Answering Techniques

by PopeOfEruke 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  dorayakii

  I loved answering, but i never answered directly from the paragraph, even as a kid. As i grew up further, i noticed, and used to hate how the congregation put up a facade of being pure and clean and holy, when there were about as many problems and disputes as there are in the world...

  I always tried to bring in ways how the congregation should better show love and as a teenager i always felt the need to say things like: "I think every young person would be lying bare-faced if they said they didn't have a problem which they haven't given in to"...

  or even "We always talk about how ungrateful the Isrealites were, or how imperfect Peter was for denying Jesus, but in fact, because we are further away from perfection, we can be much much worse than them. We need to recognise that we are imperfect and try to work together in love. Once we start showing these qualities, only then can we be qualified to go out and start telling people on the ministry how they should live."

  I was always commended on the fact that my answers were not scripted but i don't think anyone ever paid attention to the answers' actual content. I did the same thing in my talks. All in all, i loved answering because i could get my points across to the congregation, but i was adept at not making my comments "illegal". I think my words also carried a bit of weight because i was an articulate speaker, as well as the son of the then School Overseer.
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  Lilycurly

  I hated answering. But I knew I always had to at least make one comment because halfway through the study, my father would look at me and say "You don't answer today?" (I was 18!!!) And I was guilt-triped into raising my hand. But usually, I tried to make one at the begining, so it was over. And some other times I made my one answer happen when a cute brother was passing the mike.;P
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  rebel8

  I only answered once or twice in my entire career as a dub, at the big meetings that is. I was a pioneer, so I was a great example to everyone else, LOL. I answered infrequently at the smaller book studies and always picked out something in particular to comment on. Now that you've got me looking back, I'm realizing it had (a little) to do with my reluctance to say things I didn't believe.

  I never understood what the big deal is about answering.
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  Lilycurly

  Never understood either. To me it was only a nuissance to my peaceful day-dreaming. But the brother on stage would always make a great deal before each studie about how important answering was and that he was especially watching young people's hands.

  After the meeting, one of them even came to teenagers who hadn't answered to tell them he hadn't seen their hands raised today...and all with a big smile on his face.
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  PopeOfEruke

  I remember one guy, used to give these fancy answers like you wouldn't believe. I mean, big words and include scriptures and blah blah blah.

  Anyway this guy taught me to always suspect people who gave big answers.

  He got caught with his pants-down (literally) in a room with another male. I don't know if the other party was of legal age or not; all I know he was disfellowshipped (no reason given) and we got a talk in the same meeting about uncleanness and homosexuality!! It seems he had also been caught previously doing the same thing.

  Pope