by MrMoe 21 Replies latest jw friends
Prejudice stems from fear. Often people are afraid of what they do not understand. Perhaps JW's are persecuted as they say, but they persecute others as well. Example:
Homosexuals
Other religions
Alcoholics and others with addictive disorders
Human rights activists (namely women's rights)
Anybody else who does not agree with them
Perhaps they are afraid of what they do not understand, just as many people are afraid of JW's.
This is not true. We don't persecute and our house to house work shows that. When we go to the doors we don't ask if they are homosexuals, alcoholics or whatever. We offer a Bible study and by that means we hope that people will find a better way of life.
It is not just JWs that are predjudiced. Christianity and actually most religion is predjuded to some degree. They lack tolerance because with tolerance they lose their control and exclusivity.
Predjudice exists everywhere, mostly due to people's ignorance. Education and trying new things, different cultures helps make predjudice go away. JW's are educated to hate (righteous hate? "love less?) those who "do not love Jehovah". And that is sad.
Path
This may be true, but would you hug a homosexual or have dinner with one without preaching to him? You see, I know from experience. If a homosexual did not want a study, how would you react to him then? I know how you would react, you would shun him.
My father as an elder shunned my brother, who was not baptized. He told me he would have disowned his son if it wasn't for mom. He also told me he would disown my other brother because he has problems with drug addiction (he is unbaptized as well.) I was also told by my father the elder that if I ever married someone who was not white he would never speak to me again because "Jehovah made different colored people like he made different colored flowers..."
If you were talking with someone and they shared the fact that they were gay, what would you do? How would you feel? Would you be disgusted? My brother died alone, too embarrassed to face my parents. He lived a lie as well, hiding his sexuality as best he could so that he could still talk to us.
So, how do you think about JW's and being prejudice now?
I don't believe JW's are any more "anti-gay" than the next fundamental Christian religion. To single them out without denouncing all whose belief structure lacks tolerance or encourages predjudice is unfair.
Path
I do agree most Christian based beliefs are very anti-anything-they-don't-understand. But, Jehovah's Witnesses have to take it a step farther and a bit more extreme than anyone else, unless of course we are referring to the back-woods hillbilly that was raised by the KKK.
I think the problem with JWs in this regard is simply due to Christian teachings. If you have spoken to other fundamental Christian groups re: homosexuality, then you will understand JW's are no worse than these other groups.
In fact to be fair, I would say there is less racial predjudice in JWs than in the world. Not that I'm saying it doesn't exist, but that it is less.
I think your post should address the prejudice in Christianity, religion, or the Bible, because that is the basis for predjudice in JWs and other groups. They are only following their instruction manual and listening to a predjudiced God.
Path
MrMoe -
From what I can remember, the JW's were and still are very prejudiced. They would not allow an openly homosexual person to be babtized, and that person would not be accepted. I can also remember, being not only raised as a JW but also living in the south, the segregation was very evident.
When I was around 15 I had a GIANT crush on a hispanic girl in another congregation. I was told flat out that because she was "mexican" that is was a little more accepted for me to like this girl, although , if she were black it would be forbidden.
Can you imagine, I was told this by not only my mother, but also by an elder?
I never realized until that point in my short life how prejudiced and controlling they were.
Not a very good example of "Christ like" behavior, would you say?
Just for the record.
I do not consider the condemnation of homosexuality to be prejudice. If a witness said something like, all homosexuals are pedophiles however, that I would consider a prejudicial and uninformed statement.
I think prejudice is the wrong word. Jehovah's Witnesses are certainly intolerant, but then, they believe that they should be intolerant. In fact, that is a core belief of theirs, that there is a "right way to be" and every other life choice is wrong and deserving of destruction. They believe god is also intolerant.
It is not their intolerance I have against witnesses. Indeed, if they all lived up to their own specified way of life, I would probably still be a witness. No it is the double standard they apply that moves them into the realm of the ludicrous for me.
If a non-witness does something bad they are wicked and deserving of destruction. If a witness does something bad they are just imperfect since they had a "get out of armageddon free" card by calling themselves a Jehovah's Witness. What is really odd is that every sexual pecadillo is policed and punished to the extreme while ongoing gossip, slander, reviling, hypocrisy, unkindness, cheating and questionable politicking for position is all just tacitly accepted because the brotherhood is imperfect.
No, if there is a god, we will answer to him individually for the way we treat our fellow man. Love will be the scorecard, not a set of doctrines or interpretations or a label we have placed on ourselves.
I would say there is less racial predjudice in JWs than in the world.
How much of the governing body is composed of minorities? How about women in any position of authority?
