New Light and Sports

pratt1

Although I am pleased when I hear about children of Dubs who are pursuing sports at the high school, college and professionally level, it also disturbs me that so many of us in the past lost out on these opportunities because of the rigid views of the dubdum.

A friend of mine that is still active says that many of these changes or new light occurrs because thinking dubs stand up to the elders and make these personal decisions for their family without the advice of elders.

Do you ever feel that you should/could stand up for your beliefs even when they are against the advice of elders, eventually you could inspire change within the religion?

I ask because through out history change has ocurred because of standing up to those in authority.

Examples, Gandi, Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony to name just a few.

What are your thoughts?

crazyblondeb

I wish that when I was in that anyone would have stood up to the elders, but in our congregation-- NO ONE would. They even held the normally Thursday nite meetings on Friday nites. They did that so that no one could have a chance to participate in school activities/sports held on Friday nites.

I left the JWs before my senior year in high school. The next year I joined everything I could join. The next year when I made college cheerleader my parents about stroked out!!

For the sake of today's JW youth, I hope more get to enjoy sports. More parents need to stand up for their kids!

shelley

R6Laser

The question should be why wouldn't you stand up for yourself? Its great that more are doing this and standing up to opressive rules created by men. I've come to known different types of witnesses, there are those who are real strict and let the elders dictate everything they do. There's also those that don't let the elders dictate what they should do with their own free time.

hallowedbethyname

this is so weird. I had a dream last night that I was back in high-school playing on my football team.

Growing up in dub-dom, sports were not permitted, something about extra-curricular activities and worldly people.

In grade 9, I was 6'0, 200lbs. I had every coach on the team, begging me to play. Even on parent-teacher night, the head coach told my dad, the team could really use me. Grrrrrrr..........

Stupid up-bringing. I missed out on so much. Instead, it was more bible-study for me...........a wonder that did for me.

But c'est la vie. A time machine would be great right now.

HBTN

Sheri

Do as I say not as I do:

The kids are told not to participate in sports, yet the adults gather together for the big game on TV, wear their game shirts, have a party and are so loud in their cheering on their team. Make is a real sport of "My Team" beat "Your Team", even one elder's wife even mentioned that their game party could stumble someone. You can see them attending other cong. meetings so that they can be home for the big game. The teens can see this as just more double talk.

Then the get togethers at the part-it was the men who got up tight if you were not playing to win, while the younger teens could only sit by and watch or walk away. Eventually, the volley ball games came to an end when some began to complain of the main group of elders and ms servants taking it to seriously.

Oh yes no spirit of competition among JW's its all about love

Peace,

Sheri

Nellie

My oldest son was 13, overweight and depressed. I was looking for a way to build his self-esteem and I made the decision (although I knew it was against the recommendation of the congregation) to put him in a football league. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE!

Looking back, I can honestly say, it was also the beginning of the end for me. NOT because of the association or the sport, but because I was making a stand to do something that I KNEW was for the betterment of my child - regardless of the stand of the congregation! I didn't hide what I was doing, nor could I because my children (all 3 boys were playing) frequently made the local papers (pictures and all) with highlights of their accomplishments!

Making that stand was the beginning of me taking my life back!

young hearts, be free..

Interesting topic!!!

I say that because my Dad was, as we were growing up a very "by the letter of the law" Witness, in nearly every aspect of the dub life...

Except that he knew the benefit that playing extra-curricular sports brings to most kids, and in particular his. My sister and I played in various school sports teams, not only in school hours but also at weekends....oooooh, how sinful!!! Shit, we excelled at our sports too-I was chosen as captain for my rugby team, selected to play representative levels etc.......so while the rest of young guys and girls in the cong' were going off the rails, we were doing just fine....Dad would spend saturday mornings with us at our games - netball, rugby..... I guess his winter field service hours were low those days :D Jeez, he was an MS too!!

I know the Elders and MS's and their <Stepford> wives were all pissed off with Dad (because he refused to be told by others how to raise HIS kids), and although us kids eventually saw through the bullshit dis-Orginization and left, we are still pretty good kids who work hard, have great lives, don't drain the system and aren't on lockdown...like others I've heard about!!

So much for wholesome congregational-only <commune> activities!!!

exjdub

I had every coach on the team, begging me to play. Even on parent-teacher night, the head coach told my dad, the team could really use me. Grrrrrrr..........

Hallowedbethyname:

I feel your pain! I had the same thing happen. Your post sent a pang of distress that ran all the way to the gut. I forgot how frustrating that was for me. I too was always being asked to "go out" for various sports by the coaches. Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Baseball, Track. Couldn't do any of it. What was even more frustrating was that, after I accepted that I could not play, I would try to find a way to play sports in an "acceptable" way. The only gym that was around, when I was a kid in New England, was the YMCA, and we all know what the ruling was on that. Arrrrrrrrhhhhhh!!!!!!

The good news is that I have a 1 year old grandson who is Dub free. He can play anything he wants to! Any pain and distress that I have gone through was well worth the sacrifice to be able to give him the freedom to enjoy his life. He can express himself athletically, musically, through education, or any way that he chooses! I will be ready with my wallet and my moral support to make sure that he lives a full and unfettered life. Watching him grow up, knowing that he is not held down by the chains of intolerance and the lack of freedom, is very healing for me.

exjdub

skinnyboy

I used to mountain bike semi-professionally waaaay back in the early 1990's. I was one of the best downhill riders in the UK. It was just getting off the ground in the UK, and i loved it, being part of something that i had a passion about. Shame my parents didn't care whether i was good or not. Not once did my dad come and support me when i was racing, the other lads dads where there, cheering them on! I had about 10 surrogate dads at that time, who knew more about me than my spacktoid Elder dad did!

I used to go to the sunday meeting and half way through, after the yawning, i mean morning talk, my very understanding mountain bike pals, (Andy you toothless freak ahahha) would beep the horn and park just down the road from the Hall. They used to laugh as I strolled out of the Hall, did a quick glance back at the hall and dive into the van! then i'd whip my tie and suit off in the back of the van, and have my lycras on underneath! I'd tell my parents, "i was at least there for the talk" (yaaaaaaaawn). Then off we'd go to the other ends of England and enjoy ourselves!

I was about 19 or 20, and pretty much had decided it was a crock of shit by then. The rest of the congregation didn't have a clue either. my bike buddies used to ask me loads of stuff about the witnesses, expecting me to preach to them, i used to give them all the inside goss about how to get rid of them, when they will be round next etc... Happy days!

delilah

My two sons also play football, and are doing quite well, and putting them in the league, was the best thing that my husband and I have ever done!!! Although we haven't attended a meeting in over 7 years or so, when we did go regularly, our daughter was into rugby, and boxing, and nobody ever said anything to us about it. I wonder now, if it was because the elders and MS and others in the congregation that I attended, were busy playing recreational hockey, on Friday or Saturday nights, usually around 11pm, so, really, what could they say? I do remember, though, there were quite a few talks about the "organized" sport, and it being so late on a Saturday....why, they weren't alert enough at the Sunday meetings, you know... .they really tried hard to squelch the hockey, but it didn't work. As far as i know, it still occurs each Friday or Saturday nights.

New Light and Sports

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