Stupid memorial obsessions

by Simon 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • sir82
    sir82

    For me the silliest obsession/ritual is that everyone must be "served".

    This leads to a complicated up-down-up-down-up-down as the servers, the guys who wander the aisles with the emblems, all sit down and someone has to "serve" them. They've touched the F@#$#$%$ plates and cups 40 or 50 times, but it doesn't "count" unless they are seated and someone hands it to them. Then the guys who served the servers have to sit and some other servers, who have just been served, serve them.

    Then the speaker has to get off the stage, sit down, someone hands him a plate/cup, and he bounces right back up again to the platform.

    And all of this in complete silence.

    Any visitor nitwitted enough to accept one of the invitations and attend would surely think "what a bunch of loons".

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    LOL! Sir82, that's just how Jesus did it!!

    DD

  • 2+2=5
    2+2=5
    They've touched the F@#$#$%$ plates and cups 40 or 50 times

    I remember thinking this as 5 year old. It crept me out a bit as a child, the whole thing. And then again every year after for another 25 years.

    The lords evening meal is hardly a meal. How about some fish and veges to go with the bread. Nope, just carbs and booze, not balanced nutrition in the slightest. One bite of a cracker and a sip of wine. Thanks Jesus, awesome meal, still a bit hungry though and the waiters are creeping out the kids and newbies.

  • prologos
    prologos

    How about some fish and veges . The original last supper story had actually roast lamb (an awful taste if you do not know what you are doing) and bitter herbs and Gravy.

    I got caught in misinterpreting the memorial tradition, thought the eclipse was during memorial night time, no, it was in the darkness preceding the memorial night, in my location at least. No partaking under a red glowing moon.

  • nonjwspouse
    nonjwspouse

    I finally spoke to my 11 year old daughter this evening about the memorial since her Dad choose to go again this year. It was probably not the correct time or the correct words, but I felt the need, so I did.( He promised years ago to talk with her about his "religion" and hers, at around the age she is now. But he has not done so yet.)

    She shared with me that she remembered t it so strange... ( we are talking 7 years ago and she still remembers) that they passed around the bread and wine and her granny leaned over to her and said "don't touch". I shared that this was one of the things that offended me about that service the most. That it felt like a celebration of a rejection of Jesus. I told her her Dad does not seem to follow the rules of the organization ( and told her how it did not consider itself a religion unless it was convenient for legal reasons. It is considered an organization), and that to the JW all religions are considered of the devil. This shocked her . She asked about Catholics, and I told her that organization considered Catholics the worst of all, the most evil. ( and also many religions actually feel the Catholics are bad, then told her we can talk about the reasons another time and she should go speak with the priest about that too). I quickly reminded her how her Dad did not go by those rules, and was not baptized in the JW yet. He does go to her school, helps out, and attends events at her Church. I reminded her that this is why each and every time he does come to your school or Church for anything he is to be thanked very much, lots of hugs and kisses for doing so. She seemed to really hear that.

    My reason for telling her now was I felt I could no longer stay quiet. I am kept so in the dark as to where his feelings are about joining, where is head is, what he plans to do and when, that I felt it was just time. I also told her since Daddy did not go by those rules ( and I went through a lot of them) that there is no reason for her to feel he is going to stop doing anything he is doing right now. her Daddy has been celebrating her birthday and will continue to do so at this point. But she had to know that there may come a day that he will stop. I wanted her to know this was a possibility and why. Although she was in tears at one point, I kept reminding her I was only telling her what that organization believes and requires, not what Daddy is practicing right now.

    I have been frequently bringing up controlling religions and how dangerous they are without mentioning the JW for years now. But last night, I actually named the JW along with Amish and others ( also small cliques within the Catholic Church) that control, that use shunning as manipulative emotional blackmail and are dangerous. I did not use the word cult though. I felt the need to preempt my husband. Give my daughter a chance to read and learn before he comes at her with literature and bible verses. ( Hopefully he never will, and I told her that too)

    When I told her about it, she then asked to read the book "Twisted Scriptures". by Mary Alice Chrnalogar ( wow, that was awesome to hear) So, I will get it out for her. It must be time for her, though in general I feel it is best suited for the early teen years The sooner the better as long as she understands the material she is reading. ( It is especially interesting to her that her gym teacher is related to the author).

    So another phase has been entered. My daughter has the chance to ask questions of her own faith without feeling pressured by her father to do so. She needs to ask these questions before being love bombed JW style, and bombarded with contradicting information.

    I wanted to wait longer, But my instinct said I should not wait. We shall see

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    Those places just above the Arctic circle have sunsets in April; those places in the way north (say, near 80 degrees N) do not. Northern Finland, Norway, and Sweden do not have sunsets once you reach mid April, so during certain years they will run into perennial day. Some of the islands in northern Canada have a similar problem, and Barrow misses night if the crapmorial is late. Northern Siberia also has this issue.

    Anyone at the South Pole has the opposite problem. Down there, the sun goes down shortly after the equinox and does not return until September. If you were right at the pole, you could have it any time. This especially when it is later, say April 15 or so.

  • ILoveTTATT2
    ILoveTTATT2
    Exactly. So, what does the rule-loving cult do in that situation? What is their rule?
  • rrb2016
    rrb2016

    The Wife and I went to the Memorial strictly out of respect for my Mother-in-Law last night. Luckily our 20 month-old grand-baby was restless and making noise, so I quickly volunteered to take him in the back. So I didn't have to listen to the presentation. We hung out in the library/'elders interrogation" room. Surprisingly, I noticed they have a lot of "old" light books in the library, ones I remember from the book studies in the 70's.

    One thing that I did hear...an illustration of the "two groups." The speaker likened the groups to tomatoes. He said that there are the first, really good tomatoes - and then there are the extras, the "bumper crop." The annointed are apparently the first tomatoes, used for salads and things like that. The second group, are the kind of tomatoes that you use for tomato sauce and ketchup and things like that. I was like WTF. What a weird analogy.

    Also, I remember when growing up, the memorials were always packed with extra chairs having to be brought in...last night there were a smattering of empty seats in the main auditorium, no extra chairs needed. And about five or so people in the "second school" (maybe people that were disfellowshipped?)

    Oh, and I saw a couple who's parents studied with my parents in the "Truth" book in the late 60's. I have not seen them in like 30-40 years. I am 50, so they must be in their 70's. I couldn't believe how old they were...and was saddened that they have given their whole lives to the cult...still waiting for the "new system."

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