Not invited to congregation “get togethers”. They finally said it (page 6)

Lost in the fog

Wonder what they would make of Jesus inviting the blind, lame, etc to the banquet.

"No, No, Lord. They don't participate in our weekly meetings..."

🤔 🤣

I went to a large gathering yesterday. It was good fun and good exercise. Around my parts, there is NOTHING else to do other than lock myself inside and read some books. As an introvert, that's more or less the only thing I really want out of life, but it can get real tedious if I have no means to switch it up once in a while.

One of the elders holds the gathering same time, same place every weekend. In a very hushed and serious tone, he told my wife and I that only certain people are allowed to come, and he trusts that we know whom, so we can invite whomever we want, so long as they fit the bill. Basically, no non-progressive studies, no inactive, no reproved, no faders, no non-JW relatives, and no-whoevers that don't belong.

It's rather weird being on this side of things for the moment. You can see how counterproductive it really is. Instead of weeding out the spiritually weak, it serves to keep the doubters and disbelievers right in the thick of things, hiding in plain site, since exiting comes at such a high cost.

Vidiot

Jofi_Wofo - "...he told my wife and I that only certain people are allowed to come, and he trusts that we know whom, so we can invite whomever we want, so long as they fit the bill..."

Oh Jeezus, that's funny.

He trusts you to vet the guests, completely clueless that (by his "standards") you're probably the least-fitting of said bill.

LongHairGal

MORECONFUSEDTHANEVER:

Quoting that person:...“Only those who regularly attend meetings and FS can be invited..If you will not associate in spiritual activities...you are not entitled to socialize at other times..”.. I was somewhat regular.

I’m not lamenting..By right any group of people can associate with whomever they want..I accept that and quite frankly don’t care if Witnesses didn’t like me because I worked..I’m now Retired.

I DO care, however, if these same hypocrites would NOW have the audacity to come up to me to ask money for Witnesses who never wanted to work!!!..Not gonna happen!..

This garbage is what I would face if I were still wasting time in a congregation somewhere.

dozy

I had faded for a few months ( my wife was still attending ) when an invite came from an elder to a "going away congregation party" he was holding for a young couple who were our good friends in the congregation. To be honest , I didn't really want to go so as I thought it could be a bit embarrassing and anyway I was very busy at work so I had pretty much decided the best option , to save any fuss or hassle , was on the night not to turn up , giving as an excuse that ( delete as required ) I had been called into work or wasn't well or one of the kids wasn't well and my wife could attend if she wanted to. Even when I was a fully assimilated JW I was never really a big fan of these kind of JW social occasions.

Some of the other more self righteous elders got to hear of it and one night a week or so before the party came the dreaded "knock at the door" and two elders turned up. They were pretty nervous and told me that the elders had met and decided ( by majority ) to rescind my invitation. I asked if they had told the elder who had invited me and they said that though he disagreed with the decision he was bound by collective responsibility.

I then asked for a scriptural basis for their decision and suddenly there was a kind of "rabbit in the headlights" look and the two elders just said - sorry , this is what we have decided. They didn't even have their bibles with them. I showed them the scripture in 1st Corinthians which talks about not even eating with a man who is immoral , an idolater , drunk etc and asked into which definition they were placing me. I asked if Bro Xxxxx ( a convicted paedophile in our congregation ) would be attending and they said they weren't sure. They then shuffled away , saying that they had other congregation business to attend to. It was all a bit surreal,

My wife was very upset and said that she wouldn't attend and this was kind of the last straw for her and she stopped attending the meetings a couple of weeks later. The whole episode was just pathetic really.

newsheep

LongHairGal

This elderly couple were originally from the old order mennonite community and they have a pile of money that these elders would have loved to get their hands on when they die but they also have a pile of kids. They have in their entire family one hundred and five total. And all of them are happy that their parents are out.

I feel sorry for the mother since she was just diagnosed with liver cancer and also missed forty years or so of their lives not being able to have much to do with their family. Now they are.

babygirl30

I can't even be MAD at her for keeping it real like that! She really gave you the real deal. BUT...it is the principle behind it that bothers me.

FedUpJW

''well what about the other person's feelings?''

Well what about them? After all they are going to die at Armageddon anyway.

That /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ is what any "good" Jdub would at the very least think, if not say out loud. God, I hate their hypocrisy!

hoser

@ Dozy

Some of the other more self righteous elders got to hear of it and one night a week or so before the party came the dreaded "knock at the door" and two elders turned up. They were pretty nervous and told me that the elders had met and decided ( by majority ) to rescind my invitation.

That experience is the equivalent of quitting your job and a week later your boss showing up at your door to say you’ve been fired.

Diogenesister

There was an elder on the same street doing the same thing as me and he took three years . His house looked like a frat house with all the people coming and going. He is 60 years old. Stupid.

Although to be honest I'm glad he has a Home for his old age. Remember when he's 70 the org "won't require his services" and, especially if he gets sick and struggles to attend meetings, you'll see fewer and fewer visits.

Not invited to congregation “get togethers”. They finally said it

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