9/11/2001 was within a few months of my leaving the organization and my mother freaked. She was convinced that it was the start of the United States' war against "false religion" and that Armagedon had begun.
WERE THERE ANY UNOFFICIAL STRANGE IDEAS IN YOUR CONGREGATION?
by badboy 50 Replies latest jw friends
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badboy
ISN'T PUTTING A CROSS UPSIDE DOWN A SATANIC SYMBOL?
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Dismembered
Towels draped over the unpaid volunteers arms who were holy enough to pass the cookies and wine at the memorial.
Dismembered
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badboy
DELILAH,I WOULD LIKE HEAR 120 UNOFFICIAL STRANGE IDEAS
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Country Girl
1975 fear started around 1968. I remember being terrified those 8 years because I wasn't baptized, yet my Mother wouldn't let me get baptized because she said I wasn't spiritual enough. never mind it that I was only 14 when Armagheddon would have arrived in 1975 (which it didn't). We all know what happened back then, even though the Society tries to cover it up and blame it on the brothers' over-zealousness.
Our Kingdom Hall was (supposedly) pretty open to mixed races. In 1965, Sister P was raped on a dark street in Denver, yet she was victimized by the congregation. I am not sure *why* since I was only a little kid, but I remember her sitting in the back of the Hall all the time. My Mother took the time out of her busy preaching day to remind me that Sister P was raped. She bore the rapists' child, Mickey, and he was just the cutest little kid. That must have been hard on her. A white brother, E, took an interest in her, and within several months, the two were engaged. At one point, they were BOTH disfellowshipped and made to sit at the back of the congregation with no one talking to them. I felt, as a child, that was so bad. I smiled once at them and my Mother caught me and slapped my face.
Funny how my Mom saved me from talking to Sister P and Brother E, but she couldn't call the police when I was molested by the babysitter's son while she was out preaching, and yet STILL kept taking me there despite knowing what I had told her. He never did it again, but I only think that was because I had a big mouth and told.
Then my Mother got the obsession that *all men* were out to deflower me, rape me, and take advantage of me. I got the full -on treatment about how men, even JW men, were out to take sex from me without my consent, and that they were devils in disguise. I guess to make me afraid of men and discourage me from finding out that there were decent people in God's organization, and even outside, she told me this for several years. I was terribly afraid of men. It even got down to I was afraid of HUMANS. For years afterwards, any time a worldly employer took me into their office I was terrified. It was like I was going into a Judicial Committee! I was given raises and promoted most of the time. How ridiculous that I should be that afraid!
Among their wierd no-no's:
No charm bracelets.
Can't say "good luck" but "How fotunate."
No dresses above the knees.
No Dungeons and Dragons or competitive games.
No college or sports.
No being popular with worldly people.
No dating, except in groups.
Only people engaged can hold hands or kiss SHORTLY.
Only married people can show signs of affection.
No smurfs.
Buying stuff at the Goodwill (which I think is a past time for most JWers) older than __ years is verbotten because it might have demons in it.
From what I hear now, it's:
No large groups.
No JW sanctioned parties.
No volleyball, park picnics, etc.
No youth groups.
Etc.
Sounds like the Nazi party has struck again! Controlling people to the point of not allowing them get0togethers.
That wasn't the way back then, but I don't expect it to be a wave of the future. I suspect that they will have their rights diminished in all aspects, and they will just non-challantly expect it, and embrace it.
CG
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jayhawk1
Country Girl.
No large groups.
What is a District Convention then? What do you mean no large groups? I have not heard of that one.
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freedom96
Our congregation actually believed that there were some local congregations that were a bit too worldy, and quite possibly wouldn't make it through armegeddon.
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blondie
What is a District Convention then? What do you mean no large groups? I have not heard of that one.
No unofficial large groups.........of course, this was circumvented by JWs all the time. But no meeting together to study the Bible or WT publications on your own, only at the official meetings, except for family studies. It was applied to "large" recreational outings as well, leaving it up to the elders to determine what "large" meant.
Blondie
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ButtLight
I always got a kick out of the fact that women had to wear napkins on their heads if they said the prayer! Give me a break!
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blondie
I never understood why sisters didn't plan better. In this area there was always a nice lace scarf in the room where the meetings for field service were and the sisters assigned to "moderate" the groups always had a scarf in their bookbag.
Do you think those sisters resented having to wear a headcovering so did that to show how they felt?
Blondie (never wore a napkin on her head)