To Those Who Still Go To Meetings, Do You Sense Anything Different?

by minimus 64 Replies latest jw friends

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  undercover

  when I did attend in the mid 80's, early nineties we were like a social/religious organization. The various clicks would always have something going on like concerts, plays, and weekend trips to varied places. "Friends" from around the circuit would call us the party animal congregation. The CO eventually discovered we were having too much fun and had the elders present a Local Needs Talk to put a stop to us from making too much merry. At that time our congregations had the highest number of publishers, pioneers, and averaged hours per publisher, magazine placement and meeting attendance in the circuit.

  It seems that most places experienced that same thing. It happened where I was.

  The JWs as a religion and group of people had finally kind of found itself. It's members were starting to become a united group, not just in the rituals of the religion but in everyday life. JW community was becoming a reality. But the WTS didn't want that. It wasn't about creating a community of like thinking or believing worshippers of God, it was about controlling the masses to keep them doing the bidding of the organization.

  They were afraid that if the brothers got together too much away from a regimented program they might start revolting or something, that's how paranoid or scared they were. They didn't realize that most JWs just wanted to have fun with other people who believed the same way. If the WTS had realized that, they might be in better shape today with fewer defections.

  Once they started dropping the iron fist of oppression on people, the friends weren't as happy. The worldwide brotherhood wasn't so brotherly anymore. People started questioning things on their own. In fact, it would have been better to allow the friends to associate more freely because a happy dub is a controlled dub. Once they were isolated, it gave them time to ponder on things. Once they were left alone to their own devices, they could secretly search or question and not have others look down on them.

  Since the big crackdown of the early nineties on gatherings and parties, more and more JWs are isolated socially and have become unhappy. An unhappy dub is a questioning dub. And a questioning dub is eventually going to stumble onto something that he can't ignore and will become an ex-dub.
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  Think

  ABSOLUTLY ! BABELTOWER IS REAPING THEIR OWN SEEDS.

  Because.... what can grow on a LIE ? Is this Babeltower standing on rock or on sand? IS God Realyy with them? Any believers any longer after 130 years of Never endings of news Lights? Is a LIE ...a... SAND or a rock? Even if they look very " clean" and " solid" from outside, the are just what they are: Frankenstain created by the " Wise" Masters" now... the Frankenstain-BabelTower is hunting them down... Well that is the price for slaving for "image" for leaving the poor and sick silent lambs, and worshiping their " BABE-Frankenstain-Babeltower....

  Any volunters to support that monster???

  EXODUS 20: 3-5 " Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any GRAVEN IMAGE, or any likeness of ANY THING THAT IS in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bown down thyself to them, NOR SERVE THEM... "

  Millions of People are a living testimony how they been treated lmore than as a "thing" a drone, "working tool for wt Benefits, and less as a Human, less important that the Babeltower "Mother"
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  silentWatcher

  For some reason the Watchtower had a really good swing through the 90's and into the first part of this decade, but it seems that now everything is slowing down some. I think there are some reasons for this.
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  Even after the "generation change" MANY JWs in the back of their minds thought 2000 would be the end. Then 9/11 happened, and many went flocking back. 4 years later, and Jee-zeus hasn't arrived on his big white horsey yet.
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  serendipity

  The cong. I'm in is growing slowly, but with move ins, rather than baptisms. The comments are a bit lackluster and it tends to be the same ones, but fortunately some of the more self-righteous sorts don't answer as much (a good thing). There is definitely more emphasis on socializing, and they don't talk about field service either. The cong. still ignores the older ones and the other vulnerables.
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  Dismembered

  Min,

  Most of us can't go out every night!

  Dismembered
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  lostlantern

  I am no longer regular at the meetings but at the last circuit assembly only one person was baptised. It struck me as very odd, I have never seen so few baptised. My parents were falling off of the wagon but are alive and kicking strong again. I do get the sense through their comments though that there are problems with the young ones. Not only in their hall but in the whole circuit.

  I did attend all of the 2005 Assemblies and Convention and for the first time nothing struck me as encouraging. In fact I think the baptism talks are real downers. When we were young they were more "warm and fuzzy", now they are very formal and legalistic. If by chance I do go to a meeting it only makes me depressed because everyone wants to know what happened to my husband, yada, yada, yada. I decided that I couldn't take the feeling of "worthlessness" I walk away with.
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  stillajwexelder

  people who I would not expect to miss, do so regularly.

  Comments lack depth showing very little pre-study, if any, is done

  Ministry is virtually non-existent on Sunday

  Zeal seems to be lacking

  The comments from the elders and servants in talks and answers all seem to get the in the phrase "loyalty to the Faithful and Discreet Slave" at least once
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  onesong

  All of the things going on that everyone is indicating is good as far as getting people out. They're much less likely to question anything if they feel alive and fulfilled. It was the total lack of anything spiritual that led to me leaving.

  I think one of the reasons for this lack of zeal is that as a human race we're evolving and growing and need deeper answers than we used to.
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  dmouse

  At the last circuit convention I went to in Dudley about six years ago, after missing five years, I noticed there were less than half of the baptisms there used to be.

  During the baptism, instead of the revered silence that used to prevail the brothers started chatting and walking around, so much so that they had to send a brother to the platform to request that people 'please be quiet' during the baptism.

  I was shocked at the difference a few years could make in people's respect for the occasion.
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  outoftheorg

  When I look back at the time where I started to loose faith, around 1978 and when things all came to a head, around 1992 I keep thinking of the word exhausted.

  I was slowly becoming more and more exhausted until I reached the point where I no longer gave a shit about Pleasing any one. Wife, siblings, friends, elders, any one at all.

  And trapped, knowing that I might lose my wife, siblings, friends.

  I did, I lost them all. One of the best things in my life reallly. It took some time to recognize this but it is truly one of the best things in my life.

  I think that many people are having the same feelings and may not yet know why.

  Sad really sad situation for millions of people.

  outoftheorg