"Church"

OnTheWayOut

I hadn't read any other comments that spoke of a movement among JW's but I have to ask.

Background in italics before the point of the thread:
I was in the company of my never-ever-a-JW sister and my JW mother. Sis was exposed to the religion as a youth just as I was, but neither of us stuck with the JW's when Mom was DF'ed in 1976 when Armageddon didn't come and Mom went back to the world. Anyway, Mom went back a few years later and Sis never got involved in it. (I went to it as a young adult.)

Anyway, Sis is dying of a debilitating disease. She may have days or a few years left, but she will die. Mom has tried all kinds of efforts to have her study with JW's (or herself). Sis has pushed all efforts away and I totally confide in Sis about my experiences in the dangerous mind-control cult.

So anyway, in the company of Sis and Mom on Monday, Mom talks about things she heard or learned at "CHURCH" this past weekend.
I was driving the minivan and kept a straight face with my eyes on the road. I just know that most JW's expect to be struck by lightning when someone refers to their building or religion as a "church."

I wonder if this is a deliberate effort to "normalize" the religion. Perhaps, a recent C.O. visit or some stray suggestion from the platform to appear normal to others was suggested. Anyone, anyone at all, have anything to help me understand what might be happening with Mom? Similar experiences?

serein

iv never understrud why they dont say church cos the word just means place of worship dont it,

Soldier77

If she was trying to normalize it as you say, then she is definitely acting on her own. Maybe she is starting to doubt? Not sure.

Heaven

iv never understrud why they dont say church

Yes, serein, church means place of worship, but not to a JW. To a JW it means a place where all of 'Christendom' goes to worship Satan (those in Christendom SAY it's really God but all JWs KNOW that's not really who is being worshipped in these places ).

The WTS and JWs have their own unique, 'loaded' language (another mark of a cult) which they use to make themselves special. This is part of how they paint the whole picture on how they are "The Truth" and "God's Chosen". "Kingdom Hall" is only used by the WTS and JWs. No one outside of the JWs has any clue what a "Kingdom Hall" is. You have to tell people, "Oh, that's what the JWs call their church".

OTWO, you Mom probably used 'church' because she figures your sister doesn't know what a Kingdumb Hell is or has assumed she has forgotten and is possibly trying to sound more normal (less cult-like).

OnTheWayOut

I spoke with my sister and she said that Mom has done this before. She didn't know what to make of it. She thinks it's probable that Mom's husband calls it church and Mom might want to avoid controversy. But it's weird because even JW's that don't object to someone calling it "church" do not call it "church themselves. They will say "Kingdom Hall" or the cumbersome title of "the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses."

Mad Sweeney

Most JWs I know say "Kingdom Hall" to other JWs and "church" to worldly family and co-workers and such in an attempt to appear normal.

I don't know of a JW who would call the Kingdom Hall a church to their own family who have JW background though. It comes out pretty naturally, though. My kid had a friend over last week who stumbled across an old "Singing Praises to Jehovah" CD in the CD pile and asked what it was and my child didn't miss a beat in answering, "oh, that's from the church we used to go to but we don't go there anymore; they have crazy crazy rules!"

Black Sheep

JWs resort to all manner of trickery to polish the WTs cup for potential victims converts. Nothing surprises me any more.

I usually use 'your church' to describe the bOrg when talking to Dubs so that they understand that I don't see their religion as being special.

Joliette

Yeah I remember my parents used to tell me growing up, not a chruch, but a kingdom hall. I'm like do you even know where the word 'Kingdom Hall' comes from?

Joliette

Like someone said in a previous thread, there a chruch when it comes to them getting their tax breaks, and there a clergy when it comes to them getting their judicial and religious rights...lol Buuuut according to them, they have no clergy, and there meeting bulidings are called 'Kingdom Halls' not chruches. I just always use to say chruch when I was in grade school what difference does it truly make.

NeonMadman

She may simply be trying to use language that a non-JW would be familiar with. I once knew a JW who, when speaking with outsiders, would refer to field service as "church work." It was a bit odd to hear a JW use that sort of language, but I understood what he was trying to do. A non-JW would find terms like "Kingdom Hall" and "field service" to be odd and suspicious, but pretty much everyone understands what "church work" is.

"Church"

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