You sound like one of the good ones. You should talk to miseryloveselders. He's an elder too.
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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agonus
You know, when you think about what a triumph the Photo-Drama of Creation was for its day, and then compare it to the new DVD (which has clips from the PDOC that ironically may be the most interesting part of the otherwise bland, mediocre-production-values vid), you really realize how far the mighty have fallen. Pastor Russell was indeed a Nephilim among men compared to the dust mites of Splane & Co. who stand on his shoulders...
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brotherdan
Totally agree with you agonus. The WT was into inovations back in their early days. Their use of sound cars, motion picture, and phonographs was cutting edge for the day. Today they hold back technology and innovation. They refuse to be on TV (for the most part), radio, no internet video, etc...
They lost all sense of being innovative.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Going to the meetings is like being eternally stuck in the fourth grade. Going through the fourth grade would be fine... the first time. But the second time... "I already know this". And the third time... "I'll sit here thinking about something else".
There's no measurable progress in Watchtower material. You get talked "down" to like a naughty child all the time. If anything, the subject matter at the KH is getting stupider. There is no room for creativity or interest.
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minimus
I don't think many people leave because of boredom. Cultists expect repetition and boredom. People leave because they're sick of being told what to do, especially when it's ridiculous.
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Juan Viejo2
One thing that my Kingdom Hall did during the late 1950s was to hold the Sunday public talk and Watchtower study at the big park in Riverside, CA. In those days, Fairmount Park was a great place to go, with a lake full of lily pads and ducks, paddle boats, canoes and row-boats. It had a small arcade and a public swimming pool. What we used was an old amphitheater located off the to the side, about 100 yards from the swimming pool.
This idea was actually suggested by a new Circuit Servant [now Circuit Overseer]. He was a pleasant fellow with a lot of good ideas as to how to increase our field service times (45 minutes before Tuesday night book study) and holding the public talks in areas where passersby could stop and listen. The park was perfect for that purpose.
Our Congregation Servant, Brother Rogers, was a respected plumber and contractor in the area. He had made a lot of friends down at City Hall. So he negotiated an eight-week trial during the summer months (except holiday weekends) to let us hold our Sunday meetings in the park. A certain number of us would commit to going to the park and being the audience. Those that could not go or were otherwise disabled, etc., would go to the regular meeting later that evening at the Kingdom Hall.
Because we were at the park, we were allowed to dress casually. No swimsuits or shorts, but jeans and tennis shoes and short sleeved shirts were OK. We didn't want the people at the park to feel uncomfortable coming over and joining us. Some of us younger brothers would hand out handbills to our next public talk. Older Watchtower and Awake! mags were laid out along the back row of folding chairs or the concrete wall to offer to park visitors.
After the meetings, which were shortened somewhat, we would pack up the literature and the folding chairs and put them in a pickup truck. Then we would all go play catch, go to the lake and watch the ducks, romance our girlfriends - whatever. We loved the summer Sunday in the Park meetings.
You can guess what happened. Someone higher up the WT chain heard about what we were doing and the programs were shut down after just four or five Sunday meetings. My father told us that because this was not authorized by Bethel HQ, we couldn't do it anymore. The CO disappeared and I heard that softly written letters of reprimand were sent to Brother Rogers and the other main servants.
We never had single complaint. We had no hecklers. We passed out a lot of handbills and older magazines. The young brothers doing that work were allowed to count an hour on their service report - as did the public speaker.
After that, there was no joy in Riverside. That may have been the best four weeks of my childhood as a JW. Figures the WT leadership would put the kabosh on such a good idea. I think the idea of making meetings "fun" went against the grain for them.
Did any other Kingdom Halls ever hold public talks in parks or other areas that would allow them?
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pontoon
Yes, Juan we did. It was in the mid to late 1960's. I was a teenager in East Manhattan Congregation, NY. In the summer we had if I remember right 2 Sun. meetings each summer in Central Park. We still had to dress up. It was better than going to the hall. I don't know if it got squashed or what the politics behind it was if any. I would have been too young to be tuned into that anyway. Thinking back now, E Manhattan split while I was there and Murry Hill Congregation was formed. I think both congregations did the park thing together. We had some Brooklyn heavyweights back then, ones that would become part of the first GB, so I don't know if anyone tried to stop our park meetings.
Does anyone remember for a short time when there was some audience participation in the public talks??? I do.
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DaCheech
when's the last time they actually taught anything about jesus?.....
it's always about rules and regulation this, that, etc.!!!!
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moshe
I was thinking that boredom in the BEDROOM might be a factor for JWs, too.
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3Mozzies
I left (faded) two times before because I couldn't be bothered listening to the same crap, the religion was boring, so bloody boring!!!
BUT I thought it was God's organization, so I came back twice.... ahhh
This time I have left for good because I found out it's ALL BS!
Religion is THE biggest scam to hit the human race.
3Mozzies