by isaacaustin 17 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Rick and Inez...
I was just curious if you guys and the gang ever thought about peacefully and quietly attending the memorial, (with the intent of partaking)…You have a pretty sizeable group. Would the elders ask you all to leave and call the police if you did not leave? Bear in mind there could be visitors so this could be sticky and undesireable to have to call in the police.
Thoughts?
My husband was considering it to try and 'make a point' that the emblems should be taken (John 6:53). But why would you want to do such a thing within the setting of the KH where everyone else there does not share that belief and would be appalled if you; the ex JW, apostate, child of Satan came in and were basically giving them the two fingered salute by taking the emblems. It would just confirm to them what a filthy , disrespectful defector you were. The point would be totally lost on them.
I agree. I would not do it. Within the setting of the KH would make it inpalatable to me...knowing it is a sham. And of course it would not really make a dent on the members- they would simply see it as apostasy.
but, i guess i was wondering...if a group came in peacefully would the elders request they leave and call the police to get them out?
I think that's a great idea isaac... they could go in, participate in the memorial, and then go out with the signs afterward, LOL...
LOL yeah. And if the elders want to call the police in front of all the visitors on these people who are peacefully attending...let it happen. :)
They couldn't ask anyone who turned up to leave as it is a PUBLIC meeting. They spend months/ weeks beforehand preparing for this meeting and increasing their time spent in the ministry to get members of the public to come along to boost the numbers in attendance. If any of the ex JWs came along they would be treated like everyone else but probably with a close eye kept on them. At most it would unsettle them and cause a fair bit of whispered comments and pointing of fingers, but to call the police would detract from the occasion and bring unwanted publicity.
Paul Blizzard an ex Bethelite did it...
Went in late, sat & listened,then when the emblems came he partook,
Then left quickly, they counted him that year ( many years ago ) it went up by one.
At one memorial a guy walked in from off the street. No one knew him but he partook and then promptly passed out on the floor. I ended up carrying him outside. When he came to I asked him if he needed an ambulance, he said no. He said the emblems had caused him to be overtaken by Holy Spirit and that had forced all of the demons to be expelled from his body. He then said "Don't worry, it happens all the time."
He walked away and we never saw him again.
I actually did that on the first Memorial (1987) after I was df'd (as I have told already, I had partaken as a JW along with a friend of mine the previous year, and we were both df'd for apostasy in the following weeks -- although the Memorial was never mentioned in the process). I went to a nearby KH in Paris, was not recognised at once (I had grown a beard in the meantime :)), and left peacefully when the meeting was over (I suppose some understood who I was but did not step in).
At that point I sincerely didn't mean it as a provocation but as a kind of "testimony" and "souvenir" -- I had joined a church since, but I had not forgotten my previous "spiritual family" in spite of the organisational rejection. Of course I now realise it was completely useless. The next year I didn't bother about the JW memorial anymore...
