I'm back from the spring assembly, theme "The Time Left is Reduced", 1 Corinthians 7:29. The presentations were smug in the face of a torrent of world wide tough news stories. These should be the glory days for the assemblies. However, attendance is down, significantly. There were no baptismal candidates. Attendance was down to 598 this year from 907 in 2003.
The internet, facebook, and twitter were mentioned by name from the stage, but in a softer light. The speaker advised his listeners to track how many hours are spent on the internet and if they are excessive, to trim it down. I have to thank the society for mentioning facebook by name a few years ago. Their admonition inspired me to join. Now it seems they are taking the approach of tolerance with moderation. The internet is here to stay.
The keynote speaker was Bob Ramsie[sic] from Bethel headquarters here in Canada. He spoke with pride about the new printing presses and increased production. I tried really hard to focus on his talk, as I have learned that the Watchtower meat will be hidden in his potatoes. But I had a lot of trouble concentrating. He spoke of patience and humility, of working out personal differences, and praising the value of family worship night. The most unusual portion of his talk was his emphasis on "office romeos" and the temptation of extramarital affairs at the workplace. I don't recall the office being a cesspot of sexual opportunity. Are Witnesses spending too much time fraternizing with the "worldly" at work?
