The Watchtower Society—a Woman's Perspective

by The wanderer 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  The wanderer

  The Watchtower Society—a Woman's Perspective

  Often times, I wondered how the sisters viewed the organization.
  There will be two or three inquiries regarding this discussion so
  any information regarding it would be appreciated.

  ---

  The Way the Sisters Dressed

  According to the way the Society viewed women what did you
  think about there standards regarding the dress code?

  Your View of the Brothers was it Desirable?

  Since the organization historically had more women than
  men, how did you view the brothers? Did you like them?
  Were they considered desirable?

  The Code of Conduct that was Enforced

  Personally, I did not like the "Submissive Susie Home-
  maker" that the Watchtower Society endorsed. Though,
  what is your view regarding their code of conduct regard-
  ing women?

  ---

  Please post your comments for an interesting and live-
  ly discussion.

  Respectfully,

  The Wanderer
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  juni

  

  ^

  The approved WTB$TS family

  "FATHER KNOWS BEST"

  Juni
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  serendipity

  The main problem is that women are viewed as second class citizens. All the other problems stem from that.
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  Nowman

  Hello Wanderer....

  DRESS CODE....Im a woman so I love clothes. My parents were very strict on what I wore, so I was not a big fan of the dress code. So, when I left at 18, I went shopping, and bought my 1st mini skirt, not too short though, but above the knee. I loved the fact that I could wear what I wanted after I left the org, I still appreciate this after 14 years!

  VIEW OF THE BROTHERS....I was boy crazy, so I just loved the boys. As far as the men were concerned, there were some I admired, but some I thought were just on a power trip, including my father.

  SUBMISSIVENESS....My mom was a victom of this with my father. He had control of everything even with paint colors for decorating. She was not allowed to have an opinion. Looking back, I felt like I could not stand up to my parents and that I could not have opinion either. So, when I left, my parents were so shocked that Nikki would up and leave. My mom later divorced him, and told me more stories that were just awful. How sad for the past, but how wonderful now that she and I have our freedom.

  Submissiveness is not really one of my strong points but I think my husband likes that about me. I have my own thoughts and opinions. I look to my husband for protection, love, and security, but he would not want me to agree with everything he says, he likes the challenge. And so do I.

  Nikki
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  Butters

  One toke over the line sweet Jesus...One toke over the line...
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  becca1

  Dress code: My dad measured the hems of my dress when I was little (late 60's early 70's) to be sure they were at the middle of the knee and no higher. I would walk around raising my shoulders to make my dress look shorter. What a dork!

  I know of congregations where sisters have to wear pantyhose. I once was in a cong. that made you sew up the slits in skirts (even the kick pleat in back that is just there so you can walk w/o looking like a geisha).

  Brothers: Some were kind and fatherly. Most were arrogant and condecending.

  Submission: I've seen it carried to extreems. Abused wives counseled to stay and be better wives. Husbands putting down their wives verbally. Wives who have to consult their husbands for every little thing as if they did not have a brain.
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  solo

  as I was brought up a jw I didn't really have a huge issue with the way the society treated women as it was all I knew, I accepted that that was the way it had to be. Although I did find it a bit odd that sisters had to cover their heads and not talk to the audience when on the platform. As I grew older a did have big issues with clothes and the way I was expected to dress.

  My mother however is a whole different story. She had massive issues with her lesser role and resented the fact that she could not progress within the organisation. The fact that my father was able to become ms, elder, school overseer, po, etc she got very jealous about and once she even made the elders tell him to stand down! I feel that she has used the religion as a way of controling her husband and children and to this end it has been hugely beneficial to her but it has not stopped her resenting the female issue.

  She is not a typical female jw in the submissive way - she wears the trousers that's for sure!

  Having been out so long, when I think about how jw women are expected to behave it just makes me laugh that in this day and age they go along with it
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  Mary

  The main problem I ran into in the congregation was not how I dressed, but was something far more serious (to them anyway). I was constantly asking the elders "uncomfortable questions" about the inconsistencies with many of the doctrines. I had a track beaten back from the main Hall to the second school where I was constantly getting my ass hauled in there for "a little chat to readjust my thinking".
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  fullofdoubtnow

  The dress code didn't worry me that much, and I never married while a jw. Though there were a couple of brothers I noticed, I didn't really chase anyone. I was prepared to wait for them to chase me.

  As for the rules concerning women, I accepted them, but can't say I ever liked them. I thought sisters were underused, as we couldn't do simple tasks like microphone handling etc, which anyone could have done.
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  there are four lights

  Hi, this is my first post, but I thought it was an interesting place to jump in. I was raised as a JW and married one 10 years ago when I was 21. We both stopped going to meeting a few months ago and no longer believe. Here are the things that bothered me about how women were treated; Women could not give talks directly to the congregation but had to put on some dumb little play with another woman, which was harder to write and deliver than a normal talk would be. I protested this by never giving talks. As a grown adult woman, but still living at home with my parents, my father was consulted on all matters pertaining to me before I was, or even instead of me being consulted. If the elders had a problem with me, wanted me to do more, thought I was doing something wrong, they went to my father and told him as if I was not a person. Dresses are the only culturaly acceptable attire for a woman to wear, and slacks are frowned upon. Wearing dresses in the winter out in service was stupid and freezing cold. Wearing dresses to conventions was stupid as one always had to be careful not to show anything while sitting on bleechers. Dresses also sexualize women, and as a feminist I hated having to dress in away that was more appealing for men to look at, which I am sure is the reason dresses were chosen as the attire of women. Breastfeeding, which I do in public everywhere else, had to be done in a room off of the bathroom at the kingdom hall and conventions. First of all, that is a huge inconvenience, especially at conventions. Second, it is totally disgusting to feed a baby in an area where you can hear and smell people using the bathroom. Third, all of the women brought their crying, screaming, misbehaving children into the same area and oftentimes spanked them right there in front of my baby who was terrified by the scene and would not eat well among all the comotion. Women also gathered in the room and had loud conversations while I was trying to breastfeed my son to sleep, which I could have done much easier at the seat, only I was certain an attendant would come up and tell me to stop. At conventions I did breastfeed at the seats, because I wasn't gonna let my baby cry while I hiked to a disgusting locker room full of chatting women spanking away at there poor kids. This is another way that men sexualize women, they do not want to see breasts being used in any other manner than sexually, so they try to "encourage" the women to use rooms away from them.