by Riverwatcher 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
My family wasn't very spiritually strong during the years of the conventions in unairconditioned facilities. Except for one year, we always were inside a cooled building. I wonder how the WTS explained away the death of that baby. I know of a couple of people who died of heat stroke that had existing serious health problems. The WTS probably said they should have stayed home but all the while the elders would be juding them as "weak."
That poor family.
Blondie
Besides looking at girls, they are boring.
just a big pep rally to get you into the mood to be brainwashed for the next coming year
Don't forget the service meeting items telling everyone how to look, not to roam around during the sessions, no sweets etc etc. Such a loving organisation - more like they are being controlled. Where do they use a Bible trained conscience in all this? Cant they decide for themselves what Christian conduct is? Oh no I forgot their rules are not about Christian things but rather personal choices that they want you to conform to.
Conventions and Circuit Assemblies are awful, boring, day or several day-long events conducted sort of like a horribly extended Sunday meeting at the Kingdom Hall only with lots more people in a big stadium. You must dress as if you are going to a regular meeting (women and girls in dresses, men and boys in suits...little boys can get away with just nice slacks and shirts).
You sing and pray at the beginning, you listen to several hours of talks, you break for lunch for about an hour and a half (eating your sandwich which you brought from home...and then you can get up and socialize). When lunch is over, you sing again, listen to announcements (usually saying that your Circuit is already in the red and they need more donations to cover costs), and have the whole afternoon full of more talks to look forward to while trying not to nod off.
On Saturday or Sunday afternoon (I can't remember any more) you get the super duper treat of watching a drama...this gem is usually a hommily demonstrating the wisdom of following Watchtower instructions in living your life...where the actors (your brothers and sisters from your's and other congos in your circuit) dress up in Biblical garb, mouth the words to a pre-recorded tape and wave their arms around like the robot on Lost in Space.
You do not leave your children out of this special time. They must come and learn to sit quietly in an uncomfortable chair while listening to stuff that they don't understand for hours and hours and hours. If you are lucky, the poor things will fall asleep.
You get a numb bum from sitting all day in a stadium that is designed for a two hour football game . Around here it is as likely to be shivering cold as it may be sweltering hot. There is no food or drink available within, so everybody lugs flasks of drink and packed food for the day.
Those wishing to be seen to be righteous take notes , even though they know exactly what is being said and is likely to follow. The more normal ones do not . Children fall asleep. The day is livened by a costume drama mimed to a pre recorded tape of dialogue taken,usually from a Bible narrative. (Brits wince at American pronunciation on these tapes) Every 2 hours or so you get to stand up and sing a song to a pre recorded accompaniment. The discourses are not pre recorded but mainly delivered from a manuscript. There is NO spontainaity . Individuals do get to deliver their own experiences, but these are pre selected and carefully rehearsed.
Sometimes they release a new publication by the Watchtower Society , at which everybody claps and pretends to be excited about it.
After a long delay getting out of the car park, it is only on the journey home,in privacy that your wife can really tell you what she thinks of assemblies, the seats, the talks and the inadequate makeshift toilet arrangements . But you get up again the next day and go again - because that is what J W's do......
The District Convention is like Woodstock to Jehovah's Witnesses. The Society pretty much demands attendance. For many it's the only vacation they can afford. There is very little tolerance for those without enough money to attend, as surley they could have been saving their pennies from the previous year. If your job interferes you are encouraged to quit or be fired, with the hope of Jehovah finding you a new job later.For the younglings a DC is like a night club. The young brothers buy new suits, and the sisters sexy new dresses. When lunch comes they all spring into the hallways in a desperate effort get names and numbers.
I used to love District Conventions. I met my wife at one.
YEP!!!
Also if you belong to a "strong" family, you will be there at 6:30 am even though the program doesn't start till 9:30. You will then work for free for three hours, when you will make your way back to your seat to sing and sit for three hours. If you nod off, you'll get the back of your head slapped with a WT.
Then, you get up from your seat and run downstairs to work for free (again) through the lunch period (two hours). It's back upstairs for another 3 hour mind numbing session about how much Jehovah is blessing his people. A gratutious experience of an elderly JW grandmother who was fearless and hitched a ride on a Harley with a group of HOG riders to go tell others about this good news of the Kingdumb!
You'll close by singing a sophomoric attempt at an upbeat hymn, and if you're lucky you'll get to go out to a buffet dinner that night.
You'll be in bed by 9 because you'll have to do this for three more days.
Lisa
Doesn't that sound like FUN!!!! Class
The sad thing is that we would never allow anyone to care for our little ones even if they offered. It is important for the brainwashing to begin in infancy the WTS Leaders believe.
So true,, where I was raised,, a majority of the witness children were homeschooled. Thos parents that homeschooled their children wouldn't even consider
letting someone babysit the kids.
