Well I entered the Armed Forces 3 months after I DA'ed. I did the 3 year stint. My parents are still JWs and were not happy then when I went in. They had a future in their mind for me to be in Bethel or attend Gilead.At this time we still speak with each other and I visit them occasionally. I feel I grew up much faster or seen reality as it is in the 3 years I served then in the 18 growing up in with the JWs.
Questions For Those That Entered the Armed Forces After Practicing JWism
by R.F. 24 Replies latest jw friends
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worldtraveller
It seems that joining the Armed Forces is a test to see just whom the parents "love" more. In the case of the JW's. blood is not thicker that water.
Most families I know will be taking care of their parents as they age. Here these parents prefer to take care of total strangers and not their own children. It shows brainwashing to an extreme. Pathetic!
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Open mind
I personally overheard a JW Mom's comments re: her son who joined the military after being a JW:
"My son is now a paid assassin for the U.S. Government."
I think 'postates are still probably a notch lower than soldiers in her book though. Not positive. Just guessin'.
Open Mind
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R.F.
Thank you all for the replies so far.
It hurts my heart to see some JW families react the way they do when a loved one enters the military. I know i'm sure appreciative, always was, at the fact that many put their lives on the line to preserve many of the freedoms that I as well as others enjoy.
There was a brother here locally that entered the military while still being a JW. He died in a plane crash and my father said......"well, see what happens when you disobey Jehovah and do something like that?"
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franzy
"the fact that many put their lives on the line to preserve many of the freedoms that I as well as others enjoy."
is this what us military operations are about???
...for some reason, i thought it was about securing
the world's resources for our own corporate and
personal interests, and eliminating any threats to
our enjoyment of same.
silly me -
Hortensia
well, Franzy, I agree with you. It's a complicated issue - I was much more of a pacifist until 9/11. Then I vocalized what I had believed for years - those folks are out to get us, pure and simple, and their leaders are really dangerous people. So, peacenik that I have always been, I see the need to do something about terrorists, and the nations that support them. For that reason, I support the military. That doesn't mean I support Pres. Bush, however.
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franzy
hi hortensia
it looks to me like the events of 9/11 became the PERFECT foil for
this administration to continue and expand operations as usual...
i suspect this perfection of circumstances is what allows some of
the 9/11 conspiracy theorists to hold onto their beliefs...i'm not one.
sorry, i don't think US military operations are mainly about
terrorism. if our government really cared much about terroristic
responses to us, then they would implement foreign policy that
would encourage nicer reactions. like respecting national sovereignty,
or adopting the novel notion that what other nations have really
belongs to them, etc...
RF, i really do wish that it was mostly about protecting our freedoms,
and "those of others". -
M.J.
The only JW I knew in school growing up (nice guy) was in the Navy last time I saw him.
I met another lady at church who was raised a JW but then joined the Air Force.
It must be some kind of rebellion thing. Not that I am critical of their choices in the least, however. -
Honesty
J.R. Brown sez:
“We’re not be feared,” Brown said, adding that the church is merely adhering to Jesus’ admonition to, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are God’s.”
Brown acknowledged that family members who enter the military voluntarily, risk “disassociation.”
“We as an organization or local congregation do not initiate this action,” he explained. “Rather than ‘disfellowship,’ we use ‘disassociation’ as a term. That means the individual made a conscientious decision that he or she would no longer ascribe to the principles that we do. He or she has decided to take a side; the individual has left the position of ‘neutral.’ We look at disassociation as accepting the person’s decision to take a side.”
Uh huh.
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edmond dantes
Hi RF
It took me approx. three years after wasting my youth selling product on behalf of Brooklyn Book Club .I never regretted joining the Royal Airforce although during basic training occasionally I thought " what am I doing here?" Especially when the Sergeant yelled at me for not putting enough boot polish on my welts and " IF YOU DROP THAT RIFLE I WANT YOU TO HIT THE FLOOR BEFORE IT DOES",and "IF YOU DON'T SWING THAT ARM I'LL TEAR IT OFF AND HIT YOU WITH THE SOGGY END;" You get my drift.
One of my early doubts about the Witlesses' was based on the fact that one person I knew refused to do National Service and went to prison for it.He then, after coming out of clink ,fell away from the "truth" and it made me think that if a person can leave the Borg. after going to prison for his beliefs he must have had some strong doubts about what he previously believed in.
My parents wished me luck as they waved me goodbye,they were not in the cult, just the opposite they were dead against the Wacktower.
The overaul experience was good although there were moments when as in all walks of life I came across the occasional obnoxious Richard Head.The comradeship was good far better than you ever got from being with the Kingdom Hall Mob and there was a sense of if you had any problems there was always somebody around to help.I was young and single at the time and I think now that every young person should have a couple of years experience in the military even if only part time.
Of course I never expected to get killed it was just something I didn't think about.I did think I was doing something useful which was helping in some small way to the safety of the country, you know what I mean "so everyone can sleep sound in their bed at night." I didn't expect Armageddon to whack me one either.