The Young Witness Generation

by choosing life 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  choosing life

  I have seen in the last few months five young marriages break up where I live. They were all married less than two years. Is this just a local thing or are others seeing it in their neck of the woods? Divorce was much more rare in the past with jws. I saw a few, but not like today.

  I feel the young ones are forced to marry young and with little experience, mostly because of the crazy restrictions on dating and the harsh consequences for experimentation with sex or just kissing, for heaven's sake. How do you get to know someone with a chaperone always around? It was a rule in my old cong. that a young couple could not even sit together at meetings unless they were engaged. What exactly did they think they were going to do at the hall?

  So, do others see young marriages collapsing around them? What do you think is the cause of this?
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  liquidsky

  I think that's the norm everywhere.. JW or not.
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  choosing life

  I guess I am more sensitive to it because one of the marriages breaking up is a close relative. Also, I watched these kids grow up and went to their weddings. i hoped for better things for them.
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  cultswatter

  Marry a JW and make a JW baby to feed the WTS in their old age
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  flipper

  CHOOSING LIFE- My daughters, witnesses, both got married young 19 and 18 in 2006 and this year to witness young men. I hope for their happiness it works out, would never wish them bad at all, but if it happens and one or both of my daughters fall, I will always be here as a non witness parent to help them pick up their pieces. Love em' a lot ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  cultswatter

  I better watch what I say.........does they practice contraception???
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  lovelylil

  The divorce rate worldwide is now around 60%. You may be seeing a disproportionate number of marriages ending in the Organization as compared to people you know who are not Witnesses due to the young age most Witnesses get married. Also, the stress of being a Witness puts even more pressure on married couples, than single people, especially if they have children. I know in my case it did.

  Trying to keep up with all the Society's demands, plus with my husband and I both working, and raising kids was almost impossible. We were always stressed out and yelling at the kids. Once we stopped going to the kh, we felt a huge weight off our shoulders and was able to decompress. We both still work, and I am actually working full-time now, plus go to church on Sundays, and still have young kids but feel a lot better and are able to handle the situation better of juggling everything since leaving the org. I think the society's demands of 5 meetings a week plus field service, conventions, etc. is very unrealistic. Unless of course you live in a bubble like the governing body does with no children to support.

  For the "real" world, it just does not work. Lilly
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  choosing life

  Mr. Flipper,

  I wish the best to your daughters. It seems to be hard for the young marriages to hold together. I know you would be there for them if it didn't work. I am trying to support a child now whose spouse left and has filed for a divorce. It is heartbreaking to watch the pain involved.

  Lovelylil,

  It is a rat race of never ending demands. Glad we are out of it. My grown child is going through a divorce and they both worked full time. I remember them fighting over who was going to do the house work and cook,etc. At least there are no children involved.
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  WTWizard

  With all the obstacles they create for people of the opposite sex to get together, it's a wonder there are any marriages to fall apart. The ones that do manage to form despite the obstacle course put by the hounders are likely to be incompatible. That is one reason why rules against fornication are stupid, because they prevent test-driving the marriage (I doubt anyone would buy a car without test driving it, and a car can be replaced easier than a marriage).
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  marmot

  My best friend got married really young and divorced not even two years later. Frikkin' bonehead was already chasing skirts looking for a new one just 4 months later.