Children calling jw adults uncle and auntie, when did that start?

by awakening 26 Replies latest jw friends

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  Bruja-del-Sol

  To me as a child it wasn't strange at all. Later in life my ex-husband and I used to call an old sister 'auntie', she was the dearest friend of my (then) inlaws and a friend of their family for decades, and my children changed that to 'granny'. Every since I've always referred to her as 'my grandmother', even though she wasn't really related to us, it just felt that way. And she was happy with it, she never had children of her own. We were the only family she had. She's passed away over 14 years ago, but still to this day she was closer to my heart than any of my blood related grandparents.

  My new husband has never been a JW, but he has numerous stories of neighbours he'd call 'uncle' and 'auntie', so I guess it's also a cultural thing in the Netherlands to give those 'titles' to people who aren't related but still somehow close to the family.
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  insidetheKH

  I did it too as a child but only to brothers and sisters that were close to my family. As a matter a fact i still have one couple (an elder and his wife) that i refer to as uncle and aunt the few times i see them during the year... lol i am 45 now :-)
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  hamsterbait

  In India and other countries uncle and auntie are used by kids all the time. It is a cultural