Out of the mouths of babes

stillajwexelder

I have just IMd my 11 year old daughter - -because of family commitments they are not going to meeting tonight. I asked "Are you pleased you do not have to go to meeting tonight?" She replied --- "Dad" all indignantly --- I then replied "what" and she said " Dad , nobody likes going to meetings it is just something we have to do" so it appears waht has been said on this forum is truth. Our youngsters hate meetings, are totally bored by them , and if there was something else to do would much prefer to do trhat --- so much for Jesus yoke being mild and refreshing!!!!

bebu

so much for Jesus yoke being mild and refreshing!

I think that the incredible pharisaism should clearly show that one has not been following Jesus.

...Those endless meetings would drive me NUTS.

bebu

Valis

Man if I were allowed to stay at home I would have from an early age...The standard JW retort if, "Well you wouldn't want to leave young children at home by themselves would you?"....And then I think back to all the nights and days and both I babysitted from the 4th grade on while my parents were working...Somehow the standard retort and personal experience don't seem to jive.

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

zen nudist

How many times did you hear..... a TRUE worshipper of Jehovah, Jesus, WT, etc...would DESIRE to come to meeting, DESIRE to go out door to door, etc.... and then think, how much you REALLY did not DESIRE any of those things and wonder if you were really saved....and then out of GUILT do them??

unbeliever

I remember one elder said giving a talk "Do your kids get as excited going to meetings as they do Wal-Mart? If they are not excited about going to meetings then there is something wrong". What an idiot.

starfish422

Wow, Stilla, it's great that she can be so open with you. I can't possibly imagine telling my dad, at age 11, that I didn't like going to meetings. Eek. That would have meant lots and lots of extra study for sure.

mustang

YES!!!! This is a major thing that is overlooked: MEETINGS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN AN OBLIGATION.

They were something to be endured and anything meaningful happens afterward. Perhaps, you transact some "business" (even monkey business) at a meeting or arrange to do something else. Otherwise meetings are MEANINGLESS !!!!

I am not even sure that I realized this until recently; that includes ~25 years of attending meetings, pIONEERING, servant and all that.

All of that was done

ON AUTOPILOT!!!

I (we, by extension) simply didn't know any better or any other way!!!

Parents never realize that this is how the majority of children see things. Since you are "inducted" as "slave labor", that is how it is. I am speaking as one who was "raised in the truth". I can't even see "converts" (convicts? indentured servants? slaves? captives? vassals? conscripts!!! I think that is the word I am looking for...) of this sort as being real.

The WTS is greatly deluded on this score. Is it any surprise that their only recourse is

THE GUILT TRIP?

BTW, I have a spreadsheet counting MEETINGS THAT I HAVE MISSED: the current score is 7,252.

That doesn't include Circuit/District Assemblies, Memorial or other ?? One of these days, I'll expand it to include the meetings that I did attend. Alas, there is that useless Dub preoccupation with the statistics

Mustang

The Automaton Class

Mysterious

I always day dreamed and then felt bad for not listening..and then tried to listen. And then started to day dream during the prayer and then felt guilty about it. Family study was the biggie for me. All that talk about family studies should be something to look forward to. I would try and put it off and hate it as time taken out of my day. I'd rather be doing anything else, even chores! I always figured everyone else wanted to to go the meetings and I was the odd one out who didn't. And then I figured I only had doubts because I didn't try hard enough and if I tried really hard I could "make the truth my own". Who remembers that line.

I've been sick for a week so no meetings, I'm getting shafted into going tonight though. It gets better, next week I have a talk! LAST ONE. I will NEVER give a talk again in my entire life, this I promise! I'm going to get myself removed from the school to "better concentrate on my education". I'll tell him I'll talk to him again after I grad but I plan to be out by then!

flower

I dont know who we sat through those meetings for so many years. Talk about bored to tears. I know I couldnt possible sit through a whole meeting now. Thank 'God' (and i use that term lightly) that my son is not being subjected to that torment.

Stacy Smith

Isn't your daughter precious. My mom just told me on my IM that if I had wanted to stay home from meetings that they would have not forced me. I went only to please them.

Out of the mouths of babes

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