11-year-old niece was told by JW grandmother that she shouldn't play in band (page 4)

Giordano

Don't judge the Witness, one day she may even break free. Judge the religion and its leaders ONLY, IMHO.

If this was just about playing a musical instrument........but it's more then that. It's a symptom of the medlesome nature of the society and their enforcers...... the Elders.

So I judge the WT, it's leaders and The parents who foolishly expose their children to situations which are dangerous to their health or create long term negative consequences. A JW is willing to expose their children to these various situations because common sense has been replaced with blind obedience.

JW's have been diminished to such a degree that they can't put their families interests first for fear of losing their familes.

keyser soze

I don't recognise the "bunch of fanatics" I see described in this and other threads as it's not the experience I have had in the two congregations I have been associated with

I wasn't attempting to portray the majority of witnesses in such a way. I was venting about one particular fanatic who upset my niece to the point where she was in tears, over something as benign as playing in the school band. I understand that most JWs don't hold such extreme views, but it is the constant bombardment of guilt from the WT, and its leaders that cultivates these extreme views, especially in people incapable of thinking for themselves.

that's why, if he doesn't already have it, your brother needs to go back to court for decision making rights regarding educational and medical dissues for his daughter.

I've encouraged him to fight for joint custody, at the very least. But he's trying to keep things as amicable as possible. He's also not in a great position financially, which is why he's staying with me.

And while he has serious issues with the elders, and no longer attends meetings, he is far more sympathetic to the WT than I am. But I'm working on him...

jamiebowers

Many of us are here because we used to be JW's. But how easy it is now to forget that we were slaves to the WT too at one time.

So don't blame the grandmother. She may care a lot for the girl. However, the WT religion has filled her with all this nonsense and she is passing it on,

just as many of US may have done in the past.

Don't judge the Witness, one day she may even break free. Judge the religion and its leaders ONLY, IMHO.

Shepherd, I blame the grandmother, because she overstepped her bounds and failed to observe her own jw rules. Parents are to be in charge of their children, so if she had a problem with her grandchild participating in a school band, she should've talked to her own daughter, the mother of the child. Instead, she chose to bully a little girl. Even if she wasn't a jw, that would've been the wrong thing to do.

I've encouraged him to fight for joint custody, at the very least. But he's trying to keep things as amicable as possible. He's also not in a great position

financially, which is why he's staying with me.

And while he has serious issues with the elders, and no longer attends meetings, he is far more sympathetic to the WT than I am. But I'm working on

him...

What a sad state of affairs....I certainly don't envy you! It's difficult enough to help a Watch Tower sympathizer to learn the truth about the "truth", but it must be far more frustrating when a kid is involved. There are so many ex and exiting jws who feel unworthy to raise their own children. This cult just boils my blood!

hamsterbait

She is sitting at the tender age of ten BLOWING a long black thing.

God these witlesses have filthy minds don't they?

HB

11-year-old niece was told by JW grandmother that she shouldn't play in band

Anator