Control freaks!
Ban on Independent Meetings
by lssjr 55 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Jeffro
There a few things in that batch of announcements suggesting JWs are increasingly ignoring ‘theocratic direction’. A fairly predictable outcome of less direct coercion at ‘meetings’, hopefully a trend that will continue.
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Drearyweather
This announcement is actually a relief to witnesses!
In our congregation, our elder used to conduct a weekly session to understand the Pure Worship (Ezekiel) book, every Saturday, which sometimes used to run to 3 hrs! Ones who didn't attend were even counseled.
In our neighboring congregation, they had a daily 45 min morning worship program to discuss the daily text.
I have attended these with my family and none of these meetings were 'deep research' meetings, but just some energetic overzealot elders taking advantage of the property of gathering everyone over zoom, and which overburdened the publishers.
Good riddance!
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neat blue dog
They have the nerve to specifically forbid any meetings that open and close with prayer.
Jesus said 'wherever there are two or more gathered together, I am in their midst.'
That is so wrong!
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Jeffro
Drearyweather:
In our congregation, our elder used to conduct a weekly session to understand the Pure Worship (Ezekiel) book, every Saturday, which sometimes used to run to 3 hrs! Ones who didn't attend were even counseled.
Material to help people understand the Pure Worship book is available here.
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mynameislame
even beginning and ending such meetings with prayer
WHAT??? Even if you agree that people shouldn't meet on their own, how is praying the cherry on top?
"It's bad enough that you talked about bible stuff outside of the meetings but how dare you speak to God in the process." FDS
What are these people supposed to do with their time?
I would imagine JWs were hit pretty hard by the pandemic layoffs and many of them have a lot of extra time on their hands.
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hoser
They don’t want anyone to develop a thinking problem.
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slimboyfat
Amazing instructions on so many levels.
Perhaps they object to private meetings involving prayer in particular because they perceive them as aping “real meetings” in form but lacking real authority. This focus on prayer as a sanctioned ritual in certain contexts has not been so clearly spelled out before as far as I recall. They are really presuming a lot. If they don’t see that themselves, I wonder if elders will take exception to the instruction of instead treat it as the latest “wisdom” from the faithful slave.
Interesting that rationale for discontinuing extra meetings is for the eyes of elders only in the announcement. I wonder how much will be conveyed to the congregation. Or will elders just announce, “extra meetings are discontinued” no explanation given? -
FFGhost
Wow - there's a lot going in in just this one sentence:
While the individuals organizing and participating in such meetings are likely well-intentioned, there is no provision for such arrangements.
likely well-intentioned
Just wow. The passive-aggressive negativity positively gushes out of this.
"Likely well intentioned"?
Whatever happened to "love believes all things, hopes all things, etc. etc." Thinking the best of our brothers?
"LIKELY"???
As in, "yeah, we're pretty sure there's a good number of you guys out there doing this for, I dunno, some bad reason".
There is no provision for such arrangements
Who the cluck cares?
There's no "provision" for my eating avocado toast on Sunday mornings. So should I stop?
Are JWs only supposed to do things for which there are "provisions"?
The sheer, utter hubris and pomposity of these proclamations - sheesh.
As I noted, I really shouldn't be surprised by now, but still....holy crap.
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johnamos
There is no provision for such arrangements
There is a provision for it...they tell you to be like the Beroen's. Those that are meeting together as stated in so-called reports of doing so should just say that they are examining the Scriptures to see whether what they heard in today's talk or WT lesson, is true or not.
[9-1-10 WT – Be like the noble-minded men and women whom the apostle Paul preached to in Beroea. They received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. —Acts 17:11.You have nothing to fear from examining your beliefs in this way.” The bible encourages you to “make sure of all things” before accepting them as true. (1 Thess 5:21) Toward the end of the first century C.E., the apostle John urged his fellow christians: ” Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God.” (1 John 4:1) Yes, even though a certain religious teaching seems to be “inspired” – or to come from God- it is still the course of wisdom to examine the Scriptures to make sure before accepting it as true- John 8:31,32. “]