Never knew missing meetings was such a big deal

by Biblestudent1 30 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Biblestudent1

  I do bible study and attend meetings.

  I was away in another city last weekend (short holiday) and told the Bible study conductors I’d try to attend a meeting there. Was looking forward to seeing another hall as I’ve only been in one in our own city. In the end I didn’t make the meeting as I’m disorganized and I messed up trains but then it’s a city I don’t know. It happens, many of us get lost even with google maps.

  Monday lunchtime I was sitting in a park reading football news on my phone and chilling from my job

  A pioneer sister came over and a bit of chit chat, sunny day, where you live, oh I cycle around there, etc.

  ”I didn’t see you Sunday”

  ”well I was away and I was going to attend in that city”

  ”I didn’t see you. So important to attend meetings. Satan will try to get back in if you don’t”

  ”well I was on a weekend holiday and I told my bible study conductors and “ <interrupt>

  ”in these end times it’s important to attend meetings “ and on she went

  chat ended with some ramble about bus routes home

  I did everything right, I told my bible study conductors in advance and genuinely I wanted to see another hall. Now I’ve been scolded.

  My attendance is better than many of the baptized members.
• 

  zeb

  Sympathise.

  Once we were away and i attended the local kh. I too got the meeting times wrong and arrived as all were leaving. At my approach they all got in their cars and vanished. One elder came over and proceeded to question me about where I was from what was i doing the whole thing.

  I told him there was no need to interrogate me and he backed off. I never ever attended any kh while in another town.
  
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  Anders Andersen

  Welcome to that precious feeling of control and social pressure. If you may think this may an incident and that specific JW is an exception, you'd be wrong.

  JW will formally and informally check on you whatever you do, and pressure you do adhere to Watchtower rules, and be more and more and more involved in their cult religion. This will not stop after joining, it will only become worse.

  I did everything right

  If you mean you followed Watchtower rules then yes, you already submitted yourself to people as if you are under their authority and you're accountable to them.

  Otherwise, getting involved with a high control group is 'doing everything right' if you value your free will, independence, agency and thinking for yourself.

  
  
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  smiddy3

  Hi Bs ,whatever you do don`t get baptised , no i`ll even go further ,break all your ties with JW`s they are nothing more than an American based religious cult.

  That little experience in itself should send up some red flags.

  They are a controlling religious cult, and there "friendship" with you is conditional on your being blindly obedient to whatever the GB/WT says ,even when they contradict themselves you have to agree to what they say,or else .

  Its not a Bible Study your having with them its a Watchtower indoctrination session .

  As a test : Ask them to show you in their own Kingdom Interlinear of the Christian Greek Scriptures a word for word translation of the Greek into English that the WTB&TS published where followers of Jesus are instructed to be witnesses of Jehovah ? There is not one scripture that says that ,however their are over 20 scriptures that say followers of Jesus are to be witnesses of him ,for him ,and about him.

  In fact the name / word Jehovah does not appear in either Hebrew letters or Greek letters representing Gods name ,the Tetragrammaton JHVH or YHWH. in their own publication KI.

  By the way, Welcome to the forum that will explain to you what JW`s don`t want you to know about them .
• 

  Tameria2001

  One of the main issues with the Watchtower is that they want to keep you so busy with their stuff that you don't have time to think.
  
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  alanv

  The only reason Watchtower want you to attend meetings is to stop you enjoying yourself, while doing something else. The believe the whole world is run by Satan, and that everything is designed to stop you serving Jehovah.
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  GetMeOutofHere

  It is a big deal - for them. As a baptized individual you will need to do the following at every meeting:

  1. Arrive 20 minutes before for association
  2. All publications need to have the answers underlined
  3. At least 2 comments
  4. Attentively listen to each part and nod in agreement with organizational direction
  5. Stay an extra 20 minutes at the end and be prepared to do anything including cleaning the toilet in your suit and tie

  Failure to comply will result in them gossiping about your spirituality at best or at worst being asked to go into the back room for a ‘shepherding visit’.
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  stan livedeath

  ive missed every meeting for the last 39 years. however--i could still be a bible student if i felt the need.

  its simple--and you dont need the watchtower society to show you how to do it.

  all you do is--pick up a bible--and look at it. thats called studying the bible. you may even get the urge to open it and start reading it--thats what i did. i got as far as the talking snake---and then tossed it.
• 

  Sea Breeze

  ”I didn’t see you. So important to attend meetings. Satan will try to get back in if you don’t”

  Welcome to the wacky world of watchtower paranoia, guilt trips & hypocrisy:

  xx

  The bible teaches a lot about the "freedom in Christ" that anyone can enjoy without coming under the yoke of rule-makers. People who love freedom will naturally want to learn more about that. Others just want to be told what to do and so must suffer the consequences of others' errors, since they refuse to make wise choices on their own. Still others find some mental place to hide.
  
  There are a lot of "hiding places" in this life. The JW sect isn't the only one.
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  moreconfusedthanever

  https://freedomofmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/BITE-Model-Handout-9-23-16.pdf

  Please read Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan.

  The meetings and everything else involved in being a member of this religion will keep you so busy reading and studying their literature - not the bible - that you will have no time to think for yourself. This is done on purpose. Once you stop attending their meetings for a time and take the time to analyse what they are saying you will realize that it is no where near the "truth" as they like to call it.