We missed you at the meetings

by punkofnice 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  punkofnice

  A vomit inducing comment.

  I asked why do they have to specify 'meetings'? They never miss us in Tesco or the Showcase cinema bar.

  In their defence, a friend of mine said: 'That's because the meeting is where they normally would see you.'

  Well, if they want to see you they can arrange a meal out or something.

  the whole 'we missed you att he meeting' thing just smacks of superiority and cultish patronising guilt mongering. You know, 'we're at the meeting because we're spiritually strong and you're not as good as we are!'

  What do you think?
• 

  freddo

  Damned if they do damned if they don't,

  We were trained to view any "meeting missers" as spiritually weak and to - yes - help the spiritually weak and yet to avoid association with them/us.

  Usual pattern nowadays is a burst of concern expressed in texts/emails and maybe a phone call which quickly tapers off.

  Then if you bump into them out and about a concerned "miss you at the hall" is what they blurt out.

  Because that is often all we had in common ...

  Look 'em in the eye and ask if they want to meet up for a coffee. In the 1 in 100 chance they agree go and talk about anything except what will incriminate you. (If you care and think it worth the risk)
• 

  Syme

  I agree. That's one of the disadvantages of fading, instead of DA: they feel sorry for you, they have no idea of the real reasons, and since you can't speak openly to them and explain, they assume some lame reason for your not going to the meetings, like stumbling or being weak/discouraged etc.

  Of course, if you DA, they'll not feel sorry or view you as weak, but will view you as Satan incarnate. Either way, it's a win-win situation for their delusional state of being (for the majority of them of course, not all). In other words, they will either pity you (fade) or fear and loathe you (DA).
  
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  TheWonderofYou

  It happened about 3 weeks after I stopped attending the meetings that the I received a postcard of an elder who reminded me of the bible passage Hebrew 10,24-25 NASB "let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together".
  I never again attended a meeting anyway after my decision.
  After that two elders visited me at home, but we didnt allow them to enter, because I had decided to make my own decisions. Then one phoned me at work and asked me private questions about my belief.
  If I wanted to be one of them at all. And I answered something like "Presently I cannot imagine that, i love her really". That was enough.

  Since after DFment no private meetings are allowed in this cult, it happens of course only accidently that I pass by at a Watchtower-bearing elder who proclaims gods kingdom at the corner of our city center square or I meet one in the library.

  As the elders are surprisingly talking with me if I talk to them, i said "I thank you, but I love her". Comments like "Read the Bible again" or "You should decide yourself for the truth and not follow her", "there is only one truth you know it ,dont you" or "You can write a letter and ask for revision, thats no problem" are typical unnecessary street conversations.Younger ones Fellow R&F friends have said something like. "I know how it is to be DF, look I have been DF too, I divcorced my wife and now I have new one. This bro died and that too in the meantime, Sis is already married, fancy that....I understand that you are in a difficult situation. as your wife is not religious. We are now more concentration on family matters, we dont study with our children the Armageddon study articles any more, our children are afraid of the words and are yet small...you have always been a searcher....Come to the meetings.".
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  Bonsai

  Hey Punky, I missed you at the meeting last night. Is everything ok?
  
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  The Searcher

  The majority of J.W.'s couldn't give a toss about who's missing meetings/assemblies/field service. What is grating on them sub-consciously is that they are having to do it all - while you are not under anyone's thumb!

  Increase your hours, never miss a meeting, attend all 3 days at the convention, give more money for the "worldwide-work", watch more JW-TV, buy electronic devices for worship, support "Christ's brothers," because the end is coming soooooooooooooon!!!!

  J.W.'s aren't concerned about "lost sheep"; they're too emotionally and physically wearied waiting for the promised end of this system. They can only see that it's their own lives which are ending - with no end of the system in sight!

  Most J.W.'s feel it, but wouldn't admit it - there's no pleasure in sitting for hours at assemblies/conventions, and even less when knocking on strangers' doors. Hence the "joy" at the lesser of two evils - trolley witnessing!
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  punkofnice

  Freddo, Syme - Yes. On the one hand missing meetings is presented as loving help, but on the other as reason to show hate.

  TWoY - Love over-rides cult loyalty to watchtower rock star popes who couldn't care a hoot about you.

  Bonsai - I went to a different congregation. wink wink.

  Searcher - It seems to be all about negative emotions with the cult-think.
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  TheWonderofYou

  Your effort to come to the "meetings" is what counts.

  Its the best proof of appreciation for gods arrangements.

  If you lived far away from a kingdom hall and took upon you to walk dozens of miles over snow covered mountain passes in crackly frostiness or through mexican desert near some dangerous geyzers, this would be a good experience to tell on a convention, an example of appreciation. Then you should of course not forget your donation for the world wide work. Perhaps somewhen you can afford building a kingdom hall nearer to your place behind the pass or in the desert

  Sitting on your laptop and listening to the morning worship over internet or watching JW broadcast behind the mountanin pass is not the same as coming togehter with sis and bro's. But you could try out at home the paypal function to receive the latest printed edition of ever revised bible at your distant location.
• 

  punkofnice

  

  One for you TWoY
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  notjustyet

  I had one sincerely tell me, "We miss seeing you,.." I replied, "I have some pics of me on Facebook"

  NJY