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Jehovah's Witness by Lynne Borneman |
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I visited the Cascades Congregation's public meeting at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Sunday November 10, 2002 at 1:00. I was extremely nervous about this service because in my mind Jehovah Witness' are always trying to convert other people. I was glad I decided to visit with fellow classmates, Andrea and Isabelle. From the outside I thought we were at a school. When we entered the building looking lost; a gentleman named Renee came up and introduced himself. He explained the service. There would be a song and a prayer. This would be followed by a public talk, by an outside speaker, about Jehovah. After the talk the congregation would have a Bible study on a specific topic. At this point I got the idea this visit would not be like any previous worship service I had attended. As a matter of fact it did not even sound like a worship service, but more like a study group or a meeting. The first thing I noticed when we entered the meeting room was that it looked like a small auditorium. In front was a raised platform with a lectern. The room in no way resembled a church or any religious facility I had previously visited. The second thing I noticed was that everyone was friendly. Almost overly friendly because people seemed to be making a point of coming over and introducing themselves. As the meeting started everyone stood sang and the leader said a prayer. The leader introduced the speaker, who spoke for the next 45 minutes. As the speaker was giving his talk I came to realize that he used the Bible constantly. With every point he wanted to make he referred the group back to the Bible. It was like he was defending his viewpoint with his deep knowledge of the Bible. He also used Jehovah's name in what felt like every sentence. He spoke for 45 minutes with this repetition. He was actually quite interesting until he did something that made me very uncomfortable. He used the Bible to renounce other faiths, in particular Hindus and Catholics. Hindus because of worshiping multiple deities and Catholics because of the Pope. I believe that most people in the meeting probably have little education outside of their own faith. They were accepting this man's teaching as fact. This experience helped me understand the importance of learning about other faiths. Education teaches us tolerance for others. Shortly after the speaker had finished Andrea, Isabelle and I left. We did not stay for the next hour's Bible study. Several people followed us into the parking lot to ask if we had any questions. They offered us free Bible studies in our homes. I tried to keep an open mind and not allow my preconceived notions to interfere. I am not sure I succeeded because I left feeling uncomfortable and would probably never return. To have a deep understanding of the Bible and to evangelicalize your faith has merit. I can understand the deep devotion these followers feel and I think I have a better understand of a Jehovah Witness' calling. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: December 2002
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