What percentage of the congregation only see each other at the hall or f/s?

by truthseeker 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  It's fairly well established that organized social activity is almost non-existent in Kingdom Halls worldwide.

  The purpose of going to the hall and preaching is to worship God. Yet, the WT leave out a critical component to their

  spiritual paradise - people need to socialize, make friends and hang out with each other.

  The congregation that I am in never organizes anything social which is fairly typical. I would estimate that 90% of the congregation

  NEVER see anyone in their congregation outside of "sacred service". I've found these people make their sacred service their social

  life - they become consumed with wondering where certain friends are if they miss meetings, what's happening with the faders etc.

  Because their social life is before and after meetings and while out on field service, they tend to take an unhealthy interest

  in the lives of other members. Have you found this to be so?

  What percentage of your congregation do you feel only see each other at the hall and on field service but never socially?
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  Mysterious

  I couldn't really give you an accurate estimate because having a father who left the organization before I was born I was left out of a lot of the social arrangements going on. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the people here being that it is a really small town are family and therefore have more excuse to hang out otherwise than other JWs. I do think you are on to something though.
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  serendipity

  I think that that many JW's in the cong I was in saw each other outside the hall, but since I was a weak JW and a single parent, I was seldom invited out except to parties where I was expected to buy things (pampered chef, etc.). The older ones weren't invited to much either.
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  DJK

  More like 97 percent at my KH. The only organized anything would be a rare wedding or shower and the conventions. A few families did camping and would group for a long weekend, not often. I hated it when that happened because they would have the watchtower study right in a campsite on Sunday morning.
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  truthseeker

  DJK, I've had that experience with camping - they just can't leave the study format alone can they and just enjoy their surroundings.
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  greendawn

  It's true the org doesn't care one bit about the social needs of the JWs or any other needs except th espiritual ones and eevn there they are in fact seeking to manipulate them. It goes to show how uninspired they are as they seem to think that humans have only spiritual needs.

  Back in the 1980's the congo I was in organised outings to the countryside a couple of times each year but of course nothing more. The individual dub had to take care of social life as best as he could some had many friends some none.
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  jaguarbass

  Back in the 70's the witnoids were very social. I wouldnt say that picknicks and get togethers were sanctioned by the hall but there were many get togethers. I always thought that the social aspect was a part of the trap that was hard to break away from. All the witnoids in Northern Ohio new each other thru social functions, picnics, weddings, softball, football.
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  Vernon Williams

  If you walked into any local KH in the Ozarks and had those df'd and reproved for sexual activitiy outside thier marriage bed raise thier hands it would look like, for just a momment, a "praise Jesus" momment in a Pentacostal Church.

  I would say, at least here in the Ozark region, there is quite a lot of "social activity" going on outside the KH walls!

  V
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  Highlander

  During the 1980s, my congregation in small town minnesota was very social. There were many rollerskating parties, grad parties, softball games, football, etc, etc.

  I seem to recall that around the late 80s, early 90s all of that was pretty much gone. The rollerskating was completely gone,, rarely was there even a softball game. It's like someone

  put a stop to the entire social scene. Anyone at that same congo would argue that they still do those things, which is true, but it's just a fraction of what it used to be.

  Ofcourse I haven't been there in more than a decade so maybe they are now social again, however I doubt it.
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  penny2

  I think that that many JW's in the cong I was in saw each other outside the hall

  Well I think most JWs assume everyone else is having a lot of fun - it's just them not being invited. In actual fact, no-one is doing much. This contributes to a general feeling of dissatisfaction in the congregation.

  Here in Oz it used to be social in the 70's and 80's. But there were so many articles and talks on what to avoid - I think everyone just got sick of it and decided to leave the organising to someone else. Now nothing happens.