My Cong- "Large Witness Gatherings are Banned!! And fancy dress? Why? (page 5)

REBORNAGAIN

Let's plaster the Dingdumb Halls doors with Hot Stuff. He's the one....you got it right! Cool pic. THX!

tula

playing of the songs at the hall(before they went to recordings).

I have been to 3 halls and NONE of them have recorded music.

The sounds those people make when they sing are the most cacophonous...racket I have ever heard in my life.

scriptures say make a joyful noise. It's noise all right. No joy. It drags and the thought that goes through my head with every song is "god is not the author of chaos".

And who writes those damn songs anyway? There is no structure in many of them. The iambic pentameter...well, its non-existent.

How many of you still have the recordings in your halls?

The KH seems to get cheaper on the cutbacks all the time....you think?

Reminds me of the way banks used to display fine artwork...but now all they have on the walls are posters.

The mind of the Society-trained elder sees danger lurking everywhere, Satan is out to snare us, spiritual shipwreck awaits at every turn...LOOK OUT!!! You might think you're up for a little harmless entertainment, next thing you know...WHAMMO!...you're dry-humping sweet sister Suzy-Q on the floor behind the punchbowl. The safest place for christians to be is locked in their room, with no internet access, wearing a chastity belt and reading the Bible 24/7...ohhh but stay away from the Song of Solomon and certain suggestive parts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Gregor

I was an elder when one of our fellow elders got on the platform at the service meeting and essentially banned television! He started with a pantomime skit of someone on their knees, hands in the air and bowing down. Then he said "looks like someone worshipping doesn't it? But what they are really doing is sitting on the floor in front of a television adjusting the dials!" he went on from there and I was getting looks from other elders like "wtf?". We asked him afterwards where he got his authority, etc. He wanted to argue the whole point but agreed to clarify to any who asked that it was a matter of conscience. Still caused a lot of upset in the cong. He, his wife and teenage son didn't have a TV in their home and he made sure everyone knew it.

erandir

In past years, our congregation was famous for its talent shows (once every few years or so). The last one I remember was about 4 or 5 years ago.

I also attended a formal ballroom dance about 3 or 4 years ago.

And then there was another dance/gathering a few years ago as well.

At least once a year we could expect to go to a large wedding party, some with open bar, some without, all with dancing and lots of it.

We even had congregation picnics at least two or three times during the warm months of the year.

And just a month ago, I went to a big graduation party complete with karaoke.

So even though some publications may talk against large gatherings and caution against them, there are still a lot of these shindigs going on around here. Sure, there are some who feel all uptight and avoid them, but I don't remember any local needs parts or any nazi elders telling us what to do or not do. Just maybe a part here or there cautioning us on conduct during a large get-together, but never recommending not to go to one.

Maybe I'm in a relatively good region of witnoids who like to party and don't care what the GB says about it.

primitivegenius

typical elder horse s*** .... anytime anyone does anything FUN they gotta F*** it up.

people in my old circuit started haveing more parties without elder control................................

sister started arraingeing formal dances.... wear a tux or a nice dress........ or normal kingdum hall clothes.......... she had to rent the building so she had it catered and you had to pay like 5 bucks to get in. no big deal........... cheap price for the food alone cause that place was tight. she of course only had 2 or 3 before the elders shut her down for chargeing admission. i think she did like one or two after that where she paid for it by herself or a couple families who didnt give a s*** went in together....... so the elders trumped up some other horse s*** to make her stop.

then OMG someone decided to start haveing costume parties.......... didnt even get the first one off the ground...... elders put their foot down....... be like dressing up as pagans........... and who cares about that lol. so it got turned into a dance and no one really came....... nice one elders..... suck the life and joy out of everything.

they start in how you cant have large gathering......... then they say you cant invite the same people over all the time............... so i have friends and you think you got the right to tell me who i can invite to private SMALL parties. WTH ........... their excuse........... can form clicks.

my reply YOUR NOT INVITED

wednesday

lol knew an elder who went to a informal 50's party as Fonzie, Tshirt (black) , hair style slicked back of that era, rolled up pack of cigs under one T-shirt sleeve. He took a lot of flack. He was one of the good ones. sigh

jambon1

It must be lovely to be a jehovahs witness these days.

Gayle

In the 60's there were many congregation picnics in the couple of halls I went to..However, my girfriend and I went pioneering to where the 'need of greater' in northern California. The congregation was small but in a couple years grew to a big number at almost 50. We started talking with some about doing a congregation picnic, & maybe play a little softball. Soon, at the book study, the congregation servant (as was called then) announced to the group before the study that he needed to have a meeting following with 'Sister # and Sister #'. After the meeting he started quoting the Kingdom Ministry that there could be no large gatherings, competitive sports that could start involving other congregations, & that there could be drinking (alcohol) that the teenagers could start doing inappropriate things.,, I defended that the congregation wasn't that big, the congregation only had older people, some young families and the 2 teenagers hated each other. He responded only that he didn't care how it was done in southern California but not in 'his' congregation. I realized then how ones could intrepret their own way in the organization. My pioneer girlfriend cried almost all night, but I was angry at his power & insinuation. I called my brother at Bethel then & told him about it & he laughed, as he was at the Kingdom Farm (Wallkill) then where they got together for their ball games and even made their own liquor there. Then, I went to Bethel, another story, but then gradually came to realize the indisputable personal fisted power rule of Knorr, F. Franz, later other GB.

Balsam

I was in it for 30 years and I found that the congregations that suffered the most emotional problems and dysfunction were the ones were the Elders were purely anal and prevented get-togethers by their preaching against it. Yes the Society warned about drinking and screwing around but they basically said it was a matter of conscious and that any gathering should be well supervised which is not a bad idea. These elders in the congregations who took everything to the extreme were causing more troubles than they helped.

When I was in the Seagrove, North Carolina congregation many years ago we had two fleshly brothers who were Elders and they were totally against any kind of gathering more than say 6 people getting together for bible study and a meal. Even bridal showers, baby showers were taboo and these Elders were well respected so they held control over everything. The congregation suffered, it was humorless, gray, and depressing because of these two men. I hear they are still there and still they and their wives never attend JW gatherings. At their age I don't think immorality is a concern. LOL Elders who keep the JW are real killers of the JW fellowship. I suppose that is good though it brings the demise of more JW congregations.

The Society encourages these kinds of men to become elders and thus the sufficating of the human spirit.

My Cong- "Large Witness Gatherings are Banned!! And fancy dress? Why?