Gina and I were reading over JWD when Zach (my 7-yr-old) came in and asked what we were doing. I explained that I was reading about how a man came to be a JW, and how he managed to get out. (AuldSoul, good story so far!) Zach asked, "What if Jehovah's Witnesses see it?" He understands the implications of JW's "finding out" that you want to leave. I told him, "Fortunately, Jehovah's Witnesses aren't allowed to read this stuff."
That's when Gina threw in, "Isn't that silly, Zach? They aren't allowed to read something." (We work hard to point out how silly and sad it is to turn over control of your life to someone else)
Zach agreed that was silly. I asked him, "But Zach, *you're* not allowed to watch Family Guy (an adult oriented cartoon that I love), so why is it silly that JW's can't read this?"
"But I'm a kid," he replied, "I won't be a kid forever. I'll grow up!"
I loved it, I actually got teary eyed. We talked for awhile about how kids have to listen to their parents, but when they grow up they start making their own decisions. He was very amused to find out that JW's call the Watchtower their "Mother", and say things like "we have to listen to Mother".
While my 7-yr-old is looking forward to more and more opportunities to make his own decisions as he "grows up", there are 6 million 7-yr-old's that will "listen to mother" until they die. As sad as that is, it doesn't dampen my happiness in hearing such astute logic coming from my son. I couldn't be more proud. Cults of the world -- take your best shot!
Dave