Did you stop singing the songs BEFORE you stopped going to meetings? (page 2)

tijkmo

No one can sing those songs. They are bizzare!

no-one!!!! i never had a problem still don't

I actually did a 180, and sang really, Really, REALLY LOUD!!!! (and, I'm sure, very, VERY BADLY-- I have no illusions that I am anything other than a very bad singer). The more the BS parts would stick in my throat, the more I would practically shout out the words!

It was fun, my own little protest, in a way. It annoyed everyone around me, including my zealous wife. But what could they say? You're supposed to sing, right? One of the elders once mentioned something to me about it, something like "boy, you really like to sing,don't you?" I just kind of nodded and said "yup". I think he wanted to draw me into a self incriminating discussion, but I didn't take the bait.

Sing, sing out loud, sing out strong! Sing to the point of creating a disruption!

~Q

sass_my_frass

Sing, sing out loud, sing out strong! Sing to the point of creating a disruption!

Good one Quotes, I wish I'd thought of that. For me it all happened quite quickly; for the early years I was in the stupid Circuit Assembly orchestra in which we'd take these tedious songs and make them patently awful. I was inactive for my last few years and on the rare occasion I attended a meeting I'd lip sync.

Fact: at the big special meeting at which it was announced that we no longer believe that the word 'generation' means 'a group of people all born in roughly the same decade', the Australia bethel band pre-recorded the music and singing of the prepe meeting at Bethel a few days prior, and that was the music used for our songs on the special meeting day. It was so appalling that I was too distracted being embarrassed that the non-witness security guards at the doors were thinking we were loons, to hear what was going on at the meeting. (Not that I paid attention at any meeting; point is that I missed the big news for about a year).

blondie

Some of the tunes were very difficult to sing...

Some of the lyrics were very difficult to sing...

Actually, many of the tunes I found pleasant.

Actually, the opening and closing prayers were more difficult to stomach. I just stopped bowing my head, closing my eyes, and saying amen.

I also refused to stand up when "requested" to at the assemblies/conventions to sing the songs.

The congregations I knew about always had back rooms with sound piped in for those with ailments. At times there would be 4 to 5 people, we never sang.

Blondie

startingover

My first thing was to stop lookng up every scripture mentioned in a talk. I just sat there and listened. Watching those elders look up Matt 24:14 every time it was mentioned really hit me. Most JW's including their spiritual leaders just sit there and mindlessly thumb to scriptures. You can really attract attention to yourself by not doing it.

I guess by sitting there and jjust listening it was really the beginning of my exit. I actually thought about what was being said. But I think I did keep singing for a while.

merfi

My exit was sort of sudden (got beat on by that shepard's hook one too many times and finally broke). But I did attend maybe two more meetings and the Memorial '06 where like you, I absolutely couldn't sing. There was a big gaggy thing stuck in my throat and I didn't try to force any sound over it. The kids were pretty embarassed that I just *stood there* but that was also the last meetings I took them to... I didn't say any "amen" in those meetings, either. In fact, I think the very last meeting I went to, I didn't bow my head at all.

Frannie Banannie

Too many "flashback" feelings to endure even listening to the WTS music now. Bad feelings. Scarey. Don't remember whether I sang at my "sudden dF'ing" or not.

LaniB

Never had thought of it before but I had started mindless mouthing during songs without actually singing.

The first thing I did was just gaze at the page of the WT without really looking at it and my mind would just drift. I turned the page when everyone else did and if people were consulting the bible I'd just pretend to open it up to around about the same area as if I was really looking up a scripture. If anyone had checked I would have been busted.

Then the songs were I dutifully would open and close my mouth but no words would come out.

I said Amen up until I left.

jwfacts

I did. I found the whole sentiment of the meetings to be so offensive I refused to sign for a couple of years, and wanted people to notice that I really did not want to be there at all.

TheListener

I lip synched. Sometimes I would just stand there and not lip synch.

Did you stop singing the songs BEFORE you stopped going to meetings?

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