The Watchtower Study: The one way to make your views publicly known

by sir82 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  sir82

  As most of us here are aware, The Watchtower "Study" weekly meeting is no "study" at all. Paragraphs are read, pre-arranged questions are asked, and the "correct" answer is a slight re-wording of the sentences in the paragraph.

  However, sometimes (many times? depending on the congregation), members could use the study as a way to publicly air their opinions on a variety of topics, without fear of interruption (so long as the answer was couched in enough "theocratese").

  And, at times, persons would use that opportunity to speak into a microphone in front 100 or so of their closest friends to throw digs or barbs at individuals or groups who were on there $#!+ list.

  For example, perhaps Brother Window-washer would state something like "Well, of course some brothers have a tendency to be materialistic--perhaps driving a sports car and having a pool in their back yard." Meanwhile, everyone knows Brother Well-connected just bought a BMW Z4 and has a pool in his back yard.

  Does anybody else have any memories of such nonsense?
• 

  gaybeat

  Similar thing happened.

  Brother complains that JW teens shouldn't drive sports car because your whole life has to represent Jehovah, and if a police stops a sports car, they won't initially think they are one of JWs.

  Plus of course 2 JW teens have sportscar with the loud mufflers, and everyone hears this when they leave.
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  IMustBreakAway

  I always hated that. I usually go out of my way to make that person feel better, unless their snobby. I also wink at dissfellowshipped people.. probably going to get me into trouble.
• 

  AuldSoul

  I also wink at dissfellowshipped people.

  If anyone asks, it was a nervous tic...lol

  AuldSoul
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  blindersoff

  Yeah. It's also a great way for sisters to be able to counsel the whole cong about their pet peeve.

  B
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  slugga

  I did it once on the school where I went into one on the "showy display of ones means" and mentioned personalised number plates, knowing full well that a ms in the other congregation had them.

  For those not in the UK, Personalised number plates were only available from private sales and would sometimes cost £1000's I thought and still do that the practise of buying such things is disgusting, especially when there are poor in the congregation living from hand to mouth and theres this fool showing off how much money he had.

  Matt
• 

  jwfacts

  The PO asked the audience what they noticed about one of the pictures. No one gave the answer he wanted. So after a few comments he said (from the platform);
  
  "You will notice no one has a shaved head" looking directly at a brother that had just had his head shaved. The brother being publically counselled was so angry and confronted the elder over it at the end of the study.
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  blondie

  The fallacy in that is that the WTS very often has pictures showing that early Christian men had beards. If the WT pictures are something to determine grooming by, then men in the congregation should be able to wear beards.

  Blondie
• 

  TMS

  
  Even congregation prayers can be a vehicle for "sermonizing," calling attention to trends, asking Jehovah to adjust the thinking of mislead ones.

  Unwarranted "digs" can be found in any talk, prayer, comment or experience given at the Kingdom Hall.

  Its a subtle technique learned from reading the Watchtower, where counsel can be subtle and implied, not straight-forward.

  It would be funny to see a perpetrator get called out at the Kingdom Hall: "What are you implying Bro. Forktongue? Are you trying to say I'm materialistic?"

  tms
• 

  MsShockJock

  There was an elder at my hall who was very social, always having big get-togethers at his house. Another elder was giving a talk about the qualifications of elders and ministerial servants and he mentioned that an elder would never want to be thought of as a "party elder". I happened to be sitting near the elder who was always having the get-togethers and noticed his reaction. He looked so annoyed, of course, knowing the speaker was talking about him. I wondered if he took him aside later and told him off.