I Went To The KH Yesterday Afternoon

TheRecordCollector

I went to the KH yesterday afternoon. I met a friend there that I haven't seen in a while. She and her husband used to be regulars there until her husband died, then she moved back to California to live with her daughter.

Also found a man that he and I were good frinds in school, whom I haven't even seen since Jr High.
He didn't remember me though. He and his wife are regulars.

They had their public talk & WT study.
One thing I didn't like was, they applauded the speaker !
Or in other words, the applauded the minister.
I'm sorry, but I just don't believe in that.
It's like the "speaker" is giving a "performance".
I think it warms the ego in a negative way.
Why can't they just go up to the speaker after the service and say, "good message"?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I believe in applause for a "performance", such as a concert, etc; but not for giving what is supposed to be a spiritual message. The speaker is to edify, not recieve applause. If there is any praise or glory (i.e. applause),
shouldn't it go to GOD (Jehovah) instead of MAN???

He did speak of what it means to repent, and I did agree with what he said.
A heartfelt sorrow for the transgression, turn around and persue a Godly course.

It seem's to me that being a JW is like being on the job 24/7.
You should witness to people because you want to, not because you feel that you have to.
At the end of the service,
the overseer reminded everyone to "turn in their time".
What, are they "clocking out for the week" or what? What is that?

Also, there was no alter service. no alter call. They never once said anything about recieving salvation. They said nothing about recieving Christ, acknowledging Christ, or anything. Why?
I mean, do you have to wait for a convention someplace?
What if you die before then?

ashitaka

Hey TRC, I almost forgot about that. Bizzarre to clap, isn't it. It's especially embarrassing when the speaker was horrible, and there's that three second polite clap.

You're right. A preacher speaks and sits, the glory is not his.

ashi

wonderwoman77

Well TRC, they only believing in recieving communion once a year and that is on the memorial of jesus' death and then only the ones that are annoited are suppose to partake. It is a huge deal.

Yes they turn in time once a month. It is like the pharisees proclaiming themselves in front of men, kinda sick? And yes, being a JW was like being on guard all the time, never a break to breath or be yourself...It is crazy...:) Well anyway I am so glad I am out of the religion and free to be who I am and free to explore my spirituality....

Valis

recordcollector, may I ask why you attend meetings? The only reason I could see for going is the Art of War argument about keeping close to your enemy. Otherwise its like the junkie constantly returning to his opiate of choice for that fix...just curious.

Reborn2002

TRC.. I have to agree with Valis.

Weve talked in the chat and Ive read your posts about your feelings... why do you torture yourself? You claim you are extremely lonely and sad at times, yet you submit yourself to such lunacy? Were you bored or something? From your post here obviously you see the hypocrisy and foolishness of the meeting, but you went anyway? I dont see the reason in that.

Care to elaborate?

The true Kingdom of God is located in your heart, not an organization of hypocrites.

www.geocities.com/latinloverchicago/Jason1.html for my new webpage and info!! Im trying to live now!!

terafera

I've never thought about it.. but what you said makes great sense!

Yes, you would think a man of God giving a sermon wouldn't need applause. He is simply carrying out God's message. Hmm..

Another thing I don't get is the importance on getting 'time' in. My mother used to tell me it was only mentioned because at the end of the year they wanted to know how much preaching was done. But actually, there is so much emphasis on getting 'time' in every month. I never could stand the lengths a JW would go through to get in 'time'. If they talked to me (a non-baptized person) for even 15 minutes, they would jot it down and consider it a study.

I remember going out in service and spending a good portion of the morning eating donuts and drinking coffee. Then after giving the counter person a pamphlet, they would jot it down as 'time'. To me it puts way to much stress on quantity and not quality.

Another thing that IRKED ME TO NO END was their use of the Theocratic Ministry Pamphlet. They studied it during the meetings, even held question and answers from it.. but yet it couldn't be given out to all people attending the meeting. I, an unbaptized attendee, asked for one to follow the meeting and the elder said no. After I stared at him in shock, he rolled his eyes and graced my lap with one. To me, what is so darn special about the pamphlet that only ones 'in good standing' or 'baptized' can have one? Arent the meetings open to the public?

Just had to vent my frustration... Grrrrrr.....

RedhorseWoman

TRC, what you need to remember is that meetings at the Kingdom Hall are more like sales seminars than religious gatherings. There is no altar call or "coming to Christ" because that would be too much like "false" religion, and is therefore to be avoided.

However, "placement" of magazines and reporting of all sales/preaching activity is vitally important and therefore to be stressed at all times.

While there might be some messages with religious/spiritual overtones thrown in...usually at the public talk, for the benefit of the public....the thrust of most meetings is sales/preaching presentations. Therefore, the turning in of time slips tends to be more important than a turning to Christ.

TheRecordCollector

RELPIES:

REBORN 2002: "From your post here obviously you see the hypocrisy
and foolishness of the meeting, but you went anyway?
I dont see the reason in that.
Care to elaborate?"

Yes:
How can I witness to Witnesses, & relate to them,
without knowing what they believe & why?

Gopher

TRC,

Perhaps the previous posters assumed you had some sort of long-standing JW background. Your post makes it clear, you are doing research for a good cause. It shouldn't take too many more meetings to figure out most of what JW's hear over a lifetime -- we heard it over and over and over again (eyes glazing over).

Tera,

Getting time in---it's one way the organization uses to measure the 'spiritual health' of individuals or groups. Without such statistics, they wouldn't have as much to use to 'beat up' (do they really think it's encouraging?) the publishers to do more, more, more!

You noted that JW's like to count their hours, keep their time going. The old "place a tract on coffee break" trick is employed so that they can accomplish a full 2 hours by 11:30 or 11:45 in the morning. That way they've done a complete 'dose' of service to Jehovah, and they can relax the rest of the day (except for those who are diligent enough to study for their Sunday meetings).

The pamphlet you refer to which they use at their midweek evening meetings is "Our Kingdom Ministry". I find it strange that it could be given to non-publishing children, and yet not to bible students. And of course, these are NEVER permitted to be given to disfellowshipped individuals. Oh no, it's way too sacred!

GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)

COMF

The altar call was one of the things that used to annoy me the most when I was going to the Baptist church. The minister's standing up there saying, "Jesus is calling you now, to come to him. Won't you answer the call? Maybe you've felt your love for him slipping away, and now you see the need to get closer. Won't you come? Won't you accept him back into your heart, rededicate your life to him and to doing God's will?" All the while, the organ player is making with the sad, sob-music "Just As I Am" or something similar. It stretches on out; five, six, ten minutes go by. And just when you think he's about to shut it down and let us all go home, some lady in the crowd bursts into tears and goes sobbing down the aisle to be hugged and comforted over her secret sin, and that rewinds the clock and now we have to wait another five while he tries to draw another one out.

I mean, they're all Christians in there. It's not like some pagan happened to be wandering down the sidewalk and accidentally took a right turn into the church doors, sat and heard the sermon, had his eyes opened, and now wants to go rushing down the aisle in front of 200-plus strangers bawling, "I've seen the light! Save me, lord Jesus!"

If somebody's got something on their conscience and need to get it tended to, let me tell you, folks: five minutes to twelve on a Sunday morning in front of a crowd of people flinching and twitching to get out of there and get to their cigarettes, Sunday dinners, morning papers and baseball games on the tube is NOT the time and place to do it.

At least the JWs have that part right.

COMF

I Went To The KH Yesterday Afternoon

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