Has anyone associated with JW's here? If so how was it?

[Sammy420]

I am adopted, father is neo nazi mother was abused by him.
I was adopted at 2 to a JW couple.
Dad left the organization and us when I was 9. (Didn't hear from him for 5 years)
Mom told me horrible stories about people who leave the group probably to scare me from leaving. She'd say I'd become a prostitute or "women trafficking". And do terrible drugs and stuff.
She said some people went up north to go door to door and since they weren't allowed guns one of the girls was going to the washroom and a bear pulled her off by her feet and ate her feet up, the others could only through rocks. She tells me terrible stories like this all the time! She wants to Move to the Dominican Republic to live and go door to door..
So 16 years I spent as a JW (now 20) and I still feel disturbed. 3 of my friends also left the congregation.. They didn't turn out so well though, stripper, prostitute, and the others got a pimp..
I know of 4 ex JW's who committed suicide. And 1 JW I know died from the no blood transfusions.. My mom actually had a little white card with a blood drop on it that said "No Blood" in case she got in a accident. My experience with the elders handling sex abuse is also rediculious.. Not 1 authority was told.. Although I guess I should have done more then telling an old elder at the age of 5..

Charles Taze Russell - Wikipedia I left once I did some research on Charles (Founder) and found out who he really is.. Look at his marriage.. Look at his grave.. (Pyramid..) The "Allegations of immoral conduct" The miracle wheat. And of course read the use of Masonic symbolism..

I love my mom and my family. They are just so out of this world and it's not mentally healthy.. Atleast that's what my psychiatrist said..

 

[Skwim]

Q. Has anyone associated with JW's here? If so how was it?

A. From time to time they've shown up, but if I recall correctly, they been banned by the JW pooh-bahs from posting on discussion forums. As would be expected, they're an intractable, close minded bunch.


.

 

[lovesong]

By boyfriend's mom is a JW and while it's probably just a character flaw and has nothing to do with religion, she is the most stubborn, inconsiderate, impossible to work with woman I have ever met.

 

[psychoslice]

All I can say personally is that its a very sad religious belief, no Christmas, no birthdays, all fun reduced to a self righteous self inflected belief, yes very sad people.

 

[lovesong]

All I can say personally is that its a very sad religious belief, no Christmas, no birthdays, all fun reduced to a self righteous self inflected belief, yes very sad people.

I know! My poor boyfriend grew up with no holidays. He's so used to not doing them that it feels really weird to him when I try to show him how much fun they can be. He rolls his eyes at me when I tell him I'm decorating our future house every winter and all that. Luckily he has wised up to a few holidays on his own growing up, for instance we both have elaborate Halloween rituals and traditions, and he loves Valentine's Day. But I'll forever blame his mom that he thinks it's weird to give xmas/yule/solstice presents.

 

[psychoslice]

I know! My poor boyfriend grew up with no holidays. He's so used to not doing them that it feels really weird to him when I try to show him how much fun they can be. He rolls his eyes at me when I tell him I'm decorating our future house every winter and all that. Luckily he has wised up to a few holidays on his own growing up, for instance we both have elaborate Halloween rituals and traditions, and he loves Valentine's Day. But I'll forever blame his mom that he thinks it's weird to give xmas/yule/solstice presents.

Yes but we all need to grow up and not blame anyone ?.

 

[Deeje]

It seems as if anyone raised by a mentally unbalanced parent must blame JW's for their PTSD. Put the blame where it lies, there is no more mental illness among JW's than there is the rest of the population. Mentally ill people mess up their children...it is a sad fact of life.

Schizophrenia is a whole other ball game. Mental illness is what it is and schizophrenia is usually accompanied by delusions and voices. No one knows what causes it but it is considered a brain disease.

As would be expected, they're an intractable, close minded bunch.

Good grief. I have been a Witness for 45 years and not once have I experienced anything like what has been described here.

Those who believe what is written by defectors should take what they say with more than a grain of salt.
Look what they said about Jesus!.....and how many believed it.....nothing changes I guess. People will believe whatever they want to believe, regardless of whether it is true or not.
If the internet had been around in Jesus' day there would have been hate sites for him too.

As for the whole child abuse issue, I think some things needs clarification here.

#1 Our Elders are not the police. They have only the Bible to guide them in their duty towards the congregation and its members. The Bible states that "on the testimony of two or three witnesses, all matters could be settled". Child abusers seldom allow witnesses to their crimes. It was not unusual for these crimes not to be reported in the old days, as it was not treated as seriously as it is today. In the "children must be seen but not heard" era, sad to say, children were not given much credence.
Physical abuse was widely practiced also, and no one said much about that either. Children's feelings were not respected.....thankfully, things have changed....we have a clear policy now.

#2 They did not always encourage reporting in the early days for the simple reason that court proceedings were not kind to the victims who were traumatized again by having to face their abusers and their lawyers in court. Oftentimes the court proceedings and cross examination could be more traumatic than the original offense. Sometimes it was just not worth it.

These days, proceedings are different and children can give evidence via video. All cases of child abuse are reported to authorities.
The trauma of adults who were victims of child abuse has demonstrated that children must be heard and protected from, not only the abusers, but also the legal system that let them down.

 

[Deeje]

All I can say personally is that its a very sad religious belief, no Christmas, no birthdays, all fun reduced to a self righteous self inflected belief, yes very sad people.

