How many here gave up having a family for the sake of the "truth"?

by stuckinarut2 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Finkelstein

  This has been somewhat of a quiet problem within the JWS going back decades, actually the insinuating push to not have children in the organization goes back to the 1930's and all through the last century.

  I've known many JWS including people in my own family who were quite adamant that the would hold off having children in this system things.

  Why did the WTS do this is because the leaders wanted as many people as possible distributing their literature, showing their dedication to Jehovah's will and purpose as it were. By the way this system of things is still coming to an end soon .

  We really mean it this time
  
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  Alive!

  I think I'm okay with not having children - but I must confess, that during the latter years when we were struggling, it hurt to take in the full scope of what would be missing in our future.

  What makes me want to hurl something is that when I step back, and think of the sheer control exerted into our lives. I'm shaking my head.

  Another issue ( sorry, no derailing intended) was regarding the resurrection of marraige mates. The "teaching" has changed on that too I believe.

  The emotions, hopes and expectations of people are played with horribly...

  And switched in a five lined paragraph on a Sunday afternoon without a flicker of "could we possibly offer you some counselling to help in your adjustment to our new reality for you?"

  Read paragraph, repeat answer. Well done. Time to go home.

  The loving bastards.
• 

  GrreatTeacher

  There was a time when they also encouraged people to hold off marriage as well, wasn't there?

  I wonder why this never stuck but the encouragement against children did?
• 

  Alive!

  I didn't know that GrreatTeacher, re marriage.
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  ShirleyW

  I thought the admonishment to not have kids was like back in the 30's and 40's. I'm almost 60 and was a born in and there were always kids in my Hall and the surrounding congregations. They should've made it grounds for getting DF'd, would've been interesting to see how it played out
  
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  GrreatTeacher

  Maybe someone has a better understanding than me? Finklestein?

  What I recall was something about an assembly in the 1940s (maybe) where "John and Eunice" pledged to save their love for the new world.

  But, I'm really sketchy on the details. Anybody recall (reading about) this?
• 

  kairos

  I really thought having kids in the new world would be the way to go...

  I'm approaching 50 years old.
  Another oops.
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  Finkelstein

  What I recall was something about an assembly in the 1940s (maybe) where "John and Eunice" pledged to save their love for the new world.

  Sure there are many instances when the WTS put forth the insinuation that having children isn't wise from the parents perspective or for the children they were thinking to have.

  This cranked up again quite a bit during the 1975 hype.

  When 1975 past , those married couples decided to have children after all.

  This is just another example of how much the Watchtower Corporation deeply controls people's lives and not in a good way I might add.
  
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Were John and Eunice the young couple in the "Children" book that decided to go their separate ways in order to put the kingdumb first?

  In the late 80s there was both a Discrap Crapvention talk and a Botchtower study farticle entitled "Responsible Childbearing in the Time of the End". And there was lots of encouragement to pursue the "gift of singleness".
  

  Was I one of the few that paid attention to both the singleness and childlessness crap that WT spewed forth? Maybe all the mind-controlling talks we got in bethel poisoned me more.
  
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  truthseeker100

  Billy you poor bastard I love your sense of humor in your writing after all you have been through.