How embarrassed were you to be a JW?

exwitless

I, for one, was often embarrassed to be a JW; I always felt guilty about that, because it was always drilled into us that we should never be ashamed of our "religious heritage". Well, it's really hard to be the only one at your workplace who doesn't celebrate Christmas, birthdays, etc. It just draws so much unwanted attention to you, like when people try to tiptoe around certain subjects in your presence.

I wasn't a good JW as far as informally witnessing to my workmates (i.e. I NEVER witnessed to them). When I think back, I realize how much useless effort I used to put into trying to avoid certain situations that I could forsee being embarrassing, like the infamous question "Are you ready for Christmas?" I became an expert at avoiding directly answering that question and redirecting the conversation.

What a relief it is this year to be free of feeling like an oddball and trying to avoid the harmless Christmas question. This year, when someone asks if I'm ready for Christmas, I take delight in saying "Yes!! I can't wait till Christmas!"

What great lengths did you go to in order to avoid the public embarrassment of being a Dub?

carla

Sorry if this is a bit off topic but, it still surprises me that they are so reticent to admit they are jw's at the door. They come off looking like they are embarrassed by saying so. When asked point blank they may finally after much hemming and hawing say the ever famous, 'I am one of....' which to non jw's makes no grammatical sense. Because they don't use the word jehovah and only associate it with a denomination. If they really believed they had the 'truth' and only they did, wouldn't they be proud to admit they belonged to this wonderful publishing company?

sass_my_frass

I was constantly embarassed. I was terrified of meeting schoolmates or later workmates out in the preach. In my early working days a girl was having a birthday lunch and I agreed to go because I couldn't think of the words to get out of it but when it came around I went home sick before lunchtime to absent myself. I constantly turned down party invitations, dinners, lunches, morning teas, bbqs... making some lame excuse. People eventually stopped asking.

On the preach I was embarassed to admit where I was from and knew that would end the conversation.

Highlander

I hated being a j-dub and was embarassed for being a j-dub.

I also recall preaching with someone that identified himself as a 'bible student'. I never did ask him about that. I always wondered what he would say if someone asked if he was a

witness.

Mrs Smith

Yes!! All the time, preaching was the worst for me. I use to pray that I wouldn't bump into anyone I knew. I always felt guilty for having these feelings. ahhhh freedom!!!!!!!!

truthsetsonefree

I was always embarassed, like others have posted. Then guilty for being embarassed. Way back in grade school my Mom would give me publications that I was to display prominently on my desk. The idea was it could start conversations and opportunities to "witness." I would always hold my bag close to the shelf under the desk, look around, then when no one was looking shuffle it from my bag to under the desk. There it would stay until the end of the day at which time I would reverse the process. Once she caught me. She was so fanatic that she came up to the room and watched from the classroom door (which had a small window in it). I guess I had never thought to look there. That didn't stop me from hiding the books though. I often think back to that as proof that I always had a problem with JW ways, only when I got older did I learn how to deal with it, namely leave.

tsof

gypsytart

I found being a JW at school and later on at work extremely embarrassing. Which I would then feel guilty about.

Bumping into schoolfriends (not that I could call them friends, as they were 'worldly') on the ministry was the worst thing, followed by the exclusion from school activities and name calling that went with it.

Being verbally attacked at work over things like the blood issue was embarrassing too, as I found myself feeling I had to defend beliefs I didn't feel right about.

Dansk

Wasn't embarrassed then and am not embarrassed now about being one. That was then and this is now. All things are impermanent.

From a negative we must attempt to make a positive. Our experience can help others.

Ian

lighthouse19something

What I hated was in my senoir hs year, had about 14 other jws as classmates. It was a vo-tec school which may explain why so many were there. If I would have thought more about it, I would not have ID myself to them and could have just been myself.

kls

I have always been embarrassed and don't want anyone to know that i was suckered ,unless its to help someone from making the same mistake.

How embarrassed were you to be a JW?

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