The hall I went to had some guy from Bethel who literally sounded like a 12-year-old giving the talk. All I could think about was V's video about the memorial and how it's nothing but an infomercial for Jehovah's Witnesses. I realized why the memorial is "so important" to Jehovah's Witnesses: It's their BIGGEST recruiting day of the year! More people are in the Kingdom Halls that day than any other day of the year. Even if they're inactive or disfellowshipped, they're still being exposed to the mind-control tactics.
When I first walked in the door, I went to find my friend (we were going out for drinks afterward) and he was in a group of people. I started talking and uttered the phrase "yeah well there are like five freaking congregations in my hall so that's why mine is so late." The guys in the group had this shocked look on their face, like "you DARE utter a pseudo-curse-word in the holiest of places on the holiest of days!" and soon after it became apparent that my "gaffe" had deflated the conversation like a cheap balloon, they all scattered. When I was a JW, I'd have been mortified that I let that word slip, now I find it hillarious, because I KNOW those guys have said worse outside the hall.
At any rate, they spent a half hour on the 144,000 doctrine and about 5 minutes on Jesus. Then, the "special announcement" inviting newcomers to the special talk was laughably corny. It'd be like having a bible up to your ear like a cell phone at the door and telling the householder "It's GOD, and he wants to talk to YOU!" Obviously the talk was utter B.S. They read the part where the 144,000 were "virgins, having never known a woman" and said it meant that they had never known false religion (wtf?!? Where the hell do they get THAT?!) It was ridiculous how "144,000" HAS to be literal, while everything before and after it is symbolic, based on completely nonexistent criteria. Obviously there was scripture-hopping involved, saying how Isaiah was talking about the paradise earth when a read of the context reveals he was talking about the rebuild of Jerusalem, that kind of stuff.
I went to bed last night thinking, "man, how did I ever believe this crap?"
Went to the Memorial Last Night
by B_Deserter 26 Replies latest jw experiences
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B_Deserter
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Finally-Free
"you DARE utter a pseudo-curse-word in the holiest of places on the holiest of days!"
I guess the words "flip" and "flipping" are more acceptable to the JWs. Many of the people in my old hall used these, especially the bethelites™.
W
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anewme
Be-Deserter, that was a well written report of your memorial night.
It reminded me of my last memorial, post df, when I attended in a different city.
When the rose colored glasses come off and we look at the organization and the meetings with criticism
and derision it is an uncomfortable and sad time.
The same can be said of the moment we look at Jesus as just a man who stupidly got himself crucified-----and for what?
Then just as mysteriously there comes a moment when all the jokes and laughter and criticism comes to a halt and we find ourselves staring at the cold beautiful moon, orbiting faithfully around the earth....and pondering about spiritual things.
So much comes flooding into our mind at this lonely hour about this world and its history and wars and bloodshed and virtual barges of plastic garbage floating in the seas having no where to go but to meet in the middle and pile up. Conversations with co-workers about nuclear waste come to mind...."Oh THEY will figure out how to get rid of it" they all assure me.
"Barak Obama! Hillary! McCain!" for president! They will save us!
"Olympic officials spent the evening arguing with the Chinese government over its lax efforts to clean up its city pollution for the up and coming olympics"
China, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, India, Pakistan, United States........all vying for POWER in the next century.
Frankly, I am very sorry that I have no rose colored glasses on when looking at any of the religions these days.
a sincere prayer to our creator for help and mercy. -
GoingGoingGone
I went to the Memorial last night - for my husband.
They had the "privilege" of having a Bethel speaker, who spoke as if he were addressing a room full of 4 year olds. UNbelievable. Same ol' crud.... 144,000 is a literal number, and you're not one of them! Oh and come to our Special Talk in a couple of weeks, so you too can have Jehovah's blessing like we do.
The last time I was in a KH was 2 years ago (for the Memorial), and I was a nervous wreck. Just stepping foot in the building made me feel sick to my stomach. Last night, though, I was not nervous at all. It's just a building, these are just people, and they have no control over my life. Well, maybe they do, but I know how to play their game now, and I'm not afraid of them!
Got love bombed, of course, but it's very easy to turn the conversation away from me and over to them. Still glad it's over, though!
GGG
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The Doc 58
Good point about the memorial being an infomercial. Just a load of total bull shit. I am so happy that I didn't attend. I remember that about three years ago I went with my parents in Vegas and they had it at some community college aud. Anyway, I bought and read the book by Kafka 'the metamorphisis' and my father accidently dropped the bread on the floor when he passed it to me. I don't think either one of us cared. He is still and elder, but I know he thinks the thing is nothing but bull shit, but i am sure he wont admit it.
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Honesty
Just the thought of walking back into that den of vipers makes me shudder in disgust.
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M Lisa
I haven't attended a memorial in 9 years and it sounds like nothing much has changed...This is the first year that I did not get a "special invite"....maybe my family finally got the hint,after "No thank you, Um No ,Nope, Uh uh,I think not,and NO."...
ML
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Homerovah the Almighty
Yes, had a wonderful celebration at home instead of the KH, in are ceremony we didn't have unleavened bread so we used Twinkies sliced into quarters and instead of red wine
we used grape Koolaid and passed that around at the dinner table. In my talk I gave thanks to Jesus for creating all the the self-righteous sanctimonious redeemable sinners in the world,
and if he would please come back now because there might be too many of them .
After dinner we resided into the living room and gathered around the television to watch Monty Pythons " Life of Brian " it was a very good evening indeed .
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B_Deserter
I concluded the night at my house with Jager-bombs, wings, and Smash Bros.
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darth frosty
I realized why the memorial is "so important" to Jehovah's Witnesses: It's their BIGGEST recruiting day of the year! More people are in the Kingdom Halls that day than any other day of the year. Even if they're inactive or disfellowshipped, they're still being exposed to the mind-control tactics.
You nailed it right there. The only time they get fresh meat. Or are allowed to talk to outsider or family and friends they have shunned.