by liquidsky 27 Replies latest jw experiences
This may sound harsh but dont go. If you go to this meeting then they will convieniently make arrangements for you to attend one in a week or so and gradually try and get you back into it. Do you really think that they will let you off on that one meeting ?
If you get Da'd well it aint such a bad thing, you will be free of it all, you have friends and it will give you that much needed break away from it all.
Good luck and keep us all posted.
Tell us how it was!
Local needs and all!
ISP
Well I survived. Going back just reassured me that I made the right the decision to leave the org.
First I want to say that sitting through the meeting was like sitting through two hours of a first grade class.
The student talks were absolutley horrible. I kid you not. The1st student talk was given by two sisters on the subject of "Why Jehovahs Witnessnes do not Worship Jesus". The sister stammered through the entire talk, forgot what scriptures she was going o look up, and got her notes all mixed up so she lost her place. I certainly didn't get much out the talk, and her housholder certainly wouldn't if this was for real. Isn't the purpose of the ministry school supposed to prepare students to anwer questions they are confronted with in the field ministry?
The second student talk was the Bible reading. There was no indtroduction, no discussion of the scripture and no closing. The brother just walk onto the platfom and said "Please turn to John chapter 3 and we'll read versus 1-23." I could'nt help but wonder if this is part of the new ministry school arrangement. Has the society made it a no-no for a student to discuss the scriptures he is reading? Could it be that they are afraid that one of the students may have a different interpretation of the scriptures then they do?
By the way, there was counsel givin to these students during he meeting and it was praise for doing such a fine job.
I was bored during the service meeting. Same old DO MORE IN THE FIELD MINISTY stuff. During the announcements I barrowed my mom's KM and read the entire thing during the first 10 minutes. The article on the first page was on the upcoming memorial. I found it odd that Jesus' name was only mentioned once and Jehovahs name 12 times. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the memorial about remembering Jesus, and showing apprecition for what he did for us? The focus of KM artcle was not on jesus. It was on how we can show appreciation to Jehovah by going out in service and inviting everyone we can to the memorial.
After the announcements there was a talk given on bad association. The bother giving the talk spoke to us like we we're little kids. The main message of this was that everyone who is not a Jehovahs Witness is not a friend of Jehovah. That makes them Jehovahs enemy. Would you want to friends with someone who is an enemy of Jehovah?
Another thing I noticed is that during the entire meeting, only these scriptures were read: John 3:16 , Danial 2:44, Matthew 4:10 and 1Cor 15:33. Why is it that Jw's put so much focus on these four scripures and just skim over the rest of the bible?
Well that about sums it up. No one really bothered me. I got a couple of "Its good to see you" but thats about it. Most everyone else avoided me.
Hi liquidsky. Glad to hear you survived. You mean you aren't refreshed and full of joy?
The new school arrangement did change the #2 talk. No intro or conclusion, just reading the verses. Also, every 4th time the material read will be from the Watchtower.
I too noted that Jesus' name was sadly lacking in an article about the ransom sacrifice.
Most sisters get a talk twice a year. Few JWs ever prepare for the initial call let alone the return visit. Did you provided a written script of responses for the householder? Like JWs hand a list of written responses to the householder!
Blondie
Dear Liquidsky,
After the announcements there was a talk given on bad association. The bother giving the talk spoke to us like we we're little kids. The main message of this was that everyone who is not a Jehovahs Witness is not a friend of Jehovah. That makes them Jehovahs enemy. Would you want to friends with someone who is an enemy of Jehovah?
And here you are talking to us; you certainly didn't let that one meeting pull you back in!
Seriously, I think it is noteworthy how black and white everything is. If you are not a JW you are an enemy. Period. This was one of the attitudes that caused me to begin to question. There was no in-between. That just isn't how things are in the real world and I began to see the peril of such black and white thinking.
Anyway, glad you survived.
Tammy
Yes, last week's warning about bad associations was memorable. I know because my honey came back all revved up, wanting to look up some WT materials referenced. I did. Most if it answers in Awake to questions sincere Young People wanted to know. Here is one of the references given: February 22, 1997 Awake page 13, "Being Wise in chosing your associates." Sorry, I don't have the text in front of me. The gist of it is, kids who follow those "bad associations" end up leaving the "Truth" and dying young from drug overdoses or worse. Kids who keep to the "good associations" at the hall can recite scripture backwards and forwards and don't die from drug overdoses.
I feel so edumacated now.
Well, now that you've reinforced your mother's technique to get you to the hall, I wonder do you realize the nuts and bolts of what happened?
Like all JW families, yours is dysfunctional. It's dysfunctional around your mother and her JW-ness. Not discussing it frankly with your mother sucks you into the family lie - JWs are a normal religion and thus you have no reason not to go. Going makes you a cog in all this machinery of dysfunction. It's just like sitting around in the living room and not discussing the elephant on the piano stool.
From what you say, it may be necessary for you to move physically out of your mother's range. If you do that, it will be similiar to being DAed since visiting your mother will be more difficult at that remove.
I know just how you feel, don't get me wrong. It's just not possible to visit every once and awhile and have mama satisfied. It's like touching the tar baby. One little touch and you've got tar all over you. One visit to the KH is seen as the prelude to others and soon you've got JW "tar" all over you.
I guess the real question is how long you will put up with their manipulating your life. It's a helluva dilemma, isn't it? I wish you the best in dealing with this impossible situation.
francois
I feel for you liquid I cant even imagine what it would be like to walk into a kingdom hall after 5 years------------ewwww I get chills just thinking about it!! I dont even own skirts or dresses anymore!!! ha!
