Telephone Hookup if You Can't be Physically Present at the KH (page 3)

ex360shipper

The organization says its not lying if they determine the person being spoken to is unworthy of the facts.

I also remember when I would miss a boasting session, I would miss it. Usually, this was when whoever was supposed to pick me up had a talk out, and I would forget to call someone else for a ride until it was too late. Initially, they would have one person that would pick me up and a backup when he had a talk out. But, occasionally both were out--I would have to call someone else, and sometimes it would be 15 minutes into the boasting session before I remembered. Or, I would be waiting for them to show up, no one would, and then I would realize I forgot to let someone know. Usually I would miss that boasting session.

Later, I would do that on purpose. If I knew the person picking me up was out, I would "forget" on purpose to let anyone know. The result is that I would miss the boasting sessions. No worry about calling in, no worry about picking up the boasting session via a phone line. And I would have flimsier and flimsier excuses to skip them--that was before they had readily available phone tie-ins. They had arrangements to tape-record the boasting sessions on the sound system so that those who genuinely couldn't attend could listen later (a complete waste). But, I guess the tie-in lines came into use after I quit going.

punkofnice

At my old kingdum hell if you rang the designated number they'd hook you up and the congo would foot the bill. If you were unlucky and didn't get in the queue on time you'd have to pay.

They were looking into setting up a phone system for 'beaming' the meeting to a JW's only old folks home when I was an elder, the WBT$ HQ forbade it!

NVR2L8

Punkofnice, in my hall the congregation paid the monthly cost of the additional phone line ($120 per month if I remember well). So at first the elders hesitated to have the system installed...they were considering leaving the old system that would allow only 2 homes to be connected at once. As far as beaming the audio to another location, that's a no-no because it would give these old folks an excuse not to come to the KHall...if they have an ounce of life left, they should spend it coming to the meetings. In our area there is a camp site where the vast majority of campers are JWs and every Sunday a WT study was organized...that was cancelled because the society wanted the campers and vacationers to drive one hour each way to attend the study at a KHall...I guess this camp ground must be quite empty on Sunday...NOT!

stillstuckcruz

You have the hook-up(no pun intended) if your the family of one of the elders. My mom stayed home the other day, an my elder dad just gave her the PIN #. The "in" crowd I suppose.

One of the comments made at the meeting a few months ago was truly telling. The brother on stage said "Jehovah's spirit is here at the Kingdom Hall, not on the telephone". He was basically saying if you can be at the KH, then be there. I could only imagine was shut-ins and other's who, because of health reasons, were only able to listen in and not physically be there at KH must have felt when that statement was made. "No Holy Spirit for us I suppose..."

Knowsnothing

Stillstuckcruz, it's all a big guilt trip man.

nancy drew

They worry about people who are not physically present when so many are mentally absent the KH is filled with empty shells sitting in the chairs repeating back lines from the magazine.

NewChapter

I freaking hated the option. When I got sick and couldn't make it to meetings, someone always cheerfully informed me that I could do the phone hook up! I was sick---I wanted to be left alone. So since I had a valid excuse for missing, instead of the usual guilt trip "oh, we missed you at meeting" it was the, "did you hear the talk on the phone hookup??"

No, I didn't.

I hooked in one time and fell asleep before the opening prayer was over. I woke up somewhere near the end. What's wrong with these f**king people? LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE!

NC

kurtbethel

This sounds so 1990s. There is this really neat thing called the internet, and it is easy to set up to stream audio from a meeting. It just takes a little bit of initiative and effort from the IT servant at the hall and then people can listen in on whatever media device they have.

Most churches have podcast feeds of their sermons these days so I can see how a lack of education makes this whole ministry ineffective.

finallysomepride

I'm so glad I was very much out when my old KHs put these systems in

never used them, I only found out about them when my parents started to use it.

Telephone Hookup if You Can't be Physically Present at the KH