Inactive people, who show up only for the memorial.

free2beme

I have a friend who has been inactive as a Witness for nearly six years. Yesterday I mentioned that I had Wednesday off and wanted to see if they wanted to get something done Wednesday, we had been trying to find time for, for awhile now. Out of the blue, they said "I can't, the memorial is Wednesday." Not expecting this was the Witness related one, I asked "who died?" Then they paused and said, "the memorial, as in the Witness memorial." I took it in stride, but was shocked that someone who was so against the Witnesses in many ways, would bother attending this one event, one time a year. It got me thinking about all the inactive Witnesses that only showed up to the Kingdom Hall for the memorial, but not for any meetings or field service. Your Kingdom Hall would be packed, and yet on any normal meeting it we less then half full. I always wondered, did these people realize they were in a religion that taught such behavior was not enough for their God. Better yet, did they realize that they looked like those Christians who only show up for church on Christmas and Easter (although they at least attend two times a year). Either way, it is odd behavior in a nut shell and I guess my inactive and closet apostate friend is going to the memorial Wednesday to pass the bread and wine (It is so odd what the Witnesses do). Hope they enjoy it, and in some odd way, I hope it makes them think they still have some safe foot in the door. Me on the other hand, I will be watching the results of American Idol about that time.

chok

I never understand this one either.

My parents invited my ex husband who was never a witness, has since said he only went along to please me and thinks its vile. He said he wouldnt mind going to the memorial though...wot the hell is that all about??? I mean I know he likes a drink, but surely there's better bars near where he lives!

Tash

xxx

Low-Key Lysmith

Come to think of it......this has been the first year in14 that someone hasn't called to give me a friendly reminder. Sweet!!! I'll have a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

-Breck

Dismembered

Yes and the wonderful "loving friends" have "theocratic" nicknames for them like, submarines who come up for air, or as one "loving elder" kept calling them "memorialites". Just to much love for me. I'd rather stay home and post on JWD.

Dismemberd

jwfacts

Spot on.
I had an inactive only-attend-once-a-year-for-the-memorial person get into me about being an apostate and how i would be destroyed at Armageddon. My feeling was what a joke, you would be destroyed too if it was all correct.

vitty

Its another superstition.......................If you miss the memorial, thats it, youve commited an unforgiveable sin No one actually says this but ive got family members who were NEVER baptized or remotely interested, yet they came because they thought if there was a slight chance the WT could be right then Jehovah would look favorable to them at the big A

looking_glass

Sometimes I go, sometimes I don't. But I always make it a point to recognize the death of Christ. My guess is that these people feel the same way. They may not agree w/ the WTBTS, but they feel it is important to recognize the importance of Christ's death. And since I don't believe that any one religion is right about it, I go to the event that suits my fancy for that year. In some cases I have stayed home, read the bible, said a prayer and gone on with my evening. At least in my mind I am acknowledging something greater then me. So for those who hate the whole thing it is strange that they might go. But I suppose we all have our reasons. It may not make sense to the person not living in their skin, but it makes sense to them.

Mary

I took it in stride, but was shocked that someone who was so against the Witnesses in many ways, would bother attending this one event, one time a year.

This is mwa......my elderly parents asked me if I was going. It would break their hearts if I didn't and seeing as they don't bug me about the religion, or treat me any differently now that I don't go, then I am going to please them. They don't have too many years left on this earth, so if I have to bite the bullet for 45 minutes tonight in order to give them some happiness, then I'm willing to do it.

There's other people like me who still have family in and who feel the same way.......your friend could be in the same boat........

greendawn

I can see your point Mary otherwise I would say why would anyone bother to go as this shows that the JWs still have some influence on them. This is just the ceremony of a cult and badly twisted at that since virtually all JWs do not even participate in it declaring the fact that they are not even part of the New Covenent though they call themselves Christians.

undercover

my elderly parents asked me if I was going. It would break their hearts if I didn't and seeing as they don't bug me about the religion, or treat me any differently now that I don't go, then I am going to please them. They don't have too many years left on this earth, so if I have to bite the bullet for 45 minutes tonight in order to give them some happiness, then I'm willing to do it.

Yep, pretty much the same for me. Over time my family has learned to not push the 'meeting thing'. But once a year for an hour isn't going to kill me, so I go. There may come a time when I don't go, but right now it's easier to go than not.

And since its the memorial, the elders usually are too busy to spend time trying to "talk" to you about anything. A quick "hello, good to see you" and they're off to find the wine. I usually get invited to dinner with some of the dubs that I don't see that often anymore, and I usually accept.

The first couple of times going after fading out was tough. But I've since realized that since I no longer accept their authority or their beliefs I have nothing to fear. I walk in as if I've been at every meeting in the last five years and speak to everyone, have some good chats, carry on with some of the guys I knew before. Then I zone out for an hour, wake up in time to pass the wine/crackers and then go to dinner with family/friends. It puzzles the dubs to see me a happy, easy going guy instead of the miserable, guilt-ridden inactive person they expect to see. That's my passive-aggressive campaign against them. Show them that they don't affect me and that I'm happy and enjoying life. It bugs the shit out of 'em.

Inactive people, who show up only for the memorial.

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