Dancing in Kingdom Halls to worldly music???

[Matthew9969]

Now I'm not condemning these people for wanting to have some joy inside their house of worship, but a few things stand out...these congregations would have been strongly reproved, if not even some disfellowshipped 10-15 20 years ago. This kind of joy definitely would have made my childhood much more easier to endure. But not just that...at my church, worship is done with christian centered music, by christian artist praising God and Jesus. These video's the brothers and sisters are singing and dancing and plagiarizing worldly music, and dances that have been popular in bars and worldly plays. I'm glad to see brothers and sisters finally being allowed to laugh, dance, have fun while congregating in a kingdom hall, still have some doctrines that are wrong, but they are catching on with what is in the bible about worshiping and praising God with musical instruments and dancing.

 

[Matthew9969]

 

[John Houston]

Hey, matthew9969, do you even know why this is going on? I was around those 15,20 years ago. We did not dance in the halls. UNLESS, there was a celebration there, a function other than a spiritual meeting. So I ask again do you know why we went crazy in our different hall in certain cities, at that time? If not please try not to hate. The principles have not changed. We put on plays and had certain skits for ones during there weddings and anniversaries. To have clean fun and used WORLDLY MUSIC, as you put. We are not the Amish, or did Jesus send us to the outskirts of the cities to live. We also do not only live among ourselves. We love still among this world. But we must live cleanly midst it. Sorry that you found your live drab and dreary. But I went through '75 and the Franz disfellowshipping and the other shake ups in congregational matters. But I put myself through college, my father taught us the truth per scripture, we did not sell everything we continued to wait on Jehovah and follow the leaders that took the reins of leadership. If they are taking us down the wrong knowingly, like Eli allowed his sons to do whatever they wanted, Jehovah and Christ will clean things up, Samuel did not cry and wanted to go back home to mommie. He stayed because he knew whose organization this was, I was taught the very same thing. I taught my children the very same thing!

So, I ask again, do you know WHY these things were happening? Not just in the videos you have posted, but in many more in this country and around the world. I await your response. Have a nice day!

[Matthew9969]

4 hours ago, John Houston said:

Hey, matthew9969, do you even know why this is going on? I was around those 15,20 years ago. We did not dance in the halls. UNLESS, there was a celebration there, a function other than a spiritual meeting. So I ask again do you know why we went crazy in our different hall in certain cities, at that time? If not please try not to hate. The principles have not changed. We put on plays and had certain skits for ones during there weddings and anniversaries. To have clean fun and used WORLDLY MUSIC, as you put. We are not the Amish, or did Jesus send us to the outskirts of the cities to live. We also do not only live among ourselves. We love still among this world. But we must live cleanly midst it. Sorry that you found your live drab and dreary. But I went through '75 and the Franz disfellowshipping and the other shake ups in congregational matters. But I put myself through college, my father taught us the truth per scripture, we did not sell everything we continued to wait on Jehovah and follow the leaders that took the reins of leadership. If they are taking us down the wrong knowingly, like Eli allowed his sons to do whatever they wanted, Jehovah and Christ will clean things up, Samuel did not cry and wanted to go back home to mommie. He stayed because he knew whose organization this was, I was taught the very same thing. I taught my children the very same thing!

So, I ask again, do you know WHY these things were happening? Not just in the videos you have posted, but in many more in this country and around the world. I await your response. Have a nice day!

For now if it is at all possible for you to do, do not cherry pick my post, I know its hard for you since this is what jw's are best at, but if your going to insist on cherry picking, post the mostly positive things I said. And no where did I say anything about 1975 or Franz and all that. So your response is just a whiny defensive rebuttal instead of a coherent statement. Please don't comment unless you can do so.

[Noble Berean]

IMO I think we should dance at Kingdom Halls all the time

[John Houston]

But,Matthew, you didn't answer my question. Not cherry picking at all. If you posted these things were they positive for us? Or a beat down since you wished you could've dance when you were there at the hall. I still await an answer if you're not so busy, young man!

