Hello everyone, I am not nor ever been a JW.
I'm a 40 year old mother of 2 and I am married to a wonderful man who serves as a Naval Chief in the United States Navy. We have been married 15 years and life is beautiful. I knew a little about Jehovah's Witnesses until recently. My in-laws are JWs and my hubby grew up one as well. My husband left for Afghanistan January 1st, 2010 and my in-laws have always been there for me but some things started to change. I honestly had a mental breakdown while my husband was deployed and went to see a Catholic Priest for some guidance. He started talking to me and asked if religion is in my life and I told him no because I do not believe all the Catholic Church wants me to believe. He asked if other religion or people putting their religious beliefs on me could be causing such heavy hearted feelings. I thought about it and YES, my in-laws were constantly leaving those Watchtower and Awake magazines around my house. They were also telling me to trust in Jehovah even if I don't call God that. They started telling me my horror stories are inviting evil spirits and I should stop watching them. They try to tell my children how to pray and leaving them text messages about doing Jehovah's will. What the heck is that? So all in all the priest told me to stand my ground and tell them to back off and I am responsible for my children's religious beliefs. This priest has a Masters in religion so I trust his advice.
For years I put up with b/s from in-laws. In 1993 my babygirl passed away from SIDS and a good friend of my family placed a beautiful solid gold rosary blessed by the Pope around my sweet Allana's hand. I caught my father in-law asking my husband while holding the coss, "what is this crap" and dropping it down on my baby's lifeless body. I told my father right away and my pops was watching from then on. My husband would torment me that my daughter wasn't with God and that she was in Haydes. I hated him so much back then.
My husband kinda had the same feelings towards JWs after so many years. On his recent deployment he spent numerous hours looking up what we now call a cult. I was doing the same and both of us didn't tell each other. What I found made me sick to my stomach. I shook my mental breakdown off and knew I was stronger then these people who follow a man made religion.
Ok, hubby is home now and we get to talking about it. Of course me loving the internet have found more dirt on that orginazation than he. I finally confronted my mother in-law. She said JW is only true religion yadda yadda yadda! For years, I had sat through them putting down Catholics and it was finally my turn. I asked her is Catholics are so bad then why do we build hospitals to treat all denominations? Why do we have charities to feed, clothe and house the poor? Why do we have schools to teach EVERYONE? Her response, "Jehovah Witnesses have a school in Long Beach, CA" I was like WTF! So I asked her, "me being Catholic, can I attend or my children attend that school" BOOOOOOM! Just silence!
I have so much more to say and I know i have taken up too much time and space, hehe.
BTW, I have been on this site for awhile as a scared lurker. I can't help but to have compassion for you all and have cried about some of your stories. I do love the wit and humor and I share with my husband.
Thanks for listening,
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