Does JW Upbringing Result In Inferior Adults?

minimus

If a person is raised a Witness, does it mean they are inferior to everyone else? Is it necessarily better to be raised a Catholic, a Jew, or even a non religious person, in the long run? Does one's morality and quality of life suffer because of having been a Jehovah's Witness?

Satanus

Seems to me that the morals that young jws learn tend to stay w them, even if they leave jws. However, their quality of life later on, is poorer than the norm. That may be for a variety of reasons: failure to take advantage of opportunities to better ther life, failure to plan long term, letting others take advantage of them, to name a few.

For the question about superior/inferior, you would need to specify how that is defined.

S

yknot

I am happy with the morals I was taught........

HOWEVER .... Isolation, not being part of the 'world', and the ridicule it carries does tend to lessen many of our social skills compared to say others who have not been raised in such secular shunning sects.......and that does lower quality of our lives.

Yknot......who rare uses but always has a current prescription of anxiety medication in her medicine cabinet and two tablets in her purse.

minimus

I'm thinking some feel you're cursed if you ever were raised a JW, that you're damaged goods, inferior. I think that my upbringing pretty much grounded me. I kinda think I might've been a wild child had I not had some reins. Of course the end result is that I lived out these last couple of years, more out there. I think if I were a typical kid, I would be a bit more tranquil.....perhaps.

Finally-Free

Being raised in a different faith, or no faith at all, is no guarantee that you won't have a f*cked up upbringing. There is no shortage of toxic families, both in the cult and out of it.

W

creativhoney

probably. unless you fight back.

Im a teacher, my son wants to be a doctor, I'm so happy that I can encourage not discourage him :D

zarco

I know many well-adjusted adult witnesses, but I think they are in the minority. The “witness-way” of focusing short-term because god is going to fix everything soon is very damaging. It distorts the cost/benefit analyses that one uses to make long term decisions like buying a home, getting an education, working in a community and with environmental matters. Why make such investments if the end is just around the corner?

For similar reasons, witnesses are sometimes not the best business owners, as any successful business must think long term and cultivate customer relationships that last a lifetime. The teachings of the WTS do not encourage such a view, rather employment or a business is to make money in the fewest hours possible so that one can pursue spiritual goals.

I believe the consequences of short-term thinking are severe and harm the emotional and financial health of witnesses. Some are able to rise above it by deciding, some without not even realizing it, that they do not believe the end is coming and build - family, relationships, businesses - with a lifetime in view. The consequences of WTS teaching are probably unintended, but very real.

Zarco

Lady Lee

If a person is raised a Witness, does it mean they are inferior to everyone else?

Min real poor choice of word "inferior". They think they are superior to everyone else. In reality they are no different in regards to being people

Is it necessarily better to be raised a Catholic, a Jew, or even a non religious person, in the long run?

As far as I can tell there is no difference other than JWs believing everyone else is unworthy to live

Does one's morality and quality of life suffer because of having been a Jehovah's Witness?

OK Now you are getting to an interesting question. I thnk in most ways JWs are a moral bunch of people except in certain circumstances. When it comes to protecting the image all bets are off and their morality goes out the window compelling them to do things like protect JW pedophiles and sacrifice the victims while they have no problem turning in non-JW pedophiles.

Their morality works in other strange ways. They expect fellow JWs to give them special favors like getting a JW plumber to do work in your home for free. They have no problem lying in court to make the JWs look better in custody cases.

You could defintiely say they suffer in quality of life if they obey WT rules about medical treatments and blood. It could cost you your life. Shunning family members also affects morality and quality of life.

Any time a rule driven belief system is adhered to there will be a negative imapct on quality of life. A person would be forced to constantly be monitoring their "correctness" in following the rules. And when they break a rule they are guilt ridden over some of the most ridiculous things like saying thatnk you when a disfellowshipped person offers their condolences on the death of a husband. (I had that one happen to me and watched this mature woman turn into a naughty child stance right before my eyes.)

There isn't a lot they have to feel good about and the WTS continually reminds them they are not good enough. That isn't the way to encourage a moral lifestyle. It is the way to create fearful drones though.

Other than that I don't think

villabolo

Zarco took the words right out of my mouth.

villabolo

Gayle

It's up to the individual. The longer one remains a JW, and still grows and truly does things in goodness, it is in spite of the organization, not because of the organization.

Does JW Upbringing Result In Inferior Adults?

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