Content is King- Why the Meetings Fail

by LostGeneration 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Leolaia

  These are some recent examples of argumentation that I found particularly laconic:

  *** kp [2004] p. 22 “They Took No Note” ***
  Was There Really a Global Flood?

  Many critics say No. But the Bible says Yes. Jesus Christ himself spoke of it, and he was alive when it occurred, viewing it from the heavens.

  *** w10 12/1 p. 13 Did People in Bible Times Really Live So Long? ***
  
  Archaeology also comes into the picture, for it agrees with Bible statements about long-lived individuals. About the patriarch Abraham, the Bible says that he was from the city of Ur, that he later resided in the city of Haran and then in the region of Canaan, and that he fought and defeated Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. (Genesis 11:31; 12:5; 14:13-17) Discoveries have confirmed the existence of these places and people. Archaeology has also shed some light on features of the lands and customs of the peoples mentioned in connection with Abraham. Since these Bible statements about Abraham are accurate, why should there be questions about his age of 175 years?—Genesis 25:7.
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  sir82

  Discoveries have confirmed the existence of these places and people. Archaeology has also shed some light on features of the lands and customs of the peoples mentioned in connection with Abraham. Since these Bible statements about Abraham are accurate, why should there be questions about his age of 175 years?

  Discoveries have confirmed the existence of a place called "England" and shed some light on "knights", "horses", and a "quest for the holy grail" in the dark ages. Why should there be questions about the existence of King Arthur?
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  LostGeneration

  Was There Really a Global Flood?

  Many critics say No. But the Bible says Yes.

  Now there is some incredible reasoning for you!
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  They like to equate the meetings with eating. We all understand the need to eat regularly, so we should attend the meetings regularly. Most of us regularly choose to eat many of the same foods several times a week. Therefore, it is good for us to listen to the same "food" over and over and over at the KH. Right?

  Wrong. The problem is that eating is a biological function. We have to eat. We may "graduate" from milk during childhood, but for most of our lives we regularly enjoy some of our favorites and may try new and different things. We have to eat, so we may as well look for food that we enjoy. The meetings aren't a biological function, it should be an intellectual function. Who would be content to stay in the fourth grade year after year? Or more like stuck in a fourth grade level sales meeting week after week? It's not even appropriate to call anything after the first year as a JW as being "teaching", it's almost completely "repeating".

  Of course, Watchtower explains it as "spiritual food feeds our spiritual lives". Well, if we have spiritual lives with biological functions, certainly we would need to take a "spiritual dump" regularly! Wouldn't "spiritual food" generate "spiritual poop"? Don't they stress regularity in the field ministry?
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  JoJoJones

  Baltar447, businesslike, that is what the meetings seemed like to me. They lacked a feeling of spirituality. That feeling was a big part of what was missing at the meetings. I think that religion is not so important to me as spirituality is.
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  Juan Viejo2

  LostGeneration - you have a PM!
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  pontoon

  You all remember how good you felt when the meeting was over? Back in the 70's in the summer on Fri. night I'd fly out the door after the prayer, head for the local dirt track taking off my tie as I drove. By that time you could often get in for free (extra bonus) and be just in time to start catching the feature races. Race cars, friends, girls, beer, maybe go swimming, the night wasn't so bad afterall.
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  Juan Viejo2

  As a kid, I can remember how my butt would go to sleep sitting on those metal and wood fold-down theater seats the KH had salvaged somewhere. In the summer, it would get so hot, especially in the early evening (Riverside, CA could get up to 105-110F in the summer) and we'd all be sitting there sweating and fanning and panting and squirming as we waited for the moment that we would be dismissed so that we could get outside and into the fresh air.

  I was too young to realize how good we had it in those days. We had a couple of brothers that could prepare and give Sunday public talk that were actually very interesting and kept your attention. But most were just given in a monotone-read-from-a-script-I-wrote-last-night-at-the-last-minute-after-Palladin-and-Joe-Friday-were-over-on-the-TV.

  The best ever was when a brother from another congregation gave a talk that was entitled something like "Why does mankind face death?" (about Adam's sin and Ransom), but got up and started talking about 1914, the world wars, and Armageddon. At first, no one noticed and just went along with the talk. After 15-minutes or so, the Congregation Servant got up and walked up on stage and whispered something in the brother's ear. After a few seconds of page flipping and nervous coughing, the CongServ made an announcement that the speaker had brought the outline for another talk about Armageddon and the New Earth. So at that point, the CongServ said that the handbills for the talk "were printed in error." So the brother picked up where he left off and finished his talk.

  I doubt that anyone would even notice anymore -since most "public" talks cover the same 5 or 6 subjects almost verbatim from prepared outlines. They sure aren't the recruitment tools they were originally designed to be.

  JV
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  OUTLAW

  What makes JWN more Interesting,than the WBT$?..

  

  Is it the WBT$ Apologist,in the JWN Wood Chipper?..

  

  Is it Spade/AliceInWonderland on a WBT$ Bike Ride?..

  

  Is it because JWN is More Interesting than a Crazy JW..

  Knocking on your Door?..

  

  ........................ ...OUTLAW
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  lovelylil

  So true what everyone said so far. The meetings have been void of any real spiritual or intellectual content for years now. The last couple years I attended were like torture to sit there. I used to hope the kids would act up so I can take them outside for some fresh air and change of pace. Peace, Lilly