Unwritten, congregational 'rules'

by Thetruthhurts 68 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  slimboyfat

  Another one: no raising hands during songs.

  It only strikes me now how odd this is, since I’ve visited other churches. Many other Christian groups raise hands during hymns and it seems pretty natural. But JWs never do it. I sometimes think it would be fun to visit an unknown JW congregation and raise my hands during the songs. I’d be curious how they would respond to the dissonance of someone who knows the songs raising their hands while singing “make the truth your own” for example. Some songs would lend themselves to it better than others. I wonder what they would say. I don’t think they’ve got a specific rule against it, but I don’t think they’d like it either!

  https://youtu.be/bxbveK1MrpE
  
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  Anna Marina

  Slimboy I can tell you what happened when a recent visitor to my ex-cong did that. They were grabbed by a bully (aka elder) and told, "we are not here to enjoy ourselves." It was said with a smile, of course.
  

  He should have added, "we are here to be bored senseless."

  Vidiot - glad you made it out :)

  Pale Emperor - it has now been forbidden for anyone to bring back the love of a congregation. Watchtower-love (be it agape, philial or storge) comes from top down, it doesn't go sideways. It's not like Ezekiel's Chariot.
  
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  road to nowhere

  !that WT love that comes down is eros, or at least a metaphor of one act of eros
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  No stuffed toys or dolls allowed for children to play with.....they had to listen and sit

  Shouldn't talk about mundane things....only talk about what went on at the meeting, spiritual food

  Should not look at print photos, cell phone photos inside Kingdom Hall

  Should not pass out business cards or talk about business dealings
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  Difido

  One time I suggested in field circus that me and an elderly sister call on a specific house because there were no stairs and she was quite feeble. I was quickly reminded not to be 'taking the lead'. Omg. Stupid narcissists.
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  No leather jackets, coats or skirts for women . Frowned upon , dunno why!!

  No social gatherings in large groups unless discussed first with Body Of Odours.

  Zing
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  Anna Marina

  I was once kindly given a lot of eggs and wanted to share them with the others. So I took them to our KH and went out into one of the back rooms where I handed them out. Free.

  Next thing is I am getting told off for SELLING eggs at the KH. I said, "I'm not selling them I am giving them out." I didn't get told off but I sensed the disapproval. So I never did such a thing again.
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  Doctor Who

  We had a sister once have a picnic where she left the invitation open to all from the congregation. One of the "friends" heard and was telling everyone and anyone she knew that we were having a congregation picnic. The Sunday before the picnic, 2 elders took the sister organizing the picnic into the back room. I was/is very close to that sister and she explained that the elders told her she could be reproved for brazen conduct if she didn't cancel the picnic asap. The reason? She is a sister and was organizing it without the brothers direction! She tried to explain that it wasn't a 'congregation' picnic, just an open invitation to come to the park, bring your own food type of thing. But nooooo. The brothers need to be in charge, she was a Jezabel (yes they called her that!)

  By the way....it was a great picnic! She was also publicly reproved 2 weeks later. There was also a local needs part on being 'submissive to the brothers even if it doesn't make sense at the time' talk.
  
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  Doctor Who

  Another story....we had a sister who had her property vandalized by a man that is a son of another baptized witness. The sister who had her property vandalized called the police and took the son to court to sue for damages. Now, that son actually faced jail time because of the amount of damages he caused.

  When the elders found out, they told the sister to not sue the son because it would bring reproach on Jehovah's name. That sister said fine, but only of you pay and fix the damage. You know the brothers were not going to do that! So, she did sue and won. 6 months later, that sister was DF'd! She is still out to this day. Which, I guess you could say is a happy ending for her!

  Oh, the best thing.....that son was welcomed back with opened arms and is now baptized. He is running microphones in the KH and is on his way to be a good borg.
  
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  ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara

  Sisters are never to share any opinions,views or say(construed as directing) when at field circus, meetingsetc.

  I was with a couple of bros and two sisters on the field circus.When this newly appointed ms was working with another sis. She found out that he was doing the knocking the hard way round in an area which was uphill and downhill. He would walk uphill, knock on a couple of doors,come back down and check with the other four he had in his care how they were doing.Then dish out a few more doors to them, again walk further uphill back to the last door he had knocked and start there. Back and forth, back and forth. Given the sis was an older person, difficulty in walking steep uphill too, she said it would be easier on her if he just had the lower numbers (bottom of hill so she does not need to walk up and down needlessly, or pair her up with someone else.

  Boy! should have seen his face go red, he was so upset she spoke her mind and trying to direct him (which was a smarter way of doing things). No way ! Nada! He did not want to reason or ask why! Ultimately, as I saw what was happening, just asked her if she would join me on a return visit nearby (to get her out of the situation without making waves for anyone).She jumped on it, and rest is history.

  So much for empathy (a word I learnt only with this cult)

  Zing