I have a hard time relating to this. When I was a JW, I decided when I went to the meetings. If the weather (in my opinion) was bad, I didn't go. My feeling was that God gave us a brain, so let's use it. I refused to feel guilty over not going out in bad weather. If a bunch of die hards want to go, fine, but as for me and my household we'll stay safe and warm.
Cancelling The Meeting
by minimus 42 Replies latest jw friends
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xenawarrior
When I was called, I said I was staying home and that it was too cold. I asked what would happen if after 2 hours those cars did not start? I said I had called local law enforcement who said people should stay off the road unless it was an emergency. Were the elders ready to be bloodguilty if someone's car stalled and the occupants froze to death? The meeting was called off.
Blondie- you ROCK !!!
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minimus
Tex, in our congrgation, you would've been looked down upon. EVERYONE in our Hall would wait, sometimes until after 6 p.m. to find out if the meeting was still on at 7! Every once in a while, the cancellation was done but the storm turned into a fluke. This would really get the elders mad and when the next storm came, you could count on there being a meeting, even if we had 2 feet!!....One local Hall would always cancel their meeting on Thanksgiving Day so they could have the night off with their families! Then the CO came by and told them this was not permitted so the following year they had "Thanksgiving meeting" on Thursday afternoon. You can imagine, how often that congregation used to cancel meetings due to the weather.
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Blueblades
We had a situation where the elders cancelled the day time book study for the elderly and made them come to the night time book study no matter what the season or weather,darkness,cold,heat etc.
I produced a lastest KM. that said we should care for the concerns of those who because of tiredness, age,medication,attention span, working nights,etc. should have the opportunity to go to a day time book study.They said that it was not on the agender for that meeting and showed no concern after that.
Blueblades
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minimus
Ah, yes----It was not on the agenda!---- If the elders wanted to screw off on something, by putting on the back-burner, they'd just say, "Well, put it on the agenda for the next elder's meetings 4 months from now." Shows they cared! Pffft.
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asleif_dufansdottir
Our situation was probably unusual, but in our hall only 1 family and a single sister lived in the town where the hall was. None of the elders did. We were far from the hall, with about 35 - 40 miles one way to travel over country roads. Most of the congregation lived in the next town South, about 20 miles from the hall. I don't remember exactly but I don't remember meetings being cancelled more than maybe once a year, if that. Of course you weren't considered "theocratic" if you'd miss a meeting over a little thing like dangerous, icy country roads. You were just looking for an excuse not to go (well, DUH)
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nobody told me
I remember once after a huge snowstorm the meeting not being cancelled because the C.O. was visiting. Sure enough a sister slipped and fell on the walk way and had to go to the hospital. I'm sure if the elders weren't so intent on kissing the C.O. ass in showing how spiritual they were, there wouldn't have been a meeting.
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minimus
We had a horrible winter storm some years ago while the CO was visiting. We called him about rescheduling the meeting. He'd have none of that. So, the meeting was held, people braved the storm, most of them belatedly attended and "Jehovah blessed us with His representative for the week".
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Room 215
All of this silly posturing by self-righteous elders -- usually in the minority and considered nuisances by their more reasonable peers --in resisting the common-sense decision to cancel a meeting because of bad weather, is done for one reason -- to perpetuate the myth that the meetings are vitally important and therefore worth the risk to life and limb. It would help if these bozos were to be held liable for anyone who gets injured while fighting their way through a blizzard to get to another worthless, dull guilt session.
I feel sorry for the hapless saps who push themselves through bad weather because they have a talk or part on the meeting, only to find the hall virtually empty. In my experience, it's a rare dub, even the most zealous one, who doesn't relish that phone call cancelling the meeting; I never remember anyone ever protesting.
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Room 215
All of this silly posturing by self-righteous elders -- usually in the minority and considered nuisances by their more reasonable peers --in resisting the common-sense decision to cancel a meeting because of bad weather, is done for one reason -- to perpetuate the myth that the meetings are vitally important and therefore worth the risk to life and limb. It would help if these bozos were to be held liable for anyone who gets injured while fighting their way through a blizzard to get to another worthless, dull guilt session.
I feel sorry for the hapless saps who push themselves through bad weather because they have a talk or part on the meeting, only to find the hall virtually empty. In my experience, it's a rare dub, even the most zealous one, who doesn't relish that phone call cancelling the meeting; I never remember anyone ever protesting.