So this guy I see occasionally at work (he's a traveling
representative and passes thru now and then) is really easy
to get along with, so we talk.
He married a girl who was studying with JW's. His mom is
a JW, but he used to study after he got married and
discontinued the study after a few months. His wife got
baptized less than a year after he married her. She had a
young child from a previous marriage, the coworker had a
baby with her recently.
Anyway, to the point- He attends many meetings when he is
not traveling. He goes for her sake and helps with the kids.
He dresses in clean clothes, but hates to wear a tie, so he
would not. He asked me about it, because the elders have
been pulling him or his wife or both aside and encouraged him
to start studying again. When he declines, they ask him about
putting a tie on. He says they really tell his wife that he ought to
try harder to "fit in." He asked what I think of it all.
I told him that I was having problems with this religion, but I would
answer his question in the spirit it came to me in. I said, "You are
not a Bible student, You are not a baptized brother. First, they
have no authority over you. Second, they should only be saying
positive things about how wonderful you are to come and help with
the kids. They should not have any counsel for you, or for your wife
about you. It's wrong."
That was months ago. I saw him recently. He said her son wanted to
stop wearing a tie, because step-dad didn't. The brothers kept bothering
his wife about it, so my coworker caved in and is wearing the tie, now.
He says he misses more meetings, finding more excuses to not go.
I asked if he preferred going without the tie more often, or going with it
less often. He said there was more peace with the wife when he went
a bit more often, so now he's getting pressure to step up the meeting
attendance from the wife and the brothers.
Just thought I would share that wonderful story with y'all. Any comments?