How Did you Feel Being Raised as a Jehovah's Witness? (page 2)

mrsjones5

I didn't like it and decided not to raise my children in the bOrg. I made a good choice.

animal

It was limiting and horrid. I will write about it soon, when I am not heading to bed.

Animal

Hello, in the 60s and 70sI was raised as a J.W. and never attended another religion. I was also one of those children that parents had to leave in the middle of the night because of the blood issue. It was fun, where I was raised the Dub always got together and had a really great time. Up North was tough, people were critical of everything. If my older brother had his shirt pulled out the elders would constantly correct him, as if ,he had control of his shirt falling out of his pants.

Ayhow back to Westminster Calif, people were sneaking across the boarders and bringing medication back from Mexico which was illegal in the states. Every other day, I went to Mexico to get shots or bring them back with a car load of older J.W. women who were sick. These women would come from all over the world. We always went in groups of people who were very sick and some old. Most of the time they just scared me to death. Had me believing that I was going to die as soon as I became an adult. Trust me it was their way of getting together! bunch of bull!

When I went to public school, I had to stand up next to a building by a Flag all day long so I could get vitamins. Play day was taken away from me and I had to sit in the library. They all became health freaks! the school nurse and doctors vs. parents and the local elders, etc,. They took me out of public school with a tutor who didn't do much and I missed my friends from school. I was a very social child and loved people and my friends.

The move up North was hard on everyone, thanks to the elders who said we needed to get out of Calif because of the court system! Anyhow, I did go back to public school but still had to walk around the track instead of socializing with the other children. It was all so stupid in Calif, in fact I do not remember any time when the courts threaten to take me away from my mom. There was a couple of cases in the paper! and that panic all the J.W.

To answer your question I believed that we were God's people. Up North, the J.W. did not socialize with the children like Westminster J.W. So I longed to have friends, go to dances, games, and all the things J.W. children were not allow to do. Yes, I do blame the religion for my lack of education! I also blame my mother and the elders!

Later on in life, I went back to school and was the first one to get a college education! and the college kids well the view me as one of them instead of an older person. That was fun!

I would say leave the organization and go to college! Ignore religion for awhile and attend school. It was the best time of my life.

jaguarbass

I have always been upset. I think it is because I was raised as a witness. Not being able to participate in school activities. Everything fun or good is bad or wrong. Always being shown the bad and negative in everything. Having nothing to live for but armegeddon in 1975. A lot of missed opportunities. Mad at my mother for raising me as a witness. Mad at my father for allowing her to do so. I've been out of the organization since 83. Now I dont waste my time going to meetings. But I am angry that I didnt get an education. If I had, I could have been retiring about now. Instead I have to work another 10 years. As long as I remember I have had depression. But I think thats natural for a witness. Because everything is bad and wrong except going to meetings and selling magazines. We get 1 life to live and I spent half of mine hanging out in a kingdom hall. So now Im on the fast track to nowhere. Its not very exciting. I guess its time to stop blaming my mediocraty on the witnesses. And just enjoy the ride. The best I can come up with. If I wasnt a witness I would in hind sight have been a school teacher. It wouldnt have been that exciting. I would just have had more time to be bored. And I wouldnt have had to work so hard and long all these years. And I dont even know that I would have been a school teacher because I came from a dysfunctional family. Maybe God blessed me for a season by letting me be a witness, kind of a spiritual kindergarden. Life is good.

DJK

I hated it so bad that I felt hate for eveything. I had thoughts of suicide as a way to escape and punish my parents for the abuse and humiliation I suffered. When I reached my teenage years, something finally changed my thinking and I stopped being very hateful.

WTWizard

Even though I was not raised in it, I have some idea of how confining it can seem. There was this one family (who was the lead hounder of my congregation when I left) that, if I sat with them, I sensed that lack of freedom. It always seemed a good 10 degrees hotter in the A$$embly Hell and stuffier when they were around, and it always seemed to take twice as long for the program to drag on. I would rather be in the dentist's chair getting a root canal.

If I could feel and sense this in only a few hours, it is hard to imagine what life must be like for anyone who has to go through this s*** all the time. Those 8-hour a$$emblies that seemed like 16 hours--to someone who lives like that, it is endless. And since many of them never leave home when they become of age (becoming nesters), it actually goes on too long. You feel so confined all the time.

At least I was not raised a Witless, and thus had the freedom to "worship the sun", celebrate my birthday (with an invisible head on an invisible platter), salute the "demon rag", listen to "bad songs" while in college, and the like. I do have a sense of how rough it is for those who are raised in the "truth", especially when the parents are kissing hounder-hounder butts.

Dragonlady76

Humiliated

Angry

Lonely

Leftout

Rebellious

BFD

It was torture going to public school and feeling like I stuck out like a sore thumb, not saying the pledge of allegience, not participating in any holiday activities, etc., wishing the world would end so I wouldn't have to go back to school the next day. All the usaual crap.

I was never any good at sports (go figure) so that didn't bother me. But I could not join chior or band and I had a real talent for singing. I refused to join the AV squad.

I asked my mom why there were no JW schools like the catholics had and she told me that a little persecution is good for you! It will only make your faith stronger and Jehovah will reward you for it. WTF! So much for that theory. I was DF'd while a freshman in HS. But by then all I wanted to do is drop acid and smoke lots of pot. Wanted to be high as kite when Jah struck me dead. Looking back at it now I relaize that I was in a lot of pain and the drugs numbed me good.

Being raised JW is no walk in the park.

BFD

AgentSmith

I as raised a JW. Knew nothing else. I was jealous of the kids with birthday cake, and I cannot have any. I did sneak my own 'birthday' in grade 2. My friend encouraged me to tell the teacher it was my birthday. My birtday is in December and this was about June/July. The class sang happy birthday and I conned my mom in making crumpets for the whole class. In hindsight she (teacher) must have been in on it as she knew I was a JW and when my birthday was! I did not do that again in case I was found out.

The whole school knew of me of course. The flag issue and not joining in singing the anthem etc etc makes you stand out! LOL

My parents gave little interest in my grades. They did not go to parent/teacher evenings. Strangely enough they did allow me to go the Matric Farewell, (Prom night in the USA) They joined the other parents at the dinner as well! And my father was an elder then too. Now that I think of it, it was strange.....

But I digress. I regret not forcing my parents to send me to University, or trying to get a scholarship. I just gave in to the 'no education' thing. And of course the military issue in South Africa at the time had only one outcome for a good JW boy, Military prison, or 6 years community service. I got the latter sentence, me and a whole lot of JW kids.

I short, it sucked big time!!!!

darth fader

I concur with all the comments above. My biggest regret was not taking a stand prior to baptism. I had an argument with my mother to the point I dropped the bombshell that I really didn't know if I wanted to choose the religion. Like a good son who didn't want to disappoint his mother I went along with the baptism. I was "this close" to walking away and being free and I caved.

I will regret that moment forever. In hindsight I know my mother would have gotten over it and accepted my decisions. In her mind I know now she would have always had the hope I would come back to the borg before the end. She would have passed away with that in her heart. I know I will see her again in the next life. I also believe she would be proud of me and my family and how we've turned out. Somewhere I know she is watching over us.

My advice to any teen at the same juncture would be stick to your decision. It may hurt some feelings in the short term but it will save you a lifetime of pain and suffering. It's like breaking up with a girlfriend- everyone gets over it and moves on. Often old girlfriends will stay friends with you as would your family should you stick to your guns.

That's what I would do!

How Did you Feel Being Raised as a Jehovah's Witness?