Hi Again (page 2)

I think we are pretty much in agreement, eyebrow. I just bristled at that thought, since we were told we were the true christian faith. And then promptly given a long list of petty reasons to deny the benefits of christ to anyone not kow-towwing to those petty things.

I say let them choose one: either actually be Christian, or drop the pretense and just admit that it is an organization not unlike the masons, or an elks lodge, for that matter. A place where clean shaveness and bad fashion sense is more important than anything Christ said.

Btw, I don't really consider myself Christian anymore, as I am agnostic.

MrMoe

.....speaking of tattoos, you shoulda seen my father's face about 3 months ago when I bent over and he saw a decent sized tattoo of a leviathan style dragon on the very lower part of my back. He just about passed out. Then he starts looking up that tattoo scripture and counseling me right while the meeting was going on. It took everything I had not to die laughing!

thinkers wife

Welcome back TAT, I am sorry you had to go through that. It is the Organization Book. Ask your Bible study conductor to show it to you. If she is cool, she should. I showed my Bible studies. It isn't any secret.
Don't let them make you feel rejected!! View it as a sign. Maybe you aren't supposed to conform to their way of thinking!
TW

individual

Tattoogirl -

Can they reject you based on your appearance? Yes, they can. There was a time when they were against men having beards. My father when he was in the org. was confronted by the elders several times over the fact that he had a beard. Seems insane doesnt it? To say that you are not acceptable because of the way you look and therefore cannot have a relationship with God or Christ purely because of your appearance seems to me to be prejudism of the worst sort. In so doing they are trying to decide for God on who can have a relationship with Him based purely on their shallowness of looking at purely the outside person. They make the assumption that the outside looks reflect the inside heart condition and so therefore if you do not meet their expectations on looks you are judged not worthy.

Ask yourself this - did Jesus reject people because they looked different, did he reject men because they had beards? In the WT publications he is himself shown to have a beard.... my father pointed this out to the elders but they only thought of him as showing a lack of faith in the society and its rulings and so therefore he was dubbed a troublemaker. All for having a beard that he did not want to shave off! You will find examples of this sort of thing over and over again.

When I was young and in the org. I can remember talks on the improperness of wearing denim jeans - they were seen as sexual objects and anyone wearing jeans was seen as spiritually weak. At the time even though I was impressionable by the 'truth' I saw this as extreme since I had several pairs of jeans at home and just viewed them as clothes. Can you imagine what would have happened if you wore jeans and had a beard at the same time - you'd virtually be an apostate! So I'm afraid they will judge you on looks and will judge you harshly - your'e only chance to progress within this religion is to conform completely to the regulations passed down by the 70/80 year old members of the Governing Body... They will tell you that your life depends on wearing the right clothes, having the right colour hair and having no piercings, if you want to see what they expect just look at the people shown in the pictures in the Watchtower. They want that to be you and will expect you to change the way you look to suit them. They wont expect this change all at once but over a period of months the elders will be keeping an eye on you to make sure that this takes place. Whether you go through with this or not is up to you and although I find certain aspects of the religion interesting after 25 years I no longer associate with them, and I still wear jeans... still no beard though!

tattoogrl333

thanks everyone I hate people who judge before even getting to know someone. you know what really pissed me off was a new study came in and it was a male, and the elders lips immediately were on this guys ass. they talked to him and laughed and were so nice, funny all they have said to me was " hi" stupid elder type people shepards of the flock, well a real shepard wouldn't care if there were a couple different color sheep in his flock or a sheep with some tats :) oh it just makes me mad, but your right better I found out for myself now then later.

joelbear

I'm sorry the lady you study with wasn't up front with you about personal appearance. I think I told you that no tats were allowed and pink hair would be considered rebellious.

The reward you see comes with a price. So much for the concept of free grace.

Don't feel too discouraged. Look at it as a lesson in life.

hugs

Joel

JeffT

Hi Tattoogirl, glad you're back.

When I first started studying (in 1973)I had a beard. As my studying progressed I was told it would have to go. But they didn't tell me that until I was sucked in so far I just accepted that. I grew back out even before I'd officially left. My son got his ears pierced about that same time. He'd have been kicked out of the hall if we'd still be in. Daughter got her belly button pierced, ditto. Youngest son wears his hair shaved on the sides, a couple of braids hanging down in front, and its all blue (at the moment). Elders would freak if they saw him.

I've seen all of them get judged on their appearances. But that is the loss of the people making the judgement. Everybody that knows them thinks they are nice kids. The youngest did some work in the office where I work. Everybody loved him.

Don't let a few narrow-minded people screw up your life.

bboyneko 2

I like pink hair and tattoos :)

me too

But I would think that if a being created creatures that had free will, and were able to create also, he would be delighted in self-expression, he would be sad if they all fell into line and became little clones, then what was the point of free will? We should all be ourselves and never let anyone else make us conform. I would like pink hair but my job might not like that.

-Dan

HoChiMin

Tattoogirl;

It seems you are at the stage where you are about to become an "unbaptized publisher".
What that means is you go out in the field service (door to door) as a "representative of Jehovah God" with your study conductor, now doesn't that seem like a lofty position? I'm sorry to tell you that your tattoos, body piercings and pink hair are considered substandard to the WT way of life. Most elders I served with would never allow you door to door in that state, hence no organization book and no questions. To bad for you, they are the final decision, no recourse, no questioning their decision, no anything until you fit their mold to a tee. Mind, heart, soul, body, every fiber of your existence must be turned over to them.

Now be a good little Tattoogirl and run like hell, away from them. Please?

HCM

Hi Again

species8472

SixofNine