Crazed Search for Truth, Volume One

Woke up this morning at four with a toothache- again. No truth and/or enlightenment there.

Kingdom Hall, Somewhere in CNY
My Observations

Alicia and Co. picked my up around nine thirty. She gave me a little booklet, the Watchtower, that they get their readings from to use during the service. Actually, it wasn’t a service, it was a meeting.

Basic Sckematics:

Went in, got introduced to everybody and their mother. Pretty normal.
Sat down, sang a song, had an opening prayer, and started the bible readings. This was also pretty standard and faintly reminiscent of Tri City Baptist. However, after another song, everyone got out their booklets and opened up to the main lesson thing.

This was actually interesting; I’ve never seen anything done quite like it before. They’d read a paragraph and then discuss it, and the minister guy would ask questions and people in the congregation would answer. When people answered, ushers brought microphones around so people could talk into them and be heard clearly. They even had people phone in their answers over the loudspeaker, a la radio stations and stuff. Then they had another song and a prayer and that was it, bam, over.

The actual discussion material was pretty standard- End of the World, in the first half, and Follow the Light in the second. They think that the world has been in the process of ending since 1914 or so, which is interesting, and they brought up some valid points to prove it. The Follow the Light thing was also pretty standard, mostly encompassing things my mother has been telling me my whole life sans the very Christian emphasis.

All in all, Jehovah’s Witness get an extremely bad rap. I found them to be one of the politest groups of people, and also one of the more thought-provoking. Very educational, however, I’m not sure Jehovah’s Witnessing is for me. I guess I’m just looking for the religion/faith/belief/whatever that hits me over the head with the enlightenment stick.

Next week, I’m going to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. I’ll start by working my way down Oswego Street towards my own church, I guess. “Searching for God on Oswego Street.” Sounds like one of those mid-life crisis books. Oy.

Crazed Search for Truth, Volume One

Woke up this morning at four with a toothache- again. No truth and/or enlightenment there.

Kingdom Hall, Somewhere in CNY
My Observations

Alicia and Co. picked my up around nine thirty. She gave me a little booklet, the Watchtower, that they get their readings from to use during the service. Actually, it wasn’t a service, it was a meeting.

Basic Sckematics:

Went in, got introduced to everybody and their mother. Pretty normal.
Sat down, sang a song, had an opening prayer, and started the bible readings. This was also pretty standard and faintly reminiscent of Tri City Baptist. However, after another song, everyone got out their booklets and opened up to the main lesson thing.

This was actually interesting; I’ve never seen anything done quite like it before. They’d read a paragraph and then discuss it, and the minister guy would ask questions and people in the congregation would answer. When people answered, ushers brought microphones around so people could talk into them and be heard clearly. They even had people phone in their answers over the loudspeaker, a la radio stations and stuff. Then they had another song and a prayer and that was it, bam, over.

The actual discussion material was pretty standard- End of the World, in the first half, and Follow the Light in the second. They think that the world has been in the process of ending since 1914 or so, which is interesting, and they brought up some valid points to prove it. The Follow the Light thing was also pretty standard, mostly encompassing things my mother has been telling me my whole life sans the very Christian emphasis.

All in all, Jehovah’s Witness get an extremely bad rap. I found them to be one of the politest groups of people, and also one of the more thought-provoking. Very educational, however, I’m not sure Jehovah’s Witnessing is for me. I guess I’m just looking for the religion/faith/belief/whatever that hits me over the head with the enlightenment stick.

Next week, I’m going to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. I’ll start by working my way down Oswego Street towards my own church, I guess. “Searching for God on Oswego Street.” Sounds like one of those mid-life crisis books. Oy.