by NikL 12 Replies latest jw friends
So my wife who is an active sister got an "invite" to the dedication of the new hall in our town.
Apparently it's a big deal 'cuz some big whig from Krooklyn is coming to deliver a talk, yada yada yada.
My question, why spend the bucks to fly some old geezer out to the west coast for a building dedication? Is it not officially a Kingdumb Hall without his coming and having a big ceremony?
Just curious about your thoughts.
Because jws don't celebrate holidays and birthdays, they look for any opportunity to celebrate something else.
To me, it is another way to waste time in dummy "celebrations". You get to sit in the new Kingdumb Hell and listen to another boring talk, and they make a big deal about that. Truthfully, I see nothing more exciting about a new Kingdumb Hell than I would about a new store, and I have better things to do with my time than wasting it listening to another boasting session disguised as a dedication ceremony.
I've found it interesting that the ancient civilizations' practice of dedicating public and religious edifices to their gods was not taught by Jesus.
A matter of fact, the precedent or command to even construct them is absent in the New Testament. To me that says alot.
I am with you Wokeup. I think that's kind of what I was getting at.
When I asked my wife about who is paying for the geezers trip out she said someone must have payed his way. LOL Yeah every poor old sap in the borg is paying his way.
I also asked what the purpose of dedicating it was. I mean they've been using this hall for most of a year already. She said it was just a way to let all the voluntiers that worked on it get a chance to see the finished product. Sounded kind of like a flimsy excuse to me.
TO top it all off, it's by invite only. You actually have to have a written invite to get in! Who payed to have those printed? What if I just wanted to gatecrash the party? Not that I would want to waste another hour of my life there. I am just curious.
Just a thought - do you live somewhere particularly nice to visit? :) - maybe he has family nearby and it's a good excuse for an expenses-pad trip?
By invite only? Not here...I wonder what prompted that? But then I was either a member of the congregation or a worker.
In the past here, KHs have been dedicated by GB members....probably one of the few ways many of the rank and file ever see or hear them.
Most circuits also pay the way for those who come for special assembly day main talk. Now there they send Bethel approved speakers.
Many new buildings if not all go through some dedication program; the temples were dedicated.
Regarding the GB members giving talks at the KH dedications, it seems that in the past the local congregation had to pay for the GB member's travel expense. And, if he brought his wife or domestic partner along, the congregation paid for them too.