Who said there was no fun.....you don't need contrived pagan holidays with forced gift giving to have fun....seriously.
You people get fleeced on a regular basis by the commercial system and wonder why you're broke and not happy.

The kids at school used to envy my son who got gifts all year round just because we wanted to give them to him. He never had to wait for a birthday or Christmas. "Sad people"? You've got to be kidding!

We have parties too, for no particular reason...we don't need an excuse.....and we don't need to get drunk to enjoy ourselves.

 

[Kirran]

I am sorry to hear about your experiences Sammy. I hope you and yours are able to move past this in some way.

As for Christmas, I don't celebrate it either just because I've lost interest in it and so has my immediate family. There's no problem in not doing so. If you're going to criticise JWs I don't think saying you've gotta celebrate Christmas to have fun is a valid grounds for doing so. Same goes for birthdays.

 

[SomeRandom]

Damn, that's rough. Hope you can eventually heal some of those scars.

My association with JWs has been rather limited. I used to prank them when they came around to my cousins' house when we were kids. Most took it in their stride and laughed it off. One threatened us with a belt once, causing my cousins' dad to threaten legal action if said JW stayed on his property. The door knockers that come around my place are a mild annoyance that I just brush off really.

Although I did hear of a JW on my mother's side inheriting a bunch of Catholic stuff when my mum's bother died. Which causes me to wonder, which moron thought it'd be a good idea to give a JW Catholic stuff. And why it wasn't given to my mother and her siblings instead, since the JW destroyed them. Like rude much?

 

[williamgenga1977]

So sad

 

[savagewind]

It is not easy to vote beneficial or not, but I tend toward beneficial because they are great for teaching the Bible. All their meetings are for Bible study and they are encouraged to read it.

I am married to an atheist and we have four children. I did not miss Christmas much and my children didn't miss it either because their father celebrated it. I never pressed him to do things my way and for that I am glad, but it was very difficult to sway the children away from celebrating holidays and birthdays (cake at school). I don't know that NOT bringing them up to "get out of Babylon" was beneficial for them. Who can say? Jehovah's Witnesses believe they know. I think they don't.

My children are most important to me. I quit smoking to get baptized a JW and I am happy about that. Two of my children smoke and I am not happy about that. I think that if they had become loyal Jehovah's Witnesses and never smoked that might have been worse than their smoking because I woke up to the Jehovah's Witnesses dastardly deeds and my children might not have woken up. If I had and they had not they would have left me behind. That would have been hard for me and my husband. I think that it would have been harder for us than it was me being a JW for twenty years. I went there to learn about Jesus, but they do not obey Jesus. They obey what is written in the Bible their way. They call their way, "The Truth". While being a JW I never took it to heart they were true. I went to learn and I did.

I think I would have never sought the truth without them. I think I am happy knowing it so I sway toward beneficial. Maybe I should vote yes or no, but I am still undecided. I do not know what my life would have been without them. I might vote later.

I believe that they are right about Christmas, but not about birthdays.

 

[Revoltingest]

I have a couple on-line JW friends.
Can't speak about the whole group, but these guys are funny, friendly & fair.
Very tolerant of us heathens.

 

[savagewind]

I have a couple on-line JW friends.
Can't speak about the whole group, but these guys are funny, friendly & fair.
Very tolerant of us heathens.

It just goes to prove there is still hope for you.

 

[Revoltingest]

It just goes to prove there is still hope for you.

Or might I convert them?'
Booowahahahhahahahhahahh, etc!

 

[savagewind]

The Jehovah's Witnesses must balance many things. The most important one is to love and obey Jehovah. They believe it is Jehovah's will that they obey all the men taking the lead. With that, they have to balance trust with what they know the Bible says because if a brother strays from what they teach the Bible really teaches, they trust that he will be removed by Jheovah. They must balance their belief that Holy Spirit leads them and at the same time the governing body teach other than The Holy Spirit. It says that believers are not to put their trust in men, so they must balance doubting. All of them must balance their time. This is the most difficult thing imo. I do not know how they do it and at the same time say that they are "in the truth". Some of them know that they should behave in a way that might make others want to live alongside them FOREVER. The good ones are being made so very busy that it is nearly impossible to make any fast friends. Therefore, they must learn to live for the future.

 

[savagewind]

I don't really think JW is correct about Xmas. They are correct in that, it might have some pagan imagry. ok, ?
However, consider the importance of Xmas, religiously, to actual Christians and Jesus adherents.
If I was not a Jesus adherent, I would probably write that Christmas shouldn't be celebrated/ if I were starting some group, what have you.

That is probably the only confusing aspect of that tradition. Some people don't celebrate Christmas, but they may not demonize it, either

I do not believe they are right about Christmas for the reasons they teach. I am certain that Christmas is bad for the Earth. It is good for business but is business good?

 

[savagewind]

I think that a better argument could be made against birthdays, than Christmas.

You know that some people don't have all the eurpean traditional stuff, right? And they still celebrate Xmas? And if the 'day' is arbitrary, then that's out as well. And who needs Santa?

So what exactly is ..the argument against Christmas...

The argument in one picture.

 

[savagewind]

Not understanding yet?

CHEAP TOYS

Where did that plastic some from and where is it going?

 

[savagewind]

I meant the JW argument

what is right about the JWs argument? You are a legalist like they are. Am I right?