by NewYork44M 19 Replies latest jw experiences
This has been such an eye-opener for me. I would never have dreamed of questioning the speaker before, but the last time I went to a meeting, I found myself scrutinising everything he said. Then we have the Watchtower Study which, thanks to Blondie, are bearable every time I attend. I can't believe I used to swallow all this stuff - was I brain-dead? I check EVERYTHING now in every publication. Even the programmes for assemblies come under my beady eye.
xxR
When listening to the public talk, I suddenly sensed it sounded very familiar, like I had heard it before. Then I realised: It was the same talk I had held the Sunday before! And I was the only one noticing that the same talk was held two Sundays in a row! The speeker had been there the previous Sunday, but he did not notice! (And of course, mine had been much, much better ....)
It is interesting from time to time to approach the speeker afterwards and ask him for more details on a specific point of his speech, as that was a very interesting one etc. In 9 out of 10 instances, he doesn't have a clue as to what you are referring to, because he has only been copying certain lines or paragraphs of a Watchtower, a book or something. So he knows nothing at all about the topic he has been so eager at describing in his talk. You can see small drops of sweat at his upper lip, then, when you eagerly ask for more details. ( Example: "The oldest living organism on Earth today is a tree of (I don't remember, but let us say - my addition) 5,000 years." said the CO in his speech. I approached him afterwards and said that that was very interesting, as it then must have survived the Flood without any harm. Small drops appearing ..... silence .... "eh, yes, I never thought of that (sic!). Perhaps the point would have had greater weight if I had found it in the Watchtower n stead of Popular Science.")
Hay York are you doing that essay contest for Atlas Shrugged?
Wow. Can anyone LIST the 120 talks in the cycle?
Surely, someone can. I'll start....
1) 'Should You Believe the Trinity?'
2) "Parents; Are You Building with Fire-Proof Materials?"
....and then...?
Edited by - Dia on 23 January 2003 6:33:6
Edited by - Dia on 23 January 2003 23:28:53
Come on, come on...
PLEEEEEEEEEEASE contribute!
This information would be so helpful to ex's trying to clear their minds of the things that were drummed into them for decades, often since childhood.
And it would be HUGELY helpful when trying to help others to leave the WTS as well.
Please add to my list and see if you can name other talks that were given - even if it was by you.
You have so much to contribute. Please don't hold back.
Oy, the one that I am tired of hearing: "Parents, Are you building with fire-proof materials?" Gag.
A scary thought: the KM book has a new point: Accurate Statements. There is some interesting paragraphs there that reinforce that all talks and statements should conform with what the FDS has published. (It didn't say anything about how old the publication can be :-) but we know they mean whatever is the current teaching.)
Eduardo
Thanks Eduardo. I've added it. (What the heck was that one about?)
Next?
(bump)
minimus,
I'm going to take you on your word with this one:
: took care of the public talks for years. I tried to get different subjects as well as good speakers, but that didn't always work, especially in the summertime. You could schedule anyone and be assured either of a cancellation or a fill-in that stunk. It's hard to be choosy sometimes. As far as the brother listening to judge the quality of the talks, this is nothing new. It's been stated to do this for years. I remember at one school, a CO saying that the brother shouldn't make the speaker nervous by obviously following along on the outline. The reality is, almost nobody fulfills this role but the most die-hards.
That being said, I was about the ONLY guy (I was 23, 24 years old an arrogant as shit. Still am. Just a a lot older now!) in my congo that could fill in for the public talk when the speaker didn't show up (this happened fairly often. The scheduled speaker was either hung over or just didn't care.) and the hall was filled on a Sunday. The PO would hand me an outline and I would march up on the stage with nothing but that outline and my Bible and deliver a great public talk. People loved my Public Talks(tm). They had spice and anecdotes and stories and humor. But they always proferred the Watchtower Party Line(tm) of doctrine and other nonsense. In otherwords, they had EVERYTHING the Watchtower Printing Corporation HATED: someone different, who actually made people laugh and think. They HATE this!
My favorite public talk was called something like "The Meaning of Jesus' Parables." I had a ball with that one, and got many halls to laugh at my way of presenting it. I cracked jokes and I got the audience involved with that one. I was then assigned to give that talk in Watts, Los Angeles. I was the only white guy in that congo. I told my jokes and smiled my smiles and delivered my talk, and the audience was stone-dead straight-faced the whole hour. That was the most miserable and unhappy congregation I ever visited, and believe me, I visited dozens of them.
"Whitey with the 'bad jokes' just gathered up his notes and left that congo." No one said 'thanks' or anything.
Dubs are a miserable people. I do feel sorry for them. Especially when they don't like my jokes.
Farkel
Jokes are strange, Farkel, in the sense that different congregations react so differently. I also always tried to come with some jokes or ;"lighter stories" to ease it all up a bit. Some congregations would laugh wholeheartedly, 100 % of the ones present, at other places some would laugh and others not, at other places some would smile, and then some places there would be that deafening roar of silence and stern faces and a long time till the next invitation.
I made the whole circuit convention laugh for quite a long time once, thru a word/name-game or whatever (a Bible person having the same name as a shipyard here), all except for one person - the DO; he was frequently making jokes and was/is a very friendly guy, even now he has recently written me a very nice and compassionate letter - but I obviously climbed a fence I should not have; HE was the one to make jokes, NOT the other speekers ..........
Okay...
3) 'The Meaning of Jesus' Parables'
Only 117 to go.
Next? (Or do I have to start a new thread to get these names of the talks in the WT 120-day talk cycle?)
