I find this JW behaviour disrespectful

by Bumble Bee 28 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Scully

  Yes, it is very disrespectful and intolerant of other peoples' beliefs.

  Even though I'm atheist, if a patient asked me to pray with them, I'll listen to them as they pray, and hold their hand if they want me to do so. Just because I don't share someone else's belief system, doesn't mean that I can't respect their belief system and the practices that go along with it. I haven't encountered a JW who made that request of me, which I suppose is due to their belief that I'm not worthy of praying with them or on their behalf, I think I'd feel really weird though if they did.

  JWs would feel that they are being disrespected if someone behaved that way at one of their services; they would call it intolerance. I guess the difference is in the cult mentality that perceives only their belief system as being correct and every other belief system as being utterly wrong.
• 

  candidlynuts

  i have to admit something

  i'd not bow my head when our catholic uncle would pray.....not out of disrespect..but as a kid i found it fascinating to see them cross themselves and was waiting on Jehovah to send down lightening bolts to strike them dead . i was a bloodthirsty lil girl lol
• 

  jschwehm

  Interesting topic........

  My in-laws are inactive JWs now but for most of our married life they were pretty active.

  In any case, they would come and visit us and we would go and visit them periodically.

  In the meantime, my wife and I have become Catholic since leaving the JWs and when my mother-in-law would come to visit, my wife and I would just say our own prayer silently at mealtimes and my mother-in-law would say her prayer silently at mealtimes and no one would force anyone to do anything they did not want to do.

  However, when we would go to their home, my JW father-in-law would pray for all of us. I would just say my own prayer to myself (it is his house after all) and my wife would do the same.

  Recently however my in-laws have become inactive. My mother-in-law no longer goes to the KH. (She tells my wife that she is retired now.) And my Father-in-law is no longer an elder and spends most of his time working (he has a very good job and does very well.).

  My wife went for a visit and I guess decided that she wanted to be treated in their house when it came to prayer time the same way we treat her mother when she visits us. That is to say, we never presume to pray for her as we know there are significant differences in the way we both believe and we do not want to offend nor make anyone feel uncomfortable.

  It made for some interesting conversations between my wife and her mother.

  Jeff S.

  www.catholicxjw.com
• 

  undercover

  I peeked across the table and saw that my mother and sister had thier heads up and did not say Amen. They could have atleast bowed their heads and said their own prayer for the couple. I thought it very disrespectful.

  
  

  
  How was it disrespectful?

  They chose to not pray or bow their heads. They have that right.

  I would not have bowed my head nor said "Amen" either. I no longer believe in prayer. When prayer is offered at events or dinners, I sit or stand quietly while the prayer is given and wait for those who wish to say "Amen" say it before continuing on with whatever I was doing before. That is being respectful of other's beliefs. Bowing my head and saying "Amen" when I do not believe in it is being a hypocrite.

  Now if one believes in God and in the power of prayer, would it not be showing disprespect to that God to "peek" at others during a prayer to him to see what they are doing?
• 

  candidlynuts

  Now if one believes in God and in the power of prayer, would it not be showing disprespect to that God to "peek" at others during a prayer to him to see what they are doing?

  i was 6 yrs old when i peeked......they were witnesses by the time i was 9 yrs old.... (i was 9 yrs old in 1973! hmm wonder why they converted THEN?)
• 

  LittleToe

  Undercover:I take your point that for you it would not be disrespectful, but for someone who claims to be a Christian, hearing a Christian prayer, you've gotta wonder, huh?

  My wife used to do something similar when I would say prayers over food after I DAed. The person was the same, the prayer was the same, but a line was drawn in the sand. I found the situation ironic in the least.
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  cyd0099

  Back in my dubdays, it wasn't just that was I was not bowing my head, it was the attitude of superiority I carried during a non-dub prayer that was disrespectful. I didn't listen to the person praying, I thought about how this was a waste of time because god was refusing to listen to these words.
• 

  Terry

  My wife used to do something similar when I would say prayers over food after I DAed. The person was the same, the prayer was the same, but a line was drawn in the sand. I found the situation ironic in the least.

  I prayed the same way too for about ten years after I was disfellowshipped.

  My mind was JW even if my location was not. When I finally reconciled my rationality with the lie I had been living the prayers changed.

  I suppose it is like kissing somebody before they cheat on you and then not being able to afterward: same person, but; context is different.
• 

  undercover

  I take your point that for you it would not be disrespectful, but for someone who claims to be a Christian, hearing a Christian prayer, you've gotta wonder, huh?

  Point taken as well.

  In this case, the offenders, I'll call them, would not share in the prayer, but might in another instance. While to me it's not disrespectful to not pray or say Amen, to pick and choose whose prayers you'll join in is a bit much. Hypocritical even.
• 

  grissom6471

  Well, don't complain to the people here about it. This is the wrong crowd. Talk to that specific individual and deal with it rather than gossip on here.