by M.J. 12 Replies latest jw experiences
Anyone been to the British Museum? I know of some JWs who are planning to visit.
I wonder just how incriminating could a visit be to a JW interested in looking at Babylonian artifacts? I imagine that nothing really jumps out at you relating to JW chronology. I would like to ask these JWs about their visit when they return, however. If anyone has any thoughts on some good questions to ask, I'd appreciate it.
I have done several tours of the British Museum with congregation, when we lived in the South. As the Secretary it usually fell upon me to arrange it all. They were good days out.
I am talking up to the mid 1990's . There was a travel firm, called Meander Travel run by a Greek witness, and he organised the tours with guides who were pioneers (A great way to get in your time] The tour of the Babylonian room might have been the one called "The Stones are Crying Out". I have still got the lapel badge they gave us.
Everything was 'spun' from an entirely witness angle . We took our bibles, looked up the scriptures and there before us was the actual evidence. All very impressive.... mind you, the last one that we went on , we were able to see through the 'spin' a little but were much too polite to say so.
More recently when I went down to the Museum, I dressed smart and was mentally ready to tag on to a party if I found one, then ask a few questions. But that day there were no Witness parties to be found
Interesting! I just looked up Meander Travel's website: http://www.meander.co.uk/
Ok so I don't doubt that these JWs I know signed up for a WTS-slanted presentation from this company. Oh well, I can now see them coming back with rave reviews..
When I went I didn't know enough about both sides of the story. I was amazed at all the history and how the Watchtower had taught me so much about it.
my mum is going this year with JW's... i might go with them and prove all the witnesses wrong in front of them all. HA!
My parents went on the "Stones Are Crying Out" tour of the museum a few months ago. From what they said it does sound as though the archaeological data is completely skewed to present the JW understanding of history as entirely accurate. It made me wonder what the staff of the British Museum think of this patent abuse of their institution.
MuadDib,
I can't help but wonder if the Jehovah's Witnesses contributions to the Museum have something to do with it.
...May I take this opportunity to say that the Jehovah's Witnesses are always very welcome in the British Museum, and the presence of your groups particularly on Saturdays contribute greatly to the lively atmosphere and vitality of the Museum. I do hope you have not experienced any problems recently with accessing any of the galleries that contain items of Biblical interest; if you do, or if you require any other kind of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my colleague John Curtis with whom I believe you have often been in touch.
Yours sincerely
Neil MacGregor Total contributions made so far by Jehovah's Witnesses & their friends to:
The Old Observatory Greenwich £ 971.50 = $ 1812.82
The British Library £ 1247.50 = $ 2327.84
The British Museum £ 132,444.00 = $ 247,140.50
I remember doing the ole Jdub British Museum tour. There was some respected bro who put a spin on everything and we all went 'ohh' 'ahh' dutifully.
I always thought it was some kind of official museum / JW thing, I never realised it was just some bros making money by taking us round the museum themselves.
Anywho I went when I was a kid and it bored me to tears. It was like a sunday meeting, we had to look up all the scriptures, dress in Witless clothes and wear our badges identifying us as religious nerds.
No-one is ever going to see anything other than what the JWs let them see - its all very clever.
If those figures are genuine surely thats the first time they've ever contributed to something of cultural interest!
Did they get a doing off the elders for not donating it to the kingdom work?
