Could ''boredom'' at the Kingdom Hall be one reason why some members leave?

by RULES & REGULATIONS 69 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  “You'll find boredom where there is the absence of a good idea” Earl Nightingale quotes (US motivational writer and author, 1921-1989)

  Let's forget that most members leave due to the wrong beliefs,doctrines and practices of the WTS!

  I was bored out of my mind from the repetitive: talks,prayers,ministry school demonstrations,field service talks(peddle magazines),assemblies,special talks and Watchtower Magazine study articles. It was a repeat of a repeat of a repeat.

  Where are the new ideas? Why are things studied over and over? How many times can you remind someone until they tune you out?
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  sabastious

  JW members often mistake bordom and monotony for tribulation of some sort. They think they are gaining endurance from being able to withstand the mundane for long periods of time.

  It's a feat I will give them that.

  -Sab
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  flipper

  RULES - Very good point in your thread. I agree. At least boredom was PART of my reason for stopping the attending of meetings. I work nights and had to go to work AFTER Tuesday or Thursday night meetings many times. Towards the end of my attending I would literally fall asleep in my chair through an entire meeting ! One time I embarrassed myself as my Bible fell with a thud ! onto the floor . When I woke up several stoic older sisters were looking at me like I had committed the unforgiveable sin. It was at that point I knew the information was boring me to tears. With information as dry as toast and delivered in a monotone type manner mostly- it's no wonder people are leaving in droves ! Internet is much more interesting
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  brotherdan

  I don't even necessarily find the repetition to be what is "boring" about the meetings. There is no variety or different/special ways of doing things. I remember growing up, sometimes there would be the rare slide show that someone from bethel during their talk at the meeting. I liked them for the mere reason of it being something different. But now it seems like that does not even happen anymore. It's all either question and answer or instruction.

  Do you want to change boredom at the Kingdom Halls, GB? Here are some suggestions. These are minor "upgrades", but I think they would be appreciated by all the people that force themselves to sit there every week and listen to the same rehashed doody that comes out of the Watchtower.

  1. Do a question and answer session where the audience gets to ask the question that is on their mind. It can be anything from "Why do we hold to 607 as the date of Jerusalems destruction instead of 586/7, to why does Revelation talk about the Great Crowd being located in heaven to why does the society ban beards?

  2. Music needs to change. Maybe add a choir? Live music? Something "worshipful" instead of singing along to boring piano songs. Worship should be a happy, enjoyful, and emotional time to praise God. Not the mindless tone deaf singing that you will hear in just about any Kingdom Hall across the country. Even though you have never admitted it, GB, I do know that you produced the popular George Benson kingdom melodies at bethel. I was working in audio/video at the time. You said they sounded like false religious music. Shame on you. Shame on you. That may have been one single thing that could have made younger ones realize that you understand the modern world.

  3. Stop enforcing 1950's business style dress for the meetings. I have yet to find a scripture that states that facial hair must not exist. In fact, I have found just the opposite. Sitting in a stuffy Kingdom Hall with 100 other people that are all looking at each other to make sure that their dress code is up to par to what they think is "holy" does not make a comfortable atmosphere.

  4. Implement some sort of "Sunday School" type program for young people. If adults do not like sitting for 2 hours while listening to a dry speaker expound on the importance of the fringes on the High Priests garments and how they picture Jesus faithfulness, then children will not either. Let them color some pictures of Jesus. Let them learn about the adventures of the 1st century apostles spreading Christianity. Don't force them to listen to the Bible's commands on spilling your semen on the earth and how long you are to be unclean following an unclean discharge.

  5. Have specialized meetings for people. The concerns and spiritual needs of older women or mothers may be different than a 18 year old teenage boy. Bring the teens together for bible study. Encourage everyone to meet together, but also realize that 90% of the teens at the KH HATE HATE HATE being there. Make it nice for them.

  In conclusion, I realize that you will not do ANY these things. You are not interested in making people happy. You are interested in keeping them under your mind control. You have the power and that is what you want. You want them to obey you, and that makes YOU happy. So I must say...GO BACK TO THE 50's! There is no room for you here in the future!
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  simon17

  It seems like they go out of their way to specifically make things AS BORING as possible. We used to have some brothers who were either very animated or would do comical things on Tuesday nights, or have parts that they dressed up to promote some theme. Those parts I remembered years more than the dry parts (and not just because they were cool -- i remembered the messages too). But they got talked to and had to stop. I dont really understand that. THese people would have asked MLKJr to read "I have a Dream" in more of a monotone ,seriously... its crazy.
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  miseryloveselders

  You have no idea how much this thread means to me!!! One of the biggest peeves I have with how the literature is written is how its always from the perspective of a satisfied customer. SD-7 can do this better than me, but I'm talking about false statements such as, "Such joy we find at the meetings!" I hate those statements because they're so not true!! I'm bored out of my mind at the meeting. It's the same meeting, over and over again, night after night. Argghghghgh!!!!

  Give you an example........there's been times I've had parts on the Service Meeting where the information was taken from the BE book. The theme in the KM would look familiar, and sure enough when I'd go to get the part out, I'd notice that I already underlined various sentences and highlighted various points, with little notes and scriptures previously. So although I didn't remember actually doing the part before, the evidence was in my notes within the book!! Its like Deja-Vu. There's times when I'm standing on the stage, and I'm bored out of my mind. Half that crap you can do while sleep walking. I feel like Napolean Dynamite when he'd go, "Gawd!!!! I hate this!!! Sighhhh!!!!" Oh meetings are so boring anymore.

  I do have to admit I kinda like the Bible Highlights though. I always end up hearing a gem from someone in the audience, and its a point that I didn't notice or catch. That's part of the reason I come here too, I like hearing different perspectives and thoughts on scripture. But the meetings, where its an indoctrination session is just plain boring. There's nothing entertaining about it, nothing encouraging. So many wasted nights sitting in some friggin auditorium.
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  simon17

  So I must say...GO BACK TO THE 50's! There is no room for you here in the future!

  Sounds like James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams...

  (And you probably dont even know who i am but nice to see you back)
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  brotherdan

  Good one Simon17!!! That's who I was quoting! Except he said, "Go back to the 60's." But I thought the 60's were a bit too cool to send the WT back to...
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  brotherdan

  I do have to admit I kinda like the Bible Highlights though. I always end up hearing a gem from someone in the audience, and its a point that I didn't notice or catch.

  Gotta agree with you misery. It's the part where there is no question that people have to answer. They can talk about what they like and not be held to the paragraph. That's one of my biggest qualms. You can only ask questions that are on the bottom of the page and you can only give answers that are in the paragraph. But the Bible highlights are different. Although, I don't comment anymore. I just fear that I will say something that they don't agree with and cause problems. But I used to love commenting on the highlights.
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  Hairyhegoat

  We always had the same elder for the witchtower and he was a mono tone arse who never looked up anything or prepared before getting up in the trough He was driving me mad everytime I went to the hall!! All I could do was clock watch and see how many paragraph's were in the study!

  The same old jw's commented week in week out. And then they started picking at random people from the audiance to read scriptures out

  I often went out the back or to my car to listen to the footballGod these meetings were boring, and to think kids have to stay still for them is wrong. I remember a 9 month old boy been battered for not being quiet at the hall... Child abuse I think

  What a cult this is..

  HHG