Worst Memorial Talk Ever!

by The Searcher 59 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  confuzzlediam

  I was there in body only last night. My sis saved my boyfriend and I seats in the back row, end of the row. We pretty much sat and talked the entire time. When we were not chatting, I was not listening or at least tried not to listen. All I heard was wah wah, wah wah wah wah, with a little of who was to partake, who was not to partake and how many were in attendance last year. He also went on to say how that number should be higher this year, not that the number in attendance was important...as they counted each and every person in attendance.

  The thing that bothered me most was that one of the elders who helped pass the bread and wine was someone that my x and I were in business with about 5 years ago. We parted ways when we learned that he was embezzling from our company by taking product from our company, writing up the sales on his company invoices and keeping the money for the sale, for his business. The office manager was asked by him to keep those invoices from us, in which she promptly told us what he was asking her to do. She was also a witness. The matter was taken up with the elders in which he lied of course by saying that he wasn't doing it, or didn't mean to do it. They believed him and he was never removed as an elder. It was very difficult for me to stomach the fact that he was held in such a high position after doing what he did. While I was wrongfully disfellowshipped for being a "drunkard"! Karma is a biotch!
• 

  prologos

  hardtobeme, and wt claimed the 11 disciple partakers were in the [heavenly] kingdom covenant. see topic: 'Memorial talk-- wt escape clause. '
• 

  pronomono

  I echo all your sentiments. The biggest thing that stood out to me was all the forced parallels to a real wedding. I almost laughed when they mentioned the bride of Christ and how we wouldn't just jump up and say "I want to be the bride!", and that we can't request to be born again just like we didn't request to be born when our parents conceived us.

  Sad thing is, at our hall we were packed. Standing room only. It seemed that there were more people at ours this year than ever. We kept playing musical chairs every time someone new came in to let elderly and those with kids sit. They were still arriving 45 minutes in when the closing prayer was about to be said.
• 

  millie210

  I went at the behest of a loved family member.

  The brother saying the concluding prayer read it from a piece of paper.

  Made no effort to hide the fact either.

  That was new.
• 

  FayeDunaway

  People often read prayers they had written beforehand at the closing prayer at my church. Actually when i was asked to do the closing prayer, I also wrote it beforehand. these are often the best prayers, remembering everything you want to pray, and putting thought into it. Plus I absolutely would go blank otherwise. Thinking on my toes: not a strength of mine!!
• 

  My Name is of No Consequence

  I agree. The talk was pretty bad. The speaker giving it did a pretty bad job of delivering it as well. It was weird. The speaker was still giving the talk while the emblems were being passed. In years past, the speaker would just give a few comments during the passing of the emblems but remain mostly silent until the passing was completed.
• 

  millie210

  FayeDunawayan hour agoPeople often read prayers they had written beforehand at the closing prayer at my church. Actually when i was asked to do the closing prayer, I also wrote it beforehand. these are often the best prayers, remembering everything you want to pray, and putting thought into it. Plus I absolutely would go blank otherwise. Thinking on my toes: not a strength of mine!!

  I agree with you Faye. I would want to write down things that I wanted to remember also. I would call that being thorough.
  

  However, it has always been a no-no for JWs to do that. The reasoning was that is how the Pharisees (that Jesus condemned) prayed and also religious leaders today do that.

  So it was viewed as too ceremonial for JWs who had the "Holy Spirit" and were basically speaking inspired utterances anyhow.

  To see someone do that at the Memorial in the closing prayer (knowing how tightly they control the who and what gets done - I was surprised. I must say that it confirms a gut feeling I have that more and more no one is flying the plane and the Org is losing its control and slipping in its ridiculous control standards.
• 

  FayeDunaway

  Funny they would say Holy Spirit prayers couldn't be written....when the bible was written by Holy Spirit!

  one of my pet peeves as a witness was how brothers used to obviously NOT be praying to God, but showing off how well they had listened to the meeting, reviewing the talks, as if God needed to hear that again...or emphasizing a particular point they wanted to make sure someone heard, talking to the cong, not God. It was all a joke, really, and then at the end they would say something as IF they had been talking to God to wrap it up. I hated it all. So happy to be OUT. Faded, done, and away. :)
• 

  millie210

  and I find myself agreeing with you again Faye :blush:
• 

  Clambake

  I just love how year after year there are just huge theological gaps in the memorial talk.

  “ The bible clearly shows us there is two hopes for mankind, An earthly hope and a heavenly hope “.

  “ Who partakes of the new covenant ?? Well those with the heavenly hope “.

  “ How can be benefit from the new covenant ? Well being associated with those in it “.

  I know the majority of people here are atheist/agnostic but I love bible theology. You would literally have to be a freakin retard to believe what the WTS teaches. They literally have no concept of the new testament.