The Difference between being a Convert and being raised a Witness

by The wanderer 31 Replies latest jw friends

  • Nellie
    Nellie

    I was raised in the truth - but I raised MYSELF in it. I was introduced to the witnesses by my adult sister (who was later DF'd), but I began studying at 8 - neither my mom or dad (divorced) were witnesses, and my father only offered mild resistance to it. My mother was so distraught over their breakup, that I think she welcomed the idea that I was getting involved in something that occupied so much time. (Plus how much harm is there in studying the bible, right?) Actually, I gloried in the fact that there was an adult paying so much attention to me at the time. Since the sister studying with me wasn't my mother, she couldn't impose things on me, she offered me choices, but of course encouraged me to do things the society's way. I got baptized at 13 - in 1976.

    While I feel the fool for being duped, I can't have any anger towards my family, because I self-imposed the restrictions. I never had my parents telling the teacher "she can't participate" - I did it myself. I told them, "no thank you - I don't eat birthday cake." "Thank you for the invitation, but I don't go to birthday parties, celebrate christmas, etc."

    The regrets I have are regrets of things that I gave up. But it is what it is. Interestingly though, I feel like this doesn't qualify me for either of the two listed categories. I wasn't really raised in the truth (i.e. there was nobody MAKING me go out in service, study, etc.), although I was there from childhood. And I was also looked at as a second-class witness, because I didn't have any family in the congregation either. When guest lists were being drawn up, not many remembered me. I constantly slipped through the cracks. I remember complaining about this to an elder when I was @ 16. He said he and his wife had always "meant to have me over." My response was, "and in four years you haven't managed to issue an invitation yet." Funny thing, they never did have me over.

    Ohh well, that's the past - I'm free now!

  • sammielee24
    sammielee24

    Your question might also have included the question of wether being raised in that organization was considered weak or zealous. I think this has a tremendous amount of influence on wether or not a person remains a JW, gets baptized and what age, has those life experiences most have to give up and the course it sets for their life. Mulan, came from a less restrictive JW family environment whereas our family were zealots so as a child there was no sitting at home. Even as a young child you were expected to go out in service and spend your summer vacations that way except for the family vacations which were conventions. Free time was spent studying or else working part time at a job of some sort. Take it to the extreme and add into the mix, all those kids that were then home schooled so they would not be in 'bad' association with the worldly kids - mix in a rural residence and you can see the isolationist that perfects brainwashing has been achieved.

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