Feigning illness to miss a meeting

by dozy 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  dozy

  As JWs , we all remember the thought of dragging oneself out of bed on a nice sunny Sunday meeting or getting home tired after a hard day at work contemplating another boring , pointless , repetitive weekday evening meeting.

  As the only legitimate reason for missing a meeting is illness , the only way for anyone to avoid a meeting that they really couldn't be bothered to go to ( ie most of them ) is to "pretend" to be ill. So given an average meeting attendance of 60% or so , invariably many people would be missing , presumed dead ( or "ill".)

  We used to have a congregation game of football ( soccer ) on a Sunday afternoon and it always amused me how many JWs who were "too ill" to attend the meeting on the morning would suddenly recover , Lazarus style , to play without exhibiting any signs of the apparently near fatal acute health condition of that morning. One of the more officious elders tried to introduce a rule that the only ones who could play would have to have been at the meeting that morning , but in practice it was very difficult to police and the better players tended to be the ones who missed most meetings.

  One of the problems was the risk that some well meaning and / or nosey JW would phone up ( or even turn up , unannounced ) at the house to see "how you were" and clearly it didn't go down too well if they found you in rude health chasing the dog or kids around the garden.
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  snowbird

  I remember attending a CA on the same Saturday as the Iron Bowl.

  Boop! Boop! Boop!

  During the late afternoon session, brothers were pouring outside to their vans and SUV's to watch the game.

  I don't blame them.

  For those who are clueless, google Iron Bowl in Alabama, and you will understand.
• 

  compound complex

  Yes, Sylvia:

  Due to very long hours working two jobs and caring for our home and property, I, on occasion, "tried" to rest up of a Sunday and go nowhere -- NOWHERE!

  When I attempted such a move ("non-move," actually), it created such a ruckus with my ne'er-say-die mate that I often wondered if it was worth it, i.e., getting the business for my lack of spirituality, and so forth.

  Enjoying our freedom now!
• 

  sir82

  Yep.

  And the self-righteous would use this as a opportunity to slather on the guilt.

  A common tactic in my youth was the Sunday afternoon basketball game / picnic / hike what have you. If you didn't make the meeting, you wouldn't get an invite. "Oh, since you were too sick to go the meeting, we just assumed you would still be too ill to join us later", said with utter sneering condescension.
  
• 

  compound complex

  A lot, I believe, has to do with one's upbringing.

  There was illness in my own family and consideration and thoughtfulness towards the patient. In some families, however, there is neither tolerance nor patience when a family member is sick, or has a condition.

  Later on in life, I was continuously aggrieved when psychologically beat down during times of actual illness.
• 

  snowbird

  Same here.

  One nosy heifer even called to inform me, "Nothing about your illness was announced from the platform."

  In other words, if it wasn't mentioned during the meeting, it wasn't legitimate!

  I'd just been discharged from the emergency room where I'd been treated for overwhelming anxiety.
• 

  compound complex

  So glad you, Sylvia -- all of us -- are doing better now!

  
  
• 

  snowbird

  So am I.

  Oh, Freedom!

  Before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave ...

  Oops! Sorry, Dozy.
• 

  jambon1

  I remember groups of witnesses playing football in Scotland. They were dirty bastards that hacked the ankles off folk. Elders too.

  Just an obvs.
• 

  tor1500

  Hi All,

  yep that's the friends. They are just whiners. Some were that way as kids and are still the same way. Some the only way they got any attention was if they feigned sickness. Many at my job only came to work when they were sick or broke something. Sympathy seekers. When you speak to a witness ever notice if they can get your ear all they talk about is how sick they are, and were. They never get well. That's so they are chronologically ill.

  When they sign up they start their medical history, again when they don't come to the meeting most will say well you know so and so suffer from some strange illness (only witnesses get). Meanwhile that person is doing what they want.

  I think what gets me is that witnesses think they are the only sick folks in the world because they are witnesses but not thinking everybody gets sick. But witnesses think others brought it on themselves cause are sinners, you know.

  I have missed meetings for various reasons. When they say we didn't see you at the meeting, I say, I come when I can and pray to Jehovah for his understanding. Then in my mind I say at my job I call my boss when I'm out. So, since Jehovah is my boss, I let him know. Lol. But after I say what I say....silence. Then there are times I'm might just tell them I had other commitments.

  Most are afraid of man than God.

  Tor