Jehovah`s Witness kids alway get a choice..
#1..Be a Jehovah`s Witness..
#2..Walk with a limp for a week and be a Jehovah`s Witness..
I always picked number #1..
........................... ...OUTLAW
Being raised as a witness did you ever get the chance to choose your own personal religion?
by make yourself 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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dgp
Marked.
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Broken Promises
Answer: of course not. There was no choice (other than being shunned for the rest of your life)
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cyberjesus
no choice
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JustHuman14
YES YOU HAVE....and the chance is to be ONLY A JW
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Heartofaboy
Never any choice if you wanted to keep your friends & family.
As a young person raised in 'the truth' you were never able to have your own opinion on anything. always the WBTS's opinion had to be yours no matter how ridiculous theirs seemed to you.
Family bible study was never a time to have open discussion on the material being 'studied' it was just the same as the more formal KH meetings where the answer comes from the paragraph just read....................oh but try & put it in your own words
I feel this really stunted me & it is only now thanks to websites like this that I'm beginning to feel the courage to have viewpoints that are not Watchtower sanctioned.
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finallysomepride
Yes I had a choice, be a jw or die at the big A
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Heartofaboy
Yes I forgot that 'finallysomepride' being killed in the BIG A hanging over you throughout your childhood.................jeeesh that makes for a healthy young mind with no hang-ups doesn't it??
My parents thought the 'New World' where we would play 'wiv all de aminals' was something wonderful for us kids
They were shocked when I told them I never felt even as a small child that I would be good enough to live in the New World & that every time it was said Armageddon is just around the corner I was sure big ole Jah was going to kill me any time soon. No wonder I've had such a battle with lack of self esteem.
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TheSilence
I was raised in a 'divided household' and, in theory, the choice was ours. Of course, whatever we chose we were still required to attend all meetings, etc. Beyond that it was made very clear that mom (not a witness) loved you no matter what you chose and dad (witness), well, he still loved you if you chose 'wrong', but not very much. Since children tend to seek out the love and approval of their parents there was one clear way to have the love and approval of both parents and it was the path we "chose". ;)
Jackie
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nugget
My problem was that my mum came into the organisation when I was still pre school age. As a new convert she was extremely zealous, so my formative stages of life were also her peak activity in the organisation. This means that you get very little say in what you will believe as you are told by someone who believes with their whole heart that you are in the truth and this is the only way.
You never question you are placed on a conveyor belt of belief heading towards baptism and told the society has all the answers. You are never presented with any alternative faith options or lifestyle choices. So the answer is no you have no chance to choose your own religon in the beginning.