Special Needs talk at our Hall tonite...

by CaptainSchmideo 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  Trevanian

  The drop in stats is no surprise. The letter/talk focussing on the stats, and not the individual, is no surprise at all.

  At the end of the day, what's in it for me? That's not a selfish attitude. That's the way life works. Otherwise nobody would do anything, ever. No buildings would be built, no babies would be born, no crimes would be solved, no books would be written, no cashiers would man supermarket tills.

  Every human activity should have some pay-off. Even the most altruistic activities grant a sense of reward to the givier.

  So religion is supposed to grant a sense of spiritual peace or solace or stimulation, every day or much of the time.

  Being a JW, without any regular spritual rewards at all, with only a promised paycheck at Armageddon, is a sad, soulless and cultish activity.
• 

  Sunspot

  If it is not worth the total cost to follow a religion, then there is no reason to continue. There is nothing wicked with that.

  Amen and amen!
• 

  purplesofa

  great illustration.

  Good ole Satan keeping them JW's away from meetings AND tardy.......yay!

  purps
• 

  drew sagan

  Sorry you had to sit though that.
  
  In western lands (like the UK and US) I think they have some real trouble looming in terms of membership loyalty. Young people are drying up in the org and the ones that stay are not as loyal as those who where before them.
  
  It seems as though the general attitude within the congregation is that the 'young ones' treat being a JW in a very matter of fact way. It has no special meaning to them, so they don't put forth special effort for it. They may try really hard to get excited about it every once and a while, but its just a phase that comes and goes.
  
  In the next 30 years or so I think congregations in western lands are really going to scale back.
• 

  nvrgnbk

  The beatings will continue until morale improves......

  RD

  That's it.
• 

  ldrnomo

  I used to give special needs talks like that all the time when I was a PO. The ones who were needed it and were never there, weren't there and the ones that were always late would feel so bad instead of showing up late the next meeting, they just wouldn't attend so again, the borg shoots themselves in the foot.
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  bronzefist

  Just another "special needs" guilt talk. I'm sure all the pioneers were doing the bobble-head rock thing.

  brzfst
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  drew sagan

  The ones who were needed it and were never there, weren't there and the ones that were always late would feel so bad instead of showing up late the next meeting, they just wouldn't attend so again, the borg shoots themselves in the foot.

  Complaining to the people that actually took the time to show up about those who didn't never made any sense to me. It was the same special needs part, over and over, yelling at the people who where not there.
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  nomoreguilt

  I recall as a child growing up in the congo in the early 50's the Quota Board that was ever present in the front corner of the hall. Each month the congo servant would go over it with everyone. Back then you needed 10 or 12 hours a month etc etc. The society was booming and new people were coming in in droves. I don't recall that many special need talks back then. The only special needs were when they announced that so and so had been reproved for such and such. Then a talk would be given about what they had done, and they would be publicly humilated.

  Since the 70's I have observed though that the specail needs talks have for the most part centered upon the quantity of TIME that one should devote to kingdom interests. With the exception of sleeping and having to work, they would have you spend the remainder in the circus, studying, meditatingmmmmmm and at meetings. Remember Idle hands and idle time are the devils tools. For the most part, even most of those in attendance at meetings aren't really there, are they??? Look around you, some are smiling at their friends, some balancing thier check books, doing their nails, sleeping, staring off into space, you name it, they are MIA.

  So many of the friends I knew, and I haven't been in 2 years, were just there for appearance sake only. They have to impress someone, make a good showing, talk the talk, and say," I am so righteous".
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  White Dove

  You missed Thanksgiving for a meeting?! Well, there had to be someone to whom to read that letter. For a couple of years before I quit, I used to skip the meeting and go to a restaurant for Thanksgiving meals by myself. It was lonely but worth it.