by XPeterX 82 Replies latest jw friends
XPeterX:
This is the first year I did not go so this is a milestone.
It was a last minute decision and was combination of it being late and me being tired and also not wanting to deal with phoney smiles and questions in a strange hall. Never mind that I have NO use for the religion. How stupid, the whole thing of passing that glass and those crackers!
It never seemed quite "right" to me anyway.
I attended and it was nothing to speak of... Same ol' shit... However, I did get bombed when I showed up..
I went for my wife but brought my red (ESV) Bible and silently mouthed alternate words to the songs. I was happy to see that the Branch library had hardbound Golden Age and Watchtowers back to 1928, and the first five volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. Now I know where to go if I ever need hard proof.
I took no bible, sang no songs, didn't pray... Just there for my better half...
I didn't go this year, even though there was a knock at the door Tuesday night inviting me to come. One of the elders (a former friend of mine) came and and wanted me to come to the special talk on Sunday too. I innocently asked "What's the name of the talk?" knowing full well what it was. He goes (real dramatic-like: "It's called 'Is It Later than You Think?'
Me: Wasn't there a WT or Awake magazine by that very title about 40 years ago?
Elder: I've had about 10 people ask me that and the answer is 'yes'. But it's different this time.
Me: How?
Elder: Because it is later than what it was then.
Me: (WTF?) Sorry, but I have a huge problem with this because The Organization has been preaching that The End has been right around the corner for the last hundred and thirty years.
Elder: So?
Me: And.....it's still not here.
Elder: Mary it doesn't matter if it doesn't come in our life-time.
Me (getting annoyed): Then why are you going out there and telling people that it is coming in our life time?!
Elder: Because it gives them hope.
Me: Ya but it's a false hope!!
We then talked about 1975, how frigging "bad" the world was, how the Catholic Church is on it's last legs and how we have "proof" that Noah spent 40 years building the Ark and it was an established "fact" that there was a world-wide flood 5,000 years ago. Blah, blah, blah, the world is just going to hell in a hand-bag and Satan is going after Jehovah's people with a vengence. I needed to come back "before it's too late" and that he knows that I "still have a love for the Truth". (ya, okay...that's news to me).
It was sad, because we had been good friends years ago, but as I sat there listening to the silliness of his arguments, I could see that there was no point in trying to get him to see logic and reasoning on any scale. That glazed look that I'm sure I had at one time too, was masked on his face and there would be no convincing him of anything. Plus by this time it was almost 9 o'clock at night and I was tired, wanted him to leave so I just said I would try to make it on Sunday.
Didn't go to the Memorial but I sat here and partook of my own stock of red vino.
I wasn't invited to the special talk...."But", they did give me two WT & Awakes!!
I didn't go this year. I felt bad for my wife to go by herself, but I did give her 5 months warning that I wasn't going and to find an execuse.
In the end she went for the same reason many here did, to appease her family, I understand that, as I explained, that is what I already did last year and wouldn't do again.
I never even got an invite , it must be the last time they tried to make a shepherd call and I told the elder to go f@#$ his self and an A hole . I really mean that too .
They need to change it to the S'morial and serve a tasty treat graham crackers, marshmellows and chocolate the partakers will reach new heights and the doors to heaven will be thrown open as the crowds all with sticky fingers push and shove their way towards nirvana.
