I recall the moment I decided wanting to stop going to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
There have been some gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Netherlands in stadiums. One of them must have been when I was around 12 years old because I am almost sure the following happened in a stadium.
There was a man delivering a sermon. It was the last sermon before lunch and he wrapped up with this story;
Some time earlier he gave a sermon also just before lunch. When he finished he stepped away and left, another man said the prayer before lunch. He walked back to the spot where he and his family were sitting and in doing so, walked past some people who were already standing in line for food. He looked at those people and condescended to them 'Ik zie dat jullie honger voor voedsel groter is dan jullie honger voor het geloof' (translated: 'I see your hunger for food is greater than your hunger for the faith'). Then he continued walking towards his family to await the end of prayer.
At that moment I realised that this arrogant man was allowed to give this sermon by Jehovah's Witnesses (it seems logical their sermons are screened before they're allowed to be given, especially if they're given in a stadium with over 10.000 attendees) and they apparently did not mind that people could have al kinds of justifiable reasons they were there early in line (diabetic, some other medical reason, lots of kids who want to eat and react badly to having to wait for food). But even if they had no reason beyond 'I am hungry', who was this man to show off his 'better than you' attitude? A man who apparently had no problem chiding other people for not having the faith while he himself was walking around during prayer. Why was he not paying attention to the prayer of the other man? Why was he not reading Philippians 2 verse 3 and 4?
Had I been a grownup standing in that line, I would immediately have left never to return to Jehovah's Witnesses. I was not a grownup however, I was 12 or maybe 13 but I remember that not long after this, I told my mother I did not want to go to Jehovah's Witnesses anymore. Yes, she cried, because after Henk and our brother, now her youngest son also left the Jehovah's Witnesses. I also remember she was angry at me, something that happened very seldom. That was an experience that I still feel as well. She wasn't angry for very long fortunately.
I won't deny there were factors. Not believing was an important one. Kids at school who recently discovered I was a member of Jehovah's Witnesses and making fun of it was another. But this man was the catalyst of my leaving.
Ik heb de J hoog zitten. Uitstekend hedrag in 40_45. Ben altyd gastvry v ze. Maar me laten bekeren is er niet by.
I recall the moment I decided wanting to stop going to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
There have been some gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Netherlands in stadiums. One of them must have been when I was around 12 years old because I am almost sure the following happened in a stadium.
There was a man delivering a sermon. It was the last sermon before lunch and he wrapped up with this story;
Some time earlier he gave a sermon also just before lunch. When he finished he stepped away and left, another man said the prayer before lunch. He walked back to the spot where he and his family were sitting and in doing so, walked past some people who were already standing in line for food. He looked at those people and condescended to them 'Ik zie dat jullie honger voor voedsel groter is dan jullie honger voor het geloof' (translated: 'I see your hunger for food is greater than your hunger for the faith'). Then he continued walking towards his family to await the end of prayer.
At that moment I realised that this arrogant man was allowed to give this sermon by Jehovah's Witnesses (it seems logical their sermons are screened before they're allowed to be given, especially if they're given in a stadium with over 10.000 attendees) and they apparently did not mind that people could have al kinds of justifiable reasons they were there early in line (diabetic, some other medical reason, lots of kids who want to eat and react badly to having to wait for food). But even if they had no reason beyond 'I am hungry', who was this man to show off his 'better than you' attitude? A man who apparently had no problem chiding other people for not having the faith while he himself was walking around during prayer. Why was he not paying attention to the prayer of the other man? Why was he not reading Philippians 2 verse 3 and 4?
Had I been a grownup standing in that line, I would immediately have left never to return to Jehovah's Witnesses. I was not a grownup however, I was 12 or maybe 13 but I remember that not long after this, I told my mother I did not want to go to Jehovah's Witnesses anymore. Yes, she cried, because after Henk and our brother, now her youngest son also left the Jehovah's Witnesses. I also remember she was angry at me, something that happened very seldom. That was an experience that I still feel as well. She wasn't angry for very long fortunately.
I won't deny there were factors. Not believing was an important one. Kids at school who recently discovered I was a member of Jehovah's Witnesses and making fun of it was another. But this man was the catalyst of my leaving.
Tjeerd.