I can confirm the lower attendance at the memorial for this year and last year in our congregation too (Austria, Europe). It seems like inactive don't come to that "special meeting" anymore and we have a few "visitors" (always the same).
I don't know if it's a world-wide trend. We have to check that!
Desilusionnee
JoinedPosts by Desilusionnee
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9
Wanted to pass along some interesting news about some of the local KH's I found out
by StoneWall inat least 2 of the 4 closest congregations to me had lower attendance at the memorial this year.. i didn't go to the memorial this year but at my own congregation it not only went down some but by a considerable margin.. last year we had 200+ for the memorial, this year down to 157.. second congregation nearby had a drop of over 20. from approx.
i do believe we have been making tremendous inroads in my area.
so many have just stopped going.
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Desilusionnee
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
8 and 9 year old!!!! I didn't know one could get baptized that early!
And that's true, we're expected to take our decision as soon as we "understand", overwise we can't really "please Jehovah"...that's the point. -
36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
by Desilusionnee in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:donotshowrevisions /> <w:donotprintrevisions /> <w:donotshowmarkup /> <w:donotshowcomments /> <w:donotshowinsertionsanddeletions /> <w:donotshowpropertychanges /> <w:hyphenationzone>21</w:hyphenationzone> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>de</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp /> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables /> <w:dontvertalignintxbx /> <w:word11kerningpairs /> <w:cachedcolbalance /> </w:compatibility> <w:browserlevel>microsoftinternetexplorer4</w:browserlevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="--" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
sd-7 most of us raised or born in THINK they make their own choice, but we were more or less manipulated. Always the fear of dying at Armageddon.
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
by Desilusionnee in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:donotshowrevisions /> <w:donotprintrevisions /> <w:donotshowmarkup /> <w:donotshowcomments /> <w:donotshowinsertionsanddeletions /> <w:donotshowpropertychanges /> <w:hyphenationzone>21</w:hyphenationzone> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>de</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp /> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables /> <w:dontvertalignintxbx /> <w:word11kerningpairs /> <w:cachedcolbalance /> </w:compatibility> <w:browserlevel>microsoftinternetexplorer4</w:browserlevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="--" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
Didn't know one needed a min. hours of service per month to get baptized...one more rule
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
You can be glad Cthulhu!
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Standing up for myself, a lonely stand
by troubled mind ini have learned in my life that i am the only one i can trust to stand up for myself .. many times i wished others would have 'had my back', like when i was seven and my favorite teacher committed wrongful contact with my class....we didn't know the term pedofile back then , and children were not taken serious when they made complaints about teachers .
i wished my mom had been more protective and saved me from some ugly situations .
i knew at 10 yrs of age that wasn't going to be the case .
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Desilusionnee
It's good to speak. Write my feelings down also helps me when I feel very depressed.
Desi
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
Jimmy: All of us were/are more or less brainwashed.
LostnFound: A matter of savation...yes I know it, I though it was.
Cthulhu: is your family JW?
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36
How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
Yes no gun...under pressure without even noticing it like most of us.
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How old were you when you got baptized...was it your own decision?
by Desilusionnee in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:donotshowrevisions /> <w:donotprintrevisions /> <w:donotshowmarkup /> <w:donotshowcomments /> <w:donotshowinsertionsanddeletions /> <w:donotshowpropertychanges /> <w:hyphenationzone>21</w:hyphenationzone> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>de</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp /> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables /> <w:dontvertalignintxbx /> <w:word11kerningpairs /> <w:cachedcolbalance /> </w:compatibility> <w:browserlevel>microsoftinternetexplorer4</w:browserlevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="--" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><!
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Desilusionnee
I was 13 years old and I though it was my own decision. My parents never tried to influence me. But I still can remember a speech I must have been between 10 and 12 years old. The speaker said that no unbaptized proclaimer will survive Armageddon or something like that and that each of us regardless of its age had to take a decision, the decision to serve Jah. If you know the truth and don’t make up a decision it’s like being against it. It threatened me and I think it was the point that moved me to get baptized.
How was it for you? -
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Gratitude from a long time lurker!
by Thetis ini cannot begin to tell you how grateful i am to you!
you reassured me while i was one of the walking wounded.
you know that line from the movie "shadowlands", when the student says to c.s.
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Desilusionnee
Welcome and thanks for sharing your story!