I think that your k halls must have belonged to a different religion to mine, when I was a kid, or when I was an elder....Picture books, toys [non squeaky please] were always around...Plenty of sleepy toddlers on a Thursday night though
Elder rules regarding young children
by lancelink 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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blondie
Rules and the personalities of BOEs or one forceful elder on a BOE make it different in every congregation.
Congregation 1: still requires brothers on the platform to wear white shirts (even "demanding" the CO to do so; one did not but said the BOE had the authority to make rules for the brothers in the congregation). The WT admin for the circuit/district gatherings still require white shirts on the stage.
Congregation 2,3,4,etc.: In this area, some sisters can have 2 ear piercings on each ear, in others the BOE does not allow it.
Congregation 5: Brothers cannot have MUSTACHES even. Other congregation BOEs allow it.
Can I imagine that congregations 7,8,9 BOEs do not allow outside books or food at the KH, yes, I have seen it.
Have I seen some officious elders tell people that they should be able to hold it for 2 hours.....
Have I seen the elders gathering in the back during the meeting to talk...not about "spiritual" things but sports and their vacation....(I know because they would grab my husband and when I asked what was so important, and he told me after all it was anything confidientiall)
So I don't dismiss the accounts here or elsewhere on ex-jw DBs, because I have seem almost all of it having been in many congregations throughout the world.
Most of us are out, thanks for that.
Blondie (grew up as child at several KHs)
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nugget
This is the least child friendly religon out there.
No talking,
no fidgeting,
after a certain age no drawing in notebooks these should be used for taking notes.
No felt tips or crayons, no pencils that need sharpening.
Anyone in the hall has the right to tell your children off at any time.
No picture books only society approved books are allowed.
No running, skipping, dancing or loud talking in the hall or outside.
Parents are expected to discipline their children vigorously. The number of times I would march my son to the back of the hall looking like thunder just for appearances sake. We would talk about how naughty it was to talk and distract others but that was it. His Dad who was an elder at the time did do the whole discipline thing you could sometimes hear him shouting and my sons wailing in the hall. He now realises what a total mistake it was but at the time he was expected to do this. The worst bit is when my son would come back sobbing and then be taken back out for crying too loudly.
There is little understanding of parents and children. People would save the end seats at assemblies and then tut whenever small children had to go past. At one assembly one woman complained to me that my son was too distracting and she would have to leave if I couldn't get him to sit still. My son was very small and it was the first time we had been able to sit in the stands. At the time and I told her not to worry since we were happy to leave as obviously her needs were greater than ours. We went home early so would like to thank the cold hearted cow for her assistance.
It is a brutalising religon which turns parents into policemen we are well rid.
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dissed
In most of my congregations, coloring books, toys, snacks, were a no no.
I was counseled at an Elders meeting because my infant child was too distracting at the meetings. It was suggested that my wife sit in the back row and cover the mouth of our infant if she cried as she took her to the bathroom. I guess teething is not permited at the JW meetings.
My wife decided to spend lots of time in the bathroom away from the JW's with a couple of the other JW sister with babies. It was their safe haven.
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Leprechaun
Insane, the meetings are more of an indoctrination of cult rules, that to a reasonable person would cause them to ponder and reflect for even just a moment, and induce them to get up off their ass and go home or to some other church. Oh please”.
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cantleave
The other thing is the wholely inappropriate nature of some of the material being discussed. Sex, homosexuality and how evil it is, fornication, adultery, world distruction, demons etc. Enough to give any child paying attention nightmares thank goodness mine never did.
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Nephilim
I got sent to the back room because I brought of bottle of water to the meeting one time. It blew me away. You can't hydrate yourself during the meeting? Even on hot days?
I told them I brought it in because I had kidney stone problems. They said I needed to strip off the labels and drink it in the parking lot.
Pharisees!
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dgp
marked for reference.
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JeffT
One of the real eye openers when we left was the difference in how mainstream churches treat their children. At the KH they were expected to be undersized adults. The churches we've been to treat them like children - which does not, as the WTBS would try to tell you, mean they are not receiving in religious instruction. They just receive in an age appropriate manner.
Most of the CO's seemed to hate kids. I think if they had their way children wouldn't exist.