Talking about “liability,” you would think that the WTS should be far more concerned about the liabilities of their strictly-enforced policies regarding blood transfusions (kids and babies dead), shunning (severe depression and anxiety, leading to mental illness and even suicides), protecting pedophiles (while threatening and expelling innocent victims), etc., etc. Now, that would be a liability, you would think! Much more so than any little normal social get-together like barbecues and beach parties.
Are Congregation Picnics still forbidden? If so, Why???
by NAVYTOWN 38 Replies latest jw friends
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Kool Jo
When I lived in South Florida, we had picnics at various intervals in the year. This was normally held on secular holidays and a section of a local park was utilized.
We did football and couple other games....the sisters would be in competition to see who's meal was most talked about by those in attendance...lol
Kool Jo
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DwainBowman
I am a lifer, 56 years of borgdom. I have been in over 25 congregation, and seen or heard just everything borg related. I was invited to bethel when I was 17, but had some health issues come up. Servent 20+ years.
I have been in congregation that were very small, and when the wt came along, all parties stopped! The main parties this was aimed at, were where a congregation had a party, and larger numbers from nearby congregation showed up, with nobody, knowing for sure who was there or even if they were jw's or not, or as in some cases, even df'ed ones showed up! One congregation I was in a short time after that, had 40 publishers, and parties over book study size were a no no! And I have been in larger ones, that as long as everyone was know to be in good standing, it was ok. They still frowned on 100+ parties, but not at weddings and the like!
Remember back in the early 80's, when at the dc the comment was made, "Brothers keep your hands off the Sisters" thry meant in inappropriate ways, not a friendly hug or things like that. Till this day you will find congregation, were no one hugs anyone!
If a boe can SCREW UP simple directions, just imagine what they do with others!
Dwain
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not bitter
When I was a child in the early 80's we used to have congregation parties in a hired hall where entertainment would be put on and the highlight of the entertainment would be us children dressing up as characters from the bible and putting ona bit of a drama. Our voices and a soundtrack would have been pre-recorded weeks before and we would mime to it. Just like the assembly dramas but we would add a bit of lighthearted humour to it.
We loved rehersing for it. Best time ever and we would be so excited in the days running up to the actual performance.
Then a couple of days before one party we had been rehearsing for for weeks happened to fall on the CO's visit (Bryan Jewell UK if anyone remembers him) so we invited him and his wife Diane to join the party.
Then at the Thursday night meeting the elders announced that the party was cancelled due to the CO counselling the elders on having large gatherings. Apparently he predicted mass orgies and drug taking would take place.
We were devastated as you can imagine. And i will never forgive the elders for going along with it.
Bastards
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Gustv Cintrn
I have never heard of such a thing! Mine and surrounding congs have gatherings all the time, for any reason, and when we have no concrete reason we get together 'just because'. We have such a blast together!
GC
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blondie
I might add that the rules are stricter in the US on many things...beards is one.
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sir82
It's a regional and/or cultural thing.
They've never been "forbidden". Articles have been written, and depending on one's culture/outlook/psychological state, more or less is read into those articles.
Many JWs do consider them "forbidden", however. When a BOE makes that determination, the congregation is pretty much stuck.
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Vidiot
They weren't "forbidden".
They were "discouraged".
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neverendingjourney
In my area, witnesses would throw large parties for every conceivable reason. Lots of graduation parties, wedding anniversaries, goodbye parties, welcome so-and-so parties. I'm not talking small get togethers in someone's backyard. I'm talking rented ballrooms, bands, catered food, etc.
A few hardass elders would crack down in their congregations, but there were so many of them being thrown in neighboring congregations that it was a losing battle. You'd see the same group of JW youth at virtually every one of them. It was a social thing. Word would get out (this was before social media) and some of the local JW youth would use these parties as a substitute for going to your local bar/nightclub.
As I began to drift away from the religion, I discovered that some did not use them simply as a substitute. They would simply head over to the club afterwards. Hell, I would even see groups of JWs at some nightclubs in suits and ties who'd just gotten out of that particular weekend's graduation party, elders kids puffing on cigarettes drinking gin and tonics. That sort of thing.