As a woman in the truth what went through your head when you realized that us sister had to cover our heads?

by life is to short 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Giordano

  I think it was a cringe worthy experience, speaking as a male. My mother did it, pleased that she was getting the rituals correct. Some vague notion of respect. After I was Baptized and went out in service it was very easy to note that the sisters were by far the backbone of conversions.

  In my post 'Confessions of a Wayward Pioneer' (freeminds.com has it up if anyone wants to take a look) I describe, all to briefly, that there were more qualified sisters then me....... (a young wet behind the ears pioneer) in the congregation I served in.

  As far as my wife went she never covered her head that was one of her deal breakers. I just made sure she was never put in that situation.

  'Paul, who was a man of his times, accepted uncritically the patriarchal attitude that women were clearly inferior' (Spong).

  There was nothing inspired of god about that concept. Of course during the hundreds of years that followed everyone who had a hand in bible writing and translations continued to support that idea and it is suspected by critical historians that some may have embellished it.
• 

  mouthy

  But if I remember... Jesus came back to women FIRST!!!!! I would say that shows he held them in high regard

  My 2 cents as always,
• 

  Botzwana

  Have any of you read 1 Corinthians 11:5? It does say when a woman prays or prophecies that she should have her head covered so this is something the org didn't invent did they? But then the verse continues if she doesn't want to have her head covered that she should have her hair shaved. Anyone ever do that?
• 

  life is to short

  I aways thought is was so stupid. It really made the JW's look nutty in my eyes. I never understood it even when they would say Paul said it so we have to do it. I was with Mouthy did not Jesus come to the woman FIRST!!! Yeh a lot of customs were popular in the times of Paul so what about when woman have their periods or I forgot when they are menstruating the Biblical word would a brother who touched us be unclean until morning?

  To make sisters cover their heads was just a put down clear and simple. I know in the eyes of that older elder I was with it was clear to me that was his thinking. I was a young teenager and I needed to show him respect.

  LITS
• 

  aSphereisnotaCircle

  The napkin on the head thing never bothered me much, what did bother me was when a adult woman must show "respect" to some 11 year old baptised boy whos voice hasn't changed yet.

  In my old hall there was a sister with 2 sons, when the oldest was baptised she informed me that she must now be subservient to him. I could not accept that even as a believer. When her second son got baptised she became a peon in her own home.

  BTW, neither of the sons remained JW's
• 

  MochaLatte

  Life is Too Short,

  You have a PM.

  ML
• 

  AnnOMaly

  I never really 'got it.' It felt silly, uncomfortable, confusing. Sometimes there would be no 'brothers' out in FS and I'd 'lead.' Even though we were all females, I still was supposed to put a head-covering on to say the prayer. I know the WTS' reasons (the directives Blondie has posted above), but it still felt weird as I couldn't properly square them with the Scripture texts that were supposed to have a bearing on it.

  And if hubby was on the phone, say, and I had to give the blessing over the meal with my young kids, was I meant to wear a head covering or not? Was hubby counted as being 'present' or not? How would I explain to the kids if they asked why I had a napkin on my head? Those were the kinds of mixed-up thoughts that whizzed round my mind at the time.

  There was a QFR (?) a few years ago that made me throw up my hands and give up trying to understand it, where it was said that if a male youth got baptised and an older, more experienced sister took him on a Bible Study, the sister had to wear a head covering. Why? This was not an official 'congregation arrangement,' but a situation where both male and female were equal in their commission to 'make disciples' and 'teach,' and were counted as 'ministers' of the 'good news.'

  And if a boy gets baptised and is still a minor, why the hell does the mother (if she is 'spiritual head' of her household) have to wear a head covering if she prays at a meal in his presence or conducts a Bible study with him?

  The WTS spin on it comes across as real disrespectful, demeaning to Christian women.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Maybe we can make a rule that you have to wear a head covering to respond on this thread.
  I would like to say the "head covering" rule is another evidence of WTS being a dangerous mind-control cult, but the truth is that plenty of religions have some rules on "hats."

  (Language warning) George Carlin sums it all up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNkkko4vlBs
• 

  bobld

  So if no balls are around to teach from the platform the meeting is cancelled because females cannot teach.

  B
• 

  mouthy

  Well we have balls too but they are further up

  But in my case if you wait about another year they would be level with the men