was the only one in my home teaching the kids anything about God or Jesus and yet my hubby put down the one hour per week the society allowed family heads to claim on his time card! He said it worked out since during the year the kids heard him speaking about Jehovah and he was sure it added up to at least one hour per week. Yeah if he counted speaking about Jehovah at the meetings or in his comments.
Once when my time was "low" I asked him if we could split the 4 hours per month as I was the one teaching the kids anyway and he acted like I had just committed blasphemy against God himself! His reasoning is it is a "sin" for a sister who is married to count the family study. Must have been something covered in one of the good old boys MS meetings.
Guess he had no problem with me doing the actual study. I think he just didn't want the elders to know I was doing it instead of him. LOL Lilly
Tried it in my house after I was baptised and saw the fultility in it. couldn't stomache going over the same material for the umptenth time before actually covering it at the meetings also. What a waste of time. My father-in-law, the long time elder he was.....in all the time I've known him he never pre-studied anything with his family. that didn't stop him from getting on stage and admonishing others to do it though.
Actually have one or just report having one?
A CO commented during a talk on Thursday night that there were 15 possible family studies in the congregation (with one JW parent and 1 unbaptized child living at home).
There were only 5 studies reported and they were sisters without husbands or non-JW husbands. Three of the elders who could did not report a study with their children, and 4 of the MS same story, and 3 unappointed brothers with families did not report a study.
How does that add up?
Blondie
Wifey and I take turns studiing. One night she has the controls, then next night I getum! My only requirement is that Mondays are mine for NFL.
carmelb
I always had my study on Saturdays after field service. I have fond memories of those times not so much because of the material we studied but because it was quality time spent with my dad, which I believe played a major role in cementing the great relationship we have. My dad did make the study interesting though, it was not just question and answer but more of a real discussion in which any question was entertained and logically discussed. After our study we would do something fun such as go swimming, to the park to hit some balls, the zoo, sledding etc... then we would come home and the three of us would go out for dinner. My father really was the perfect role model. I love him dearly and equally so my lovely mother. The ONLY obstacle in my exiting this God forsaken religion are these two exceptional people. It will be so hard to not openly asscoiate with them. Now I'm getting off topic. To answer the question posed, our family head when I was growing up was regular with the family study.
Q
