Remember those stupid TESTS we would take at theocratic ministry school

by dolphman 24 Replies latest jw friends

  • dolphman
    dolphman

    Remember those things, they'd hand out a board, a pencil, and this test booklet. I mean, I loved those nights! It actually gave me something to do. I would write in bullshit, funny answers, which was great until my mom made me raise my hand to answer, and instead of having real answers, i had phony ones, or worse, obscene ones.

    Did anybody actually try to get their answers right?

    Personally, i think there is something wrong with taking a "test" in a church environment.

  • blondie
    blondie

    It's only an oral view now and you get the questions weeks ahead of time and where the answers are.

    I think it is only 1/2 hour too. Dumbing down of the WTS.

    I am old enough to remember when you saw the questions when you walked in.

    My mother can remember when someone else corrected it.

    Yikes.

    Blondie

  • RubaDub
    RubaDub

    Yes, the dumbing down process has continued over the years.

    If you really wanted people to learn to study, you wouldn't give them the page and paragraph number of every answer. Let the person use his or her brain and find the answer in the book themselves (oooppsss that would involve thinking wouldn't it !)

    Drink your orange juice.

    ***** Rub a Dub

  • VeniceIT
    VeniceIT

    Yup and they might actually do the 'wrong research' and find stuff they're not supposed to know about esp. in the older lit.

    Ven

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere
    If you really wanted people to learn to study, you wouldn't give them the page and paragraph number of every answer. Let the person use his or her brain and find the answer in the book themselves (oooppsss that would involve thinking wouldn't it !)

    Oops! Looks like they forgot their own advice!

    km 11/99 p. 5 Use of the Internet?Be Alert to the Dangers!
    Using another person?s research for a talk or for other meeting preparation really defeats the purpose of personal study. Is it not your desire to build up your own personal faith in God?s Word? Based on personal conviction, you can then make public expression of your faith?in your talks, in comments at the meetings, and in the field ministry. (Rom. 10:10) Using another person?s research does not fit the description given at Proverbs 2:4, 5 to personally ?keep seeking and searching for the very knowledge of God as for hid treasures.?
  • Euphemism
    Euphemism
    I am old enough to remember when you saw the questions when you walked in.

    Heck, I'm old enough to remember that. I don't think they changed that until the late 80's.

    If you really wanted people to learn to study, you wouldn't give them the page and paragraph number of every answer

    The worst part was the fill-in-the blank questions. Those tested nothing but your ability to look up the referenced answer. E.g. km 12/01 question #21:

    "True prophets spoke _____ and made known _____."

    The 'correct' answers are "in the name of God" and "their faith in Jesus." But there's no way to know that unless you looked up the reference. It could equally well be "True prophets spoke to God's people and made known God's judgments," or "True prophets spoke by divine revelation and made known the future," or any other number of possiblities.

  • blondie
    blondie

    Yes, Euph, you look young for your years.

    Actually, I remember that people especially dreaded the written reviews. Missed meetings and lack of attention during the meetings, meant many had blank looks when they looked at the written review and few participated by answering. Just like the WTS switched it around at the WT study from reading the paragraphs after answering to reading the paragraph before asking the questions, the Written Review as made more user friendly as well as being given less often. The most poorly attended meeting is the school on written review night.

    km 12/89 5 Theocratic Ministry School Review


    Closed-book review on material covered in Theocratic Ministry School assignments for the weeks of September 4 to December 18, 1989. Use a separate sheet of paper to write down answers to as many of the questions as you can in the time allotted.

    [Note: During the written review, only the Bible may be used to answer any question.

    (I guess the Bible isn't a book)

    KM 4/89

    However, printed questions will be included with the April, August, and December issues of Our Kingdom Ministry. Having these sheets early will give each one the opportunity to research specific information so as to be thoroughly prepared.

    This new arrangement should give added incentive to everyone to be present and to participate in this feature of the Theocratic Ministry School. The added research involved should help establish key points clearly in our minds. With this new arrangement, the objective of the Theocratic Ministry School will be more fully accomplished. This should be reflected in our being better equipped for the work of the ministry.

  • freelife
    freelife

    i always hated those nights. my mom and dad would always try to make me raise my hand to answer the questions. thank god for the true and false questions. that was the only way i was going to ever get one right. thankfully i did not pay that good of attention at the meetings. now i have less programing to get out of my cranium.

  • Stacy Smith
    Stacy Smith
    Did anybody actually try to get their answers right?

    Well I hope you don't think even less of me but I've never written down a single answer. An elder once called on me when I didn't raise my hand to try to embarress me but I think my answer backfired. I told him "sorry brother but I was thinking about my assignments at school instead of this test".

    A pair of elders visited us during the week to question me about my smartass remark. I was way more blunt with them in our living room than at the hall. Lucky for me my parents liked me more than them

  • LuckyNun
    LuckyNun

    I HAD to get my answers right, or suffer the consequences (reading nothing but JW literature for two weeks). to me they were easy enough. I couldn't understand why we had to do written reviews. it's not like you got to partake of the emblems at the next memorial for getting a perfect score. what WAS the point?

    I can regurgitate spoon-fed information better than YOU! I RULE!

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