These are things I always had a very hard time explaining and believing as a JW:
- Birthdays – whether at school or at work, this one was really tough to explain to a non JW. I mean seriously, makes absolutely zero logical sense…
- Salvation – it was very hard to wrap my head around the idea that a loving god could destroy billions of people; and this, AFTER reading the OT and the many baby slaughters therein…
- Smoking – say what you will about this unhealthy habit, making it a df’ing offence because of dubious ties to spiritism?? A tenuous stretch at best, and health reasons don’t wash either, considering the business McDonalds rakes in from them…
- Women – I could never make a logical argument why we were not allowed to give talks, but we were allowed to give talks sitting down talking to another woman while working on the same public speaking points as the men who at least got to stand up. How is this not teaching??? Oh, and the skirts rule always pissed me off too because there’s no way to logically (or biblically) explain it…
- Baptism of minors – I was 17 when I got baptized and done with high school, there was no way I would consider it before. When I was still a JW in my early 30’s, I was railing big time against 10 year olds being baptized and used as examples on the platform or in the WT. I refused to clap and made a point of folding my arms. (and yes, 17 is a minor but it’s not 10!)
- Animals – why would animals be created with defense mechanisms against predators if there were no predators prior to Adam’s sin? Was there more creation? Did these animals evolve? You see the problem and it was always a head-scratcher for me.
Things I’m ashamed to admit I accepted without really thinking about:
- No Blood – I was really good at this one. I could have people at the door or at work convinced that this was absolute truth; first using that one measly scripture, then the AIDS scare was a positive boon. I did however, have a hard time with people who were df’d making a big deal about not accepting blood for religious reasons – I felt it was a bad witness.
- 607 – Good lord, I had no idea about ANY of that being disputed in scholarly circles and preached 1914 like a good little soldier.
- Organ transplants – I knew about the flip flop but did not consider the ramifications until I was well out of the snare.
- Disfellowshipping – This one hurts me the most in that I truly thought it was the only real way of distinguishing the true from the false religions. How sadly misguided, and how I dutifully did my part in shunning close friends who needed love and support through difficult times makes me hang my head in shame.
There are many more, but these are the ones off the top of my head. I’d love to read what anyone else had tr