Do Witness Teenagers take the Organization's Rules Seriously?

by flipper 30 Replies latest jw friends

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  bluesbreaker59

  My friends and I had a great thing, we were the kids that all the old ladies and elders liked and trusted. Some were auxillary pioneers, some were doing the literature counter, we were all carrying mics, reading, answering a lot, and giving prayers.

  Little did any of them know... We all had premarital sex, we all drank, everyone but me did drugs, and swore like sailors. We also did tons of mischief, got in fights with anybody, and our service time, was a joke. We had the "quiet knock" or "We need to do some RV's today" or "Let's work rural territory", then we'd meet up for donut break, and then go shopping or something.

  Then most of us got married, then all got divorce, and guess what, we're all out. My crew were great, no one ever saw any of it coming. We all had each others back, and a couple of us, mastered how to fake out parents, elders, CO's, and old people, it was great.

  My second crew that I hung out with after I came back at 23, were in their late teens and early 20's, they are all still in, but they are bigger drinkers and drug users than my group, and most of them aren't as good of fakes as the group I grew up with. They just don't put on an act at all, yet no one says anything to them. I'm working on the ones that I still talk to, trying to get them out, but they are too afraid of parental reprocussions still.
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  DJK

  As a JW kid like all the rest, we were just better at not getting caught doing the things kids do. Kids are kids!

  The only kid I felt took the rules seriously, was an only child.
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  flipper

  Hello y'all, Mr. Flipper here again. My son told me when he was a teenager in the witnesses, it was common for elders' teenagers to get away with doing things non elders children couldn't. Like it has been emphasized on these sites many times it's all about appearance being a witness. Some of the threads even before this one verify that. A lot of times it was just a question if somebody gets caught or not. Fortunately, my son was smart and got out of the witnesses
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  animal

  I consider myself an expert on this subject.... I was a mothers nightmare, and feared nothing. I did it all, and some of the best....um....experiences... were with the JW girls. I ran into many of them when I was on the run as a teen and they had no clue I had been a JW kid, they just thought I was wild and fun.

  My 2 kids know they can do what they want in my house, whether smoking, drinking, etc. Funny thing tho, while they will have a drink, they dont do any excesses. They actually act older than me and the old lady.

  Kids will be kids, and some of us rebel against telling us what to do. I still fight that impulse sometimes, other times I run with it (helmet laws). My kids were born and brainwashed Methodists, and I dont care. I also know they did things I dont know about and I am cool with that. They are still on the right track and doing better each day.

  They both know about the JW crap I went thru, I feel bad for any that come to our door in Mesa, AZ.... hehehe. They watched me chase off JWs and Mormans in the past.

  If you are a parent in the JWs, know this.. your kids will do things you will never know about. Dont fight it, you will not win.

  Animal
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  flipper

  Yeah Animal, I guess we all did things as teenagers that would have shocked old ladies and our parents. So it shouldn't surprise us about our own kids too. As long as my kids end up hopefully decent ,respectful young adults, I'll be happy. I've got one son 22 who is a hell of a lot more respectful than my 2 witness daughters. Yet he's the one who doesn't believe in religion. It stands to reason, doesn't it? Peace and sanity to all parents out there, Peace out ,Mr. Flipper
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  El Kabong

  As someone who grew up in the Borg, It does not matter if they take the rules seriously or not. They will be accused of doing something nevertheless. I think that is one of the reasons why the youth get turned off to the JW's. For years, they filled my head with their version of right and wrong. But, the elders and GB members do believe that someone is going to sin the first chance they get.
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  blondie

  jw teenagers see so much hypocrisy from their parents and other adults in the Borg, I'm surprised any ever take the rules seriously.

  Blondie (grew up as a teenager int he Borg)
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  flipper

  Blondie & Kabong- Very true! The young people do see so much hypocrisy in adults, how could adults expect them to take anything the Watchtower says seriously? We can't expect kids to do what we won't do ourselves. It's better these young ones can escape an organization designed to control them the rest of their natural lives. Good luck to all young ones and peace to you, for you are the future! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  White Dove

  I think that many of them try to take it seriously for the sake of peace of mind and family. Their parents would be on them if they didn't try their best. They are constantly pushing disturbing questions to the back of their minds and when they ask a parent about them, they are told that is just the way Jehovah wants it and must not question it. Teens are disturbed by this but must squish it down and get physically ill from it sometimes. I remember feeling very isolated and frustrated because I had to follow all of these rules that never made sense. But I did it. I followed obediently and with time was able to successfully lie to myself, get baptized (to fit in and get a little respect in the cong.), and stay a JW for many years after. I did end up quitting, though. Poor teens in the lie are like coiled springs that feel so pressured to comply with something they feel is too odd to be true but must accept anyway. Don't even ask about the school issues! It's awful, to say the least.
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  White Dove

  Animal,

  You are absolutely right. I don't fight it anymore. I let my kids drink but they don't like it as much cuz it's no big forbidden secret. My kids are so happy now that mom is not a fanatic.