by truthseeker 33 Replies latest jw friends
Prearranged comments, scripted answers, word-for-word answers from the paragraph,
no outside material allowed, short comments...
Does anyone really learn anything at the hall? I went to the service meeting on Tuesday
(for first time in weeks), I watched as everyone who had a part quickly got on the
platform and quickly got off after their 5 minute session. The service meeting is much
the same, cover the parts, allow for audience comment and finish.
Repeat and rinse.
This is an excellent question because so much time is devoted to it! It is a poor show IMO often reliant on pre-study just to take up any spare minutes you may have in your personal life. Few do and so arrive often at points where the material is hard to accept without further personal study. And this is at a level above most and definitely younger members of congregations. As such they are trained to spend countless hours a week sitting still and going brain dead. So it's no wonder some switch off in other aspects of their lives after being conditioned to do so several times a week for years on end!
The real learning that does take place at the Kingdom Hall happens after a dub finally realizes s/he is in a cult. Then s/he can sit back and observe the meetings for what they really are.
Besides that, I did learn some good public speaking techniques.
it isnt really anything new, its just a constant recycle of the same nonsense, the same ideals under new faces.
There is absolutely no learning allowed, unless you are a child. Then, you are supposed to learn that any attempt to be a child will result in getting a beating in the back room and/or another beating when you get home.
All the comments are canned. Even when I was in, about half the comments were in the words of the paragraph or very close. Now, they are expecting the comments to be even closer to The Track. The conductors are required to follow The Track, as is the public speaker. There is no digression or personal commentary allowed these days. I can remember that it was at least somewhat varied. Not now.
The Theocraptic Misery "School(??)" is not a true school. All they do is practice reading the scripts and scamming householders. That is what 90% of the #3 and #4 talks used to be about; now it is probably even worse. They have the #2 talks being a reading of a Watchtower passage or a passage from the Bible; that is getting on The Track also (I remember taking a break in the middle for comments; then they stopped that and left one with opening and closing comments). Now, it is just the reading. Who is going to learn a damn thing doing that?
Finally, there is the book study. You learn nothing. All the information is the same repackaged out-of-date material. Comments are mostly in the words of the paragraph, with perhaps a word or two altered that means the same thing. For sure, that is not learning anything new.
I can learn more in 15 minutes looking on this forum than at a whole Grand Boasting Session. And, here it's the unbiased truth (or someone's interpretation or prediction of something). You get a post about someone that went to a meeting, and the comments here are honest, unlike the pre-packaged comments you hear at the Kingdumb Hell. Even where an outrageous prediction is made, half the time the Watchtower Society goes even worse.
If you really want to learn, you search the Internet. That is where you can have virtually unlimited access to research topics and hear both sides of the stories. Then you form your own beliefs, and even experiment and continue to refine your belief based on the observations. That is how one really learns. For sure, nothing like that happens at the Kingdumb Hell.
Nor out in field circus. Having plenty to do in the Lord means not having time to play. For children, playing is how they learn. They learn how to construct things by playing with blocks or in the sand or mud. They learn how Nature operates playing outside. They learn about physics by playing with toys that exploit the laws of physics. And so on. By forcing them to spend all their time in field circus, they no longer have the chance to play. And, thus learning stops. All for the Watchtower Society.
If you really want to learn, you search the Internet. That is where you can have virtually unlimited access to research topics and hear both sides of the stories. Then you form your own beliefs, and even experiment and continue to refine your belief based on the observations. That is how one really learns. For sure, nothing like that happens at the Kingdumb Hell.
For real, WTWizard. I've learned more from the Internet than all my years of sitting in meetings at the KH.
This forum is da bomb! There are so many bright and varied individuals on board.
Sylvia
I suppose there is some learning going on at the KH. Is it healthy learning, no.
Well I hate to disagree with you...But I learned to be a public speaker.
It was brought to my attention that smoking was bad for GOD & wanting to please GOD I stopped( 2 packs a day....)ONLY FOR GOD! COS I really enjoyed it.
I used to be a real swearer( so cleaned up my mouth)
so although I now believe it is an evil organization I did learn something
If I thought I sat there for 25 years FOR NOTHING !!! it will devaste me even more
I am able to speak at so many place now to share how misguided the WT is .
.So THE Ministry School taught me that. Many folks say after my speech "Your a GOOD Speaker" Well who taught me?
Back in the old days when Fred Franz was the main "Bible scholar" even though it was crap at least it had the slight flavor of an intellectual exercise. Raymond Franz, Lyman Swingle, and Ed Dunlap probably had some effect as well in making the theology interesting. Once these guys were gone it sounds to me like it has become very dumbed down.
I recently had a nonwitness visiting my home and they wanted to attend the
Sunday meeting. After the public talk my visiting relative said that the speaker
was not very good and the talk was boring, where as my believing wife said how
great the talk was. Those stuck in the cult and can't think for themselves think
that the meetings are great. Once your eyes and heart are opened you wonder
how could I have been so stupid.
