My kid comes home from the meeting worried about the devil. I'm not happy.

by jambon1 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  jambon1

  This was one of the many reasons that I left the org. I just could not agree with some of the beliefs & ideas that kids are exposed to at the hall. Having not been raised in the org, I never had any idea what effect it all had on kids. I could only imagine.

  Today, my young kid comes home from the meeting mentioning things about the devil. Asking me if he can harm us. Saying "he can't harm us, can he daddy"?

  Now, when I was six, the only thing on my mind was where my next sweet was coming from or when I could get to my next football match. I wasn't thinking about an invisible creature that is 'out to get me'.

  This is just the tip of the iceberg for me. After considering things like the 'oral' watchtower and other material such as the JW view of non JW's, etc, etc. All of it is just pure filth! It These things should never have to cross the mind of a six year old, or any kid for that matter.

  I have brought up the matter to my wife before, but as usual, any criticism of the WTS is perceived as an all out attack on her faith & it ends up in the most unpleasant of arguments. I have been beaten into submission. It's just not worth raising valid concerns with her any more.

  So, how do I tackle all this shit on a one-to-one with my kids. How do I counter this mind corrupting garbage?
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  Mincan

  Is it just accepted that the children are going to be raised as JWs?

  If this ever happened to me, the only logical course I could see would be to give the children the choice. Obviously, your wife may not like that as any person given both sides of the equation are more than likely not to automatically choose the WT. Maybe you should ask her why that is?
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  AWAKE&WATCHING

  When I was an active JW with children and an UBM I was told by the elders that I had to respect his headship. They told me that if he said the kiddies couldn't go to the meetings that I had to accept that.

  I would totally play the "I'm the head of the house and they aren't going" card.
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  darth frosty

  Protect your seed. I dont know if you can keep your kid from going to meetings. If you cant you need to be proactive in his training. Disscuss with him the things that will be disscussed and filter out the mind control and scare tactic aspects.
  
  Dubs train their kids from an early age on what to say and how to stand up for the 'beliefs' Parents who dont wanrt their kids to fall victim to the scare tactics need to be just as proactive in helping their kids understand the truth about the TROOF.
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  Mrs. Witness

  When my JW said that he saw meetings in my 2-year-old's future and would not discontinue reading the f'd up JW kids bible with my 11-year-old, I threatened divorce. I am fierce when it comes to my kids and no matter how much I may love my husband, I am sworn that there's no way in Hell that my kids will be raised JW. I've seen what it's done to my hubby and his sister (they both were diagnosed bi-polar and hubby was a self-destructive alcoholic).

  If I were you, I'd put my foot down. Your kid is too important to have the JW's play their stupid mind tricks on.
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  R.Crusoe

  I agree that it is mind altering for youngsters. Real pictures are shown of a claimed evil spirit more powerful than mom or dad! Any kid would be afraid and then think only their God can save his thoughts and worries because you are no way as powerful so what you say is just hidding him from worry when his head is telling him it is far worse. I used to have my 6 yr old son wake up screaming and sometimes it took me half an hour to snap him out of it. I once even slapped him coz I thought he was in a trance and this freaked him even more thinking he was being attacked by some weird thing from his dream!

  Childhood doesn't need garbage like that from film or religion!!

  Trouble is when parents minds are being controlled by it its hard to know how to calm kids and keep them from it! I would just have to put a stop to it knowing what I do and replace it with fun and wholesome things. Seems he's already imprinted so it may take who knows how long to get it out of his dream time.

  When I was a kid the best dreams I ever had which then put a happy bubble in my heart for days, were fun days out with dad messing around or in the country climbing and scrammbling around or playing ball and laughing as if life was here for that very thing alone. Why do they need all this mumbo jumbo garbage to worry about???
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  stillajwexelder

  not only frightened of the devil but asking what oral sex is - terrible. They need to get a clue
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  journey-on

  There are some "good" things about being raised a JW. You learn to sit still for hours at a time, you learn to obey (after all, if you don't, you'll

  be detroyed at Armageddon or the Devil will getcha!), you learn to discriminate in shades of black and white (JWs good---worldly people bad),

  you learn to suck it up and shut up!

  MY CHILDREN were the #1 reason I left that organization. I was raised in it and not allowed to live the life of a regular kid. My parents were

  loving and wonderful and thought they were raising their kids in a godly way. They have no idea what it was like! Out of four of us, only my

  sister remained and she is what I would call a RELIGIOUS FANATIC! That, of itself, is a mental illness, IMO.

  You have to grow some b**ls, sir. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that a wife is to be in subjection to her husband. (This is major). When she starts in with you,

  tell her that under no circumstances will you allow your children to be subjected to a religious cult that teaches abandonment when they get

  old enought to choose something else. YOU WILL NOT RISK THEIR FUTURE MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH

  just to keep the peace regarding a man-made RELIGION! Stand your ground. You could win hands down in a court of law for custody with

  the amount of evidence out there regarding what this religion does to a child's normal social and mental growth.

  The Watchtower Society has a booklet on how JWs should approach a custody fight. That's because they KNOW their teachings are suspect

  and detrimental to children. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!!!
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  95stormfront

  I agree....play the "head of the household" card. When my son decided that he no longer wanted to go to meetings, I did and my the wife's knowledge and submission to WT rules and regulations forced her to capitulate.
• 

  sweet pea

  I would recommend reading 'Parenting Beyond Belief' - it gives some good practical advice on how to get a child to reason on make believe characters. Get your child to think of Satan as just another story character like Darth Vadar!