JW feeling persecuted yet (California)

by Anony Mous 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Anony Mous

  California, after failing to ban all religious gatherings (failed in court) has now banned all singing and chanting in religious places, including if you are on a live stream and the only person around.
  

  I haven't heard a peep yet from the JW.borg about how to handle this new 'persecution' on religion, the only thing that came up with a search was this:

  https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-november-2017/singing-essential-part-of-true-worship/

  and this

  https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2019/worship-jehovah-when-under-ban/

  On the other hand, thousands in California were singing and chanting their religious messages over the weekend in their places of worship about Black Lives and Police Defunding.
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  DesirousOfChange

  I think the Borg is "laying low" and not wanting to "rock the boat" regarding any restrictions resulting from the COVID plague. They're likely afraid they'd be sued if they were the cause of a spike among the JW community.

  As long as the cash flow doesn't taper off, they'll continue with Zoom meetings.
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  Anna Marina

  Perhaps someone could confirm, but I'm hearing no conventions til 2022. Also new form of group arrangement - after meeting social groups. Ah if that's the case, maybe they've got around it by saying they are in social groups!
  

  California has banned all singing in religious places? So ANY song in a religious place?

  Then what about funeral parlours?

  Also, once I saw a lot of men dressed in smart casual wear. They were stood in rows in a big classical garden. It looked like the Psychology Department had sent out its leading men to do something wierd beneath the fir trees. I was taking a short-cut when all at once I came across a host of blokes with their eyes closed. From the moss covered stairs, I stood and stared. Slowly they moved in unison, keeping a creepy rhythm beneath the bright sun. There was no sound, except the birds but if there had been, how would California have dealt with that? Also what about the bird song?
  

  Outdoor, moving to music or bird song and being just wierd? Huh? And possibly at the end of it getting a certificate to show you attended the course.
  
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  RubaDub

  Singing is not really a big issue within the Borg. If I recall correctly, they did not sing at meetings in Mexico for a number of years due to some sort of governmental registration thing that the JW's were like a club and not a religious group or something. Don't ask me to look it up but it has been posted here several times over the years.

  As DesirousOfChange mentioned, the Borg is laying low. IMO, that is a smart move in a political sense. If you had half of a congregation affected with the virus, it would be considered "bringing reproach on God's name" or some other thing when it was broadcast on the news and throw a negative light on the Borg.
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  Hecce

  I wonder what "separation trick" are they going to pull the with the baptism ceremony.
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  08out

  Omg the singing was worse than nails on a chalkboard,I always pretended to sing,I knew I was horrible
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  Overrated

  Ah, the singing. Good not carry a note so I Faked it. Would make up new words to those dreaded kingdom songs in my head.
• 

  Diogenesister

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  As DesirousOfChange mentioned, the Borg is laying low. IMO, that is a smart move in a political sense. If you had half of a congregation affected with the virus, it would be considered "bringing reproach on God's name" or some other thing when it was broadcast on the news and throw a negative light on the Borg.

  watchtower is protecting its assets. Because they know their real assets - their cash cows if you will - are the legions of mostly older and often unfit JWs who still deeply believe and still deeply dig into their pockets to donate. Without this their backbone, healthy and able to obey, watchtower is lost.