Scriptural Attendance

by NeverKnew 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  NeverKnew

  I'm watching a JW who is running himself into the ground.

  Before his last meeting, he sounded really agitated about his life's schedule. All I could think of was how the WTS was in his way.

  2 Service meetings a week (one where a presentation of some sort may have to be given)

  Homework assignments

  A daily reading

  A couple of field service days/week

  an assembly every... seems like 6 months maybe?

  a convention every... year?

  And it sounds like every one of these items are non-negotiable.

  Two questions:

  What scriptural evidence is provided that supports the mandatory minimums of meeting attendance for so many events?

  What scriptures provide the framework for the mandatory minimums that will allow one to acquire Jehovah's favor?

  If there is a point system, are there extra activities thrown in up above that Jehovah gives bonus points for attending? OR is the above the mandatory minimum with the failure to attend one throwing you into the negatives....
• 

  LostGeneration

  All you will get from JWs is a parroting of Hebrews 10:24,25 to justify their endless meetings. Of course as your questions frame, there isn't any hard scriptual instruction on this. It all revolves around what they consider "spiritual food" being dispensed by the "faithful slave".

  BTW its three "assemblies" per year, one three days, one two days, and one for one day.

  They will often compare missing meetings, assemblies, etc to a person who refuses to eat actual food. Yes, that is how cultish they are!

  On the other hand, this kind of schedule leads to burnout, and some just give up, though they may remain mental captives for some time.

  It used to be three meetings per week until just a few years ago.
• 

  NeverKnew

  He just seems worn completely out. I wonder if he's burning out...

  He typically attempts to present himself to me as very excited to go to these meetings. Maybe in hopes that I'd follow him in but that ain't happening.

  Thanks for the clarification on the extra meetings. *sigh*

  Read the passage you noted and it's pretty vague. If that's all they have, I may have a shot in this conversation.
• 

  perfect1

  Never Knew, seems you really care about someone.

  Its a dreadful vortex, and very repetitive.

  I went to ONE meeting this year after no having gone in over ten, and nothing changed.

  Its just a hamster wheel of busyness to distract people from having a real life, career, and relationships.

  Most people attend but just wait for it to be over.

  On the bright side, there is an occasional slice of pie.
• 

  LostGeneration

  Read the passage you noted and it's pretty vague. If that's all they have, I may have a shot in this conversation.

  You might not realize what you are up against, but this is one of their top three brainwashing scriptures. Not sure which version of the bible you use, but from the NWT:

  24 And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as ? YOU ? behold the day drawing near.

  So how this is framed is that if you are NOT going to the meetings regularly (I'd say 80-90% is regularly) you are one of the "forsakers". Now they don't flat out say that, but if you were in this cult for as long as I was you remember this scripture being quoted, or read at probably 50% of the meetings in one way or another.

  Then its the "encouraging one another" If you aren't there, you aren't "encouraging anyone" and of course you aren't getting encouraged. In actuality, cult reinforcement. And then they top it off by using the "day drawing near" scare tactic, Armageddon. Better be at that last meeting before Armageddon, cuz Jehovah might just go and kill ya if you missed that one!

  Its repetition, repetition, repetition.

  Miss meetings= Bad JW

  Go to meetings= Good JW (for today, but not much longer than that)

  Remember it is a works based religion. Their works are Study, Meetings, Prayer, and Service. Any slacking in these areas makes them fearful Jesus will slit their throat at Armageddon.
• 

  hoser

  look up the word forsake in the dictionary. It doesn't mean what most jw's think it means.
• 

  blondie

  5 meetings still

  3 on one night

  Congregation bible study

  Theocratic ministry school

  Service meeting

  2 on Sunday

  Public talk

  Watchtower study

  Inactive = not turning in a time slip for 6 months consecutively

  Irregular = missing one month in 6 months

  So you notice that your status as a jw is determined by the hours not how many meetings you attend. I have seen service overseers accept time slips from jws that haven't been at a KH for months, and post the time on their cards.

  Hebrews 10:24,25 does not mention how many "meetings" the 1st century Christians attended.
• 

  creativhoney

  well it's spiritual food. you wouldn't want to starve would you? if you don't eat regularly you will get sick...

  every now and then you get a banquet too.....
• 

  carla

  can someone refresh my memory of these 3?

  3 on one night

  Congregation bible study

  Theocratic ministry school

  Service meeting

  How much time is spent on each? The TM meeting is where they tell you how to reach the doors better right? if the door says this then you should say x?
• 

  yourmomma

  and remember, you really didnt attend a meeting acceptably unless you prepared for each part, got there 15 mins early, commented, and left only after making sure its not your turn to clean and "encouraging" your "brothers and sisters". insane.