Childbearing in THIS time of the End

Thirdson

Responsible Childbearing in THIS time of the End

I heard the talk that formed the basis of this article in the summer of 1987 while attending with my pregnant wife. The stress was on not having children and devoting lives to preaching the Watchtower's message.

If you had been at the Kingdom Hall a spring Sunday in 1988 this question would have been asked.

Q. "While childbearing in this time of the end is a personal matter, what counsel is given?"

Someone, perhaps even one of the lurkers or posters on this board would have said something close to this from his/her underlined Wacthtower.

A. "However, since [bb'the time left is reduced,' married couples would do well to weigh carefully and prayerfully the pros and cons of childbearing in these times[/b]. Those who do choose to have children should be fully aware not only of the joys childbearing can bring but also of the responsibilities involved and the problems that can arise for them and the children they bring into the world.-- The Watchtower Mar 1, 1988.

Despite the reduced time left, (my mom was cautioned about being pregnant with me because of the nearness of the end) my son is doing very well. He'll be going to college in 4 years time and will graduate in 8.

Oh and today, we celebrated his 14th birthday.

Thirdson

(Reprinted from my post on Beliefnet)

Joyzabel

Happy Birthday to Thirdson's son.

I too was prego during that talk at the assembly! and going to midwifery school at the time. Shhheeeesh!

My son will be 14 this fall! And he is loving his freedom. What better birthday gift than that!

Enjoy your family.

j2bf

terafera

Good post!

I remember my brother being born in 1976, my mom was told it wasnt the brightest idea. He's 25 now I cant imagine him not being here! I wonder how many people really wanted children, but held off, thinking the end was near.

It makes me think of the sad story of Ray Franz, he and his wife never had kids, then when they tried to, they were too old to have any.

I can remember heaing talks describing young mothers with little babies going to concentration camps in the Tribulation, even hiding in the mountains with crying babies...it made me want to never have kids! Good thing I came to my senses

Beck_Melbourne

I must have been pregnant then too...my son will be 14 this year....just think...joy2bfree and me and thirdson's wife could have been sitting near each other at that very assembly...swapping shy smiles with each other...and thinking to ourselves "phew!!..she didn't listen either".

Beck

JT

Terafara says:

I can remember heaing talks describing young mothers with little babies going to concentration camps in the Tribulation, even hiding in the mountains with crying babies...it made me want to never have kids! Good thing I came to my senses

########

this is why we don't have kids- my brother was born in 1974 one year before the end- yea right

lauralisa

Hi Thirdson,

First of all, happy birthday to your son! I wasn't a dub then, but I have a son who is fifteen. I was eight months pregnant with my 2nd when I had my first encounter with them at the door in 1989.

I find it astonishing at this moment that such invasive, dehumanizing "edicts" were promulgated thru the WT, slyly disguised as "counsel." (Of course, after I was enmeshed, I thought it was "God" giving us warnings. Ick!)

I definitely remember the character judgments that took place among the more ambitious "spiritual" people (frankly, it was simply gossip) as they discussed with concerned expressions the "wisdom" or spirituality of brother/sister "mediocre" after it was divulged they were starting a family.

Controlling another person's bodily functions is a fundamental tactic used in power-abuse ... no matter how many disclaimers are attached, or how "veiled" or subtle the persuasion.

If I didn't have my children, I'd have exactly ZERO blood relatives now. Scary.

Hope you guys have fun tonight! Apostofest!!! Also, Simon, I'm going to be your neighbor in about a month... !

love, lauralisa

Thirdson

If it wasn't for my son, I wouldn't have had a single relative attend my wedding when I remarried 18 months ago. (He was a groomsman)

The worse thing for the Watchtower is that its new members are mainly the children of current members. The mormons family value of large families has aided them immensely while the Watchtower has attempted to cut-off a large supply of new recruits.

Laura, great news neighbor.

Thirdson

gumby

I had two aunts that recently passed away who both died in their 80's childless. Why? Because they were told way back then it would not be wise to have children. The same went for my 92 year old x-circuit O whoalso had no kids for the same reason

I was told I would never have to worry about high school....my daughter was told you will never have to go to school.( she was born in 74)..then as she got older she was happy she wouldn't have to worry about having kids in this old system...She has two now...10 and 7

Think of the heart ache of those who had no children because of this piece of s--- organization, and how many lives they have ruined!

Lady Lee

That must be one of their recycled talks - We were getting that as far back as the early 70's - and believe me the madness before 1975 was rampant then. When I got pregnant with my first child my mother criticized me and said my child would never get to school in this old system of things. Hmm well she will be 30 this year and yesterday was her daughter's 8th birthday.

Think the Borg missed something????

I too remembering the messages that kept us fearful of carrying our babies and children up to the mountains - mind you I lived on the only mountain around at the time

Rejoice in the healing and not in the pain.
Rejoice in the challenge overcome and not in the past hurts.
Rejoice in the present - full of love and joy.
Rejoice in the future for it is filled with new horizons yet to be explored. - Lee Marsh 2002

Scully

I remember those talks well, too.

I also remember having an elder come up to me shortly after we announced that we were expecting our third child (planned!), obviously very disturbed that we ignored theocratic advice. He said that the pregnancy had to have been an "accident" (how I despise that term!) because nobody who took the scriptures seriously would be stupid enough to PLAN to have a baby so close to Armageddon.

I wanted to spit in his self-righteous face!!

In retrospect, I wonder how many JW women experience post-natal depression as a result of this kind of verbal/psychological abuse from "the friends"?? I had it with two of my three children....

Love, Scully

Childbearing in THIS time of the End

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