[Matthew9969]

To be honest, growing up for 20 plus years in several different congregations, never was there once a play, a dance, a reception, party ever done at a kingdom hall. Even now, with a close relative who is a jw, they aren't even allowed to have a potluck get together at the local kingdom hall. So why did these things take place....I don't know, what I don know however is I was raised to believe that a kingdom hall was not allowed to be used as a place of celebration...aka party, only meetings, wedding ceremonies and eulogies were allowed. Sure there were wedding receptions, and of course with orchestra music, carefully picked secular music and one in particular I remember was they had a polka band, but these receptions were never at a kingdom hall. I remember a few other examples, but for another time I suppose. (but my child hood was very intense and violent, which I won't go into, if you would like to hear about it send me a message).

I have no grudge with this, anymore the past is the past, no use letting my experience affect my emotional state, at my age this is trivial, but there are aspects of it that are not trivial. IMO, this is just another example of 'new light'. And new light to make the gospel more relevant to believers. A lot of the 'new light' changes coming to congregations is starting to resemble worship services at many other churches, and I have been to a lot of different churches and denominations. If these services have been approved by the C.O. then I'm just curious what prompted the 'new light' revelation of this kind of joy now happening in a few congregations?

But I find your response insincere, judgmental, defensive and accusatory, since you immediately accused me of being a hater, and included in your response stuff that I didn't even mention, but you thought it important to bring up because....I don't know, you have a guilty conscience and want to move the discussion in a total different direction because your uncomfortable...I don't know. And I like how you try to single me out as a young man, what makes you think I am a young man, of course I am familiar with jw terminology and area you calling me a young man is your jw way of saying I am naïve, unknowledgeable and probably mentally diseased since I am no longer a jw? 

So do please share the personal experiences you have had with using the kingdom hall for celebrations where there was dancing, and plays being put on. It's great witnesses are now allowed to do that. And have a wonderful day yourself and enjoy the warm weather while we have it.

 

 

[Evacuated]

1 hour ago, Matthew9969 said:

To be honest,

To be really honest @Matthew9969, these video clips are only superceded in cringeworthiness by the people who post them on line.

I can only hope that the halls used are merely rented facilities. A Kingdom Hall is a center of true worship in a community, not a centre of buffoonery. I note that some of the euphoria demonstrated seems to have a relationship to the visiting of international assembly delegates. Well, if this is intended as a cultural demonstration and welcome, then I can only shudder at the reality of the state of culture in the host nation.

There is no objection to engaging in this kind of inane lightheartedness in an appropriate setting, but if needs must, then go hire a community facility, or volunteer your garden. Don't go creating international embarrassment at such a childish and immature display in a setting normally used for educating people in Jehovah's righteous ways.

And as for the observation that this pathetic demonstration should somehow constitute "new light", then I for one will take the darkness any day of the week!

[TrueTomHarley]

I didn't view the videos. Perhaps I will in time. For now, I'll take @Gone Fishing's word that they are a bit "out there."

The Kingdom Hall is a building dedicated to pure worship. Many things that are not disapproved in themselves nonetheless are not sponsored there because that is not the purpose of the building. To some extent, they would water down the purpose.

4 hours ago, Matthew9969 said:

but my child hood was very intense and violent, which I won't go into,

Understood. Thank you. We spend decades coming to grips with our past. Almost always it consists of separating the wheat from the chaff - after figuring out which is which. Sometimes we even walk back on that initial figuring.

 

4 hours ago, Matthew9969 said:

But I find your response insincere, judgmental, defensive and accusatory, since you immediately accused me of being a hater

That does happen sometimes here. This is a rough and tumble site, that features black, white, and many shades of gray. I have made similar mistakes. I appreciate that this remark was not directed to me, but at another place, time, and person,  it could have been.

4 hours ago, Matthew9969 said:

which I won't go into, if you would like to hear about it send me a message

This shows restraint. It is a quality not everyone has. If you like, you can send it to me. Do not feel you have to.

[Matthew9969]

16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

Psalm 149:3

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3  Let them praise his name with adancing,

making melody to him with btambourine and clyre!

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

If you want to be politically correct in the .ORG ... just remember this basic rule ......

EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED, IS FORBIDDEN.

This varies from place to place, and from time to time, and from person to person.

..... but not very much.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

When I dance, people move back. When I sing, it fills the room and people leave to make MORE room ... and when I grin, food falls out!

People point, and whisper to each other ... "Uh ... oh, he's ...um ... "special".