What would you tell CHILDREN of Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Magick 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Magick

  A lot of us grew up as Jehovah's Witnesses. We had no choice. Our parents made the choice for us. Now we, as grown up 2nd, 3rd even 4th generation Jehovah's witnesses are suffering. We have lived the emotional trainwreck, the heartbreak, the betrayal, the mental anguish and religious abuse. We would not wish this on anyone...especially another generation of innocent children.

  We warn children of the dangers of drugs, fire, smoking, electricity, child molesters, violence, abductors...

  why can't we warn them about the dangers of being a Jehovah's Witness?

  If you could gather all the JW children together. What would you tell them?

  If you could time travel and talk to yourself as a JW child, what would you say?
• 

  momzcrazy

  This is a hard one.

  IF the kids came to me and asked, and they were old enough to do something about it, I would tell them to research the religion, pray and read the Bible without WT publications. I would also tell them the same things I told my neices and nephews, not JWs; sex at 13 is not worth the bother and risk, go to college, play the field, when you know what you're doing sexually use protection. Be honest and trustworthy, work hard and be a good friend. Be a grown up when you get married.

  Now for me, as painful as my childhood was I would not change it. The abuse made me a better parent, getting DFd at 16 gives me a story for when my daughters are in "love" and I don't understand. Being in an influential Witness family gave me knowledge of inner workings and secrets. Almost dying from not taking bood gives me first hand knowledge and an experience to share. I choose to make the pain something beneficial, because it did make me me.

  Instead of going back to childhood, I would go back around 2002 and tell myself to get the h*** out. Before my kids got this old.

  momzcrazy
• 

  nvrgnbk

  Good topic, Magick.

  I'd tell myself the following: Check your premises.

  I asked a young pioneer working for me two years ago when he thought the end would arrive.

  He replied in ten years.

  I told him that I would have answered the same way fifteen years ago.
• 

  maxwell

  I would tell them the same things JW sometimes tell other people: You don't have to choose a religion simply because it is the one your parents are following.

  Also, maybe I'd plant one question if given the opportunity. I'd probably mention that absolute truth can withstand any attack. The law of gravity always works. No matter what reasoning or logic any naysayers come up with, if you test the law of gravity it always behaves in the expected way. If JW have absolute truth, should you be afraid to read or listen to anything spoken by the naysayers?

  I probably wouldn't go any further than that. I figure at that point, as long as they have those two ideas in their head, when they reach adulthood, they'll have to make their own decision about whether they will take advantage of all the readily available information out there and truly examine the beliefs they have been taught.
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  Wordly Andre

  I am faced with this problem right now in my life, my nephew is 14 years old, he is such a gung ho JW, he stopped attending public school so that he can home study and go door to door during the day, he is such a bright kid and should be thinking of going to College instead he is planning on going to betHELL, I try to tell him how college is so much fun, and learning is great but his only acts interested for my benefit. Then he says that is not in his future plans, UGG! I hate the brain washing done by this cult, I will not try to get him to leave the Org. As I once told my sister, she would never have to worry about me talking bad against the ORG. As if when I have kids she will show the same respect and not take my kids to meetings or try and get them to join. I only hope that when he wakes up from the JW nightmare his life can begin.
• 

  Gopher

  Great topic. I'll take on this one:

  f you could time travel and talk to yourself as a JW child, what would you say?

  Jeff, you're a smart kid. I know you think those people there (the JW's) have something special, some authority from God. But think about it, who gave them their authority? Like all religions, they assigned it to themselves.

  There's a whole big world out there, you can do what you want. Go to college, learn lots about different philosophies, not just the Watchtower one. Don't let other people run your life. They don't have to live with the consequences of your decisions, you do! If you try to do what everyone else says you should do, you'll be trying to go 15 different directions at once. Choose YOUR direction, it'll be different than your parents' direction, different than your sister's, different than anyone's you know.

  Save your money, invest in a house, set aside for retirement. And never stop learning. If you're open to learning, the future can be yours.
• 

  solidergirl

  Its so hard to convince children about the dangers of wasteing your life away for nothing. Cause the org. is all they known it was all I known as far as religion goes. Its like your satan if you tell them otherwise planting evil seeds in there head or something. I would just encourage them to go to school and at least be able to support themselves cause life isn't a guarentee roadmap. Your not the same person you were 3, 5, or even 10 years ago.
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  Wordly Andre

  If you could time travel and talk to yourself as a JW child, what would you say? Uhh Hey Andre, the world didn't end!
• 

  Dagney

  If they are gung ho and thinking it's their hearts desire to be baptized, I would strongly encourage them to follow Christ's example of baptism and wait until they were 30. I would use any and all means to convince them, even using guilt and fear...LOL, whatever it took to delay that fateful decision they have no business making.

  The others I would encourage to get an education and find a subject or trade that they love. They will be a better "JW's" when they are happy and productive in the work they choose. I would also encourage them to pursue and research their questions, no matter what the WTBS says, the Bible says we should.

  Then cross my fingers and toes, light a candle, give some fruit to Buddha and hope they get the hell away.
• 

  DJK

  If you could time travel and talk to yourself as a JW child, what would you say?

  Welcome to your nightmare.