The Memorial (page 2)

lesterd

Important for who? The anointed are the only ones in that convenant.

TheDoctor - could it be that you still are allowing yourself to feel slightly guilty about not going to "the all-important meeting of the year"? The WTS would love nothing more than to still have even that slightest grip on you.

I know when I was in, I was always made to feel like you had better literally be dying in order to miss the Memorial; otherwise, Jehovah would know that you didn't "give your best" to make the effort to go. The elders in our congregation almost likened missing the Memorial to the dreaded "unforgivable sin". No pressure or anything; just if you don't want to die at Armageddon, you'd better make damn sure you're at the Memorial. I guess that's why I drug my son (about 2 years old) to the Memorial one time even though he had a fever of 104 by the time we got home!!!! God, I hate the mind control I allowed them to have over me.

So the moral of the story is, if you honestly and personally do not want to go, you shouldn't go. I respect that you want to try to protect your wife from having to go alone, along with the dozens of "Where's your husband? Tell him we missed him" kind of guilt questions. But you have to do what's right for you as well.

Abandoned

I'll go to the memorial if they do away with that silly ban on red lights and stripper poles...

babygirl75

Aside from family pressure, it could be that many Jehovah's-bystanders go to the Kingdom Hall once per year -- at the Memorial, just like many casual churchgoers go to church once per year -- at Easter. It's to put in their one appearance, maybe to feel a little better.

That true...

But I've heard a lot of judgmental JW's say "We'll see all kinds of people that have crawled out from under their rocks at the memorial"

Gopher

I've heard a lot of judgmental JW's say "We'll see all kinds of people that have crawled out from under their rocks at the memorial"

I heard that too. They'll spend hundreds of hours going door-to-door looking for new ones to come to their hall, yet they look down on occasional attenders who are already right there at the hall (at least at the Memorial)? That's just ass-backwards.

Hope4Others

I don't need to be at memorial to think about Christs sacrifice. I'm fine at home thinking about him, besides last few times when I was there I took note on how much it was about meeting

attendance and service for about 10- 15 minutes, instead of the real purpose of being about of christs death.

JPT

I have been thinking about this same question. The “doing it for the family” is a valid point but after reading these responses I’m thinking of something different.

If we, the enlightened, the unplugged Borg, use this Memorial event as an opportunity to make a statement. To use it to say to the WBTS is wrong. That this whole concept of being appointed by Jesus Christ himself is just garbage. Yea it might hurt some but at least they will hear you.

free2beme

I have not been since I left. As for why people go, who never go to meetings.

1. Why are other Christian religions full in church on Christmas and Easter? Same thing here.

2. Family pressure

3. It just seems like something your suppose to do, from years and years of indoctrinated by the faith, of how important it is. Perhaps last thing to let go of.

tula

Before it was "Memorial" it was Passover.

Passover is a CELEBRATION OF EXODUS.

Why not return the occassion to its original meaning this year?

Finally at midnight on the 15th of Nissan all firstborn in the land of Egypt began dying, including the firstborn of King Pharaoh, exactly as Moshe had warned.

At this point, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said to them: "Arise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve God as you have said, and go, and bless me also."

Exodus

The ~~Jews~~ (truthseekers) departed ~~Egypt~~ (WTS) in haste. They assembled in groups to eat the roasted paschal lamb and the unleavened (leaven= lies) bread (matza). Then after the sun rose on the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nissan, the ~~Jewish~~ (truthseekers)nation rose together to leave the land of ~~Egypt~~ (WTS).

SnakesInTheTower

I've been thinking about this ever since I seen the scan of this years' invitation. My stomach started churning. I was prepared NOT to go.... but then I think...it will sadden my mom even more than my non participation otherwise has (no meetings since sept 07, no field reports either since then..but in reality no field circus since dec 06).... and I have a few JW friends who still talk to me.... but if word gets out I didnt go.... that may bring even those to realize I am done...not that I want to hold out false hope or anything....

I know I wont go to the congo where my card is..and if they meet in a combined location with a bunch of other congos as they did last year, I wont go there either... I thought about going to the one closest to my house (my old congo from 2002, or the other from 91)...but then I might send the signal that I might want to come back to the ~~Truth~~ Lie...and that will kick the love bombing into high gear temporarily.....then maybe I can go back to "spiritual" sleep for another year....lol....conversely, if I dont go..then maybe the local town hounder patrol might send word back to my new congo that I didnt show..(and yes, they all know each other across these circuits as they are so close geographically).... and that might start the hounder patrol....

I am strongly leaning to not going...and drawing the line in the sand...and let the chips fall where they will...

any thoughts?

Snakes ()

The Memorial