My parents made their rounds and stopped by and invited me to the Memorial. I was respectful and declined. My respect and acknowledgement of the significance of Christ's death is honored everyday by my conduct, and not on just one particular day. In the past, I had one sister tell me that she would never forgive me for not attending the Memorial. This, from a person who would lie and conduct herself in a manner that was unbecoming of an elder's wife.
This is their prom. They play dress-up and feign solumness. They disrespect the significance of Jesus death by giving a heartless routine of worship. It's all about the external and appearances; they completely miss the most important aspects of what it means to have a relationship with God. (They would accuse me of judging for that point; I would say, their actions speak for itself.)
They recently came out with a new outline for the Memorial. It is still a rehash of the same things that have always been brought out. They mention the broad appplication of 'faith without works' (be honest, don't lie, don't kill, be kind) and acknowledge that the small things matter beyond the ministry. Inevitably, they talk about the importance of the ministry because of the time we are living in. It's JW worship so they will always call the shots in that environment.
There is only one thing that I can say for sure. It doesn't matter what the tally will be at the end of their significant event. After all the millions that are recorded as having attended their Memorial, they will be one short of what they want to believe it is all about. I don't believe for a second that I am hurting their feelings one bit, but they have never hesitated to tread over mine. Jehovah will judge us, individually, for our actions; not our association with a certain religious group. I will be corrected in due time if I am wrong.
