JW superstitions about the memorial -

by james_woods 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  Band on the Run

  I was so excited that we had a special holiday. My mother always made certain we had new outfits which she sewed. I spent weeks day dreaming about my special outfit. My grandfather was a member of the Remnant. Everyone in the Society at that time assumed they were annointed. The next generation assumed they were the great crowd. I was raised that as 144,000 remnant members partake, Armageddon would come.

  It is a very bizarre celebration to me. Even to this day I find the whole body and blood of Jesus spooky. The passage where Mary Magdalene tried to emrace Jesus and is rebuffed terrified me. Somehow the stigma of death bothered me greatly. I never felt any jubilation or celebration. What person in their right mind would wish Armageddon on their world? Maybe the Taliban and the Inquisition.

  The Witness focus for me has always been on the very clear cult practices. The shocking mind control and bizarre teachings, unlike anyone else's even though we are all reading the same scriptures. The New World Translation only came around during my lifetime. Knocking door to door and selling crap is the imperative. Since they don't believe in the Trinity, I remain very puzzled about what they teach about the nature of Jesus' physical body and the nature of his resurrection. These are vital issues to Christians. I attended for so long and was born in. Yet I know these answers. What does partaking mean? Does the "eucharist" transform a person. Why, on only one night a year do materials transfixed by human industry become relevant? I remind myself of the Gnostics. What is orthodox today need not have been.

  Still, I was a young girl and teenager. I give JWs thanks for my new dress and shoes, even matching gloves. Celebrating Christmas and birthdays would have been nice. Recognizing that I am an American would have been nice, too. I live in Manhattan so I am very conscious that I could die for being American and a NYer. Spitting on America during the Cold War was very hard. I lost many friends. Also, more friends would have come around if I could cross myself. Every religious minority prob. faces the same trials but, in my case, it so abundantly was not worth the slightest effort.
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  james_woods

  A very good post, Band on the Run.
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  TotallyADD

  Maybe it was said I did not see it. If you had a male who was of the anointed he must be the speaker if not the oldest of the male elders who was best qualified to speak. For a event that was suppose to help us remember what Jesus did for all mankind the WT sure has taken any joy out of it. What the hell was I thinking all these years. I have to keep saying to myself. Its a cult, its a cult, its a cult. Then click my heels then I will be free. Totally ADD
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  oompa

  sorry if this is a repeat..i may have missed it...big superstition that on this one night nobody is able to park their car without guys directing them with flashlights and safety vests???....WTF???....our hall had 250 spaces for only 75 cars...yet we needed guidance on how to park?????.....oompa
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  d

  A witness just came to my house.They left a watchtower and Awake about Jesus.These people are just crazy and miserabel, glad I am out of that mess.
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  james_woods

  A witness just came to my house.They left a watchtower and Awake about Jesus.These people are just crazy and miserabel, glad I am out of that mess.

  Yup - so are we all.
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  skeeter1

  If you were a kid, your parent had to help you by jointly holding the plate. Mommy didn't want you to be the one to drop the plate or glass and break it to damn pieces....much less spill the wine on your new dress. Any of those would have garnered a super beating in the KH restroom.
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  DagothUr

  At the Memorial, sister Nicelegs used to wear all black and she had her longest dress on. I was unable to see her feet and it was frustrating! Sister Nicelegs' feet kept my meeting attendance during those 2 years at around 95%. And I had such a nice position at almost all meetings, I usually was a bouncer, you know, the JW males who enforce peace and order during service. Me and the other bouncer were the only ones (except the speaker) who could feely move our sights in the whole room, staring at anyone we wanted. If anyone else did that....it was inappropriate. Anyone else: eyes on the speaker and on the emblems. Even during prayer, our duty was to keep our heads straight and to discreetly observe anyone in the room (in case someone might get sick or something).
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  nugget

  I remember pre memorial shopping for clothes for the children so that they could look lovely on that night.

  I remember buying lamb for tea so that they could have a similar meal to the one Jesus and his disciples had had prior to going so that we could bring the history to life a little.

  I remember the talks followed a very similar format with some elders explaining things beautifully and others confusing the hell out of the assmebled company.

  I remember the stress of parking and the bigger stress of having to manage the children on my own because my husband was either a server or doing the talk.

  I also remember that a brother we used to give a lift to invited tons of people on memorial night and expected my husband to ferry them all to the hall whilst I had to walk because there was no room in the car.

  It is very appropriate that witnesses only choose to celebrate a solemn occasion and reject anything that might be considered joyful and then do their best to make it the most mosochistic experience for anyone with children.

  If my cyber stalker is thinking of sending me an invite please don't.
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  lisaBObeesa

  I remember as a kid thinking...

  'But Jesus said we SHOULD do this in rememberance of Him....why are we telling people NOT to? This seems wrong.

  And weird.

  'And if we are NOT supposed to do this in rememberance of Him, why do we have this meeting to NOT do it? Why can't we all just stay home and NOT 'do this' in rememberance of Him?'

  I thought it was so strange to watch the bread and wine go all around the room just so everyone could NOT do what Jesus clearly said to do. Weird. Spooky. Strange. off. ...........wrong.

  I remember listening to the careful explanation of why we should not eat the bread or drink the wine and wondering if everybody understood...? Because if you just read the Bible it would be very easy to think that you SHOULD eat the bread and drink the wine. The brother was always very clear in his explanation.... And I understood it....but it didn't make any sense. I would look around and wonder if all these people really believe this stuff? I would wonder...'Isn't there one person here having the same thoughts as me?'

  I also hated the cerimony and all the serious junk that went with it. What, you guys are going to try to pretend you are actually a religion for one night a year?

  And pretending it was. Don't be too joyous...this is a serious night! Don't be too serious! This is a joyous night! All the studys are here! The world is watching! Get it right! IT must be perfect!

  What a bunch of fake faker fakes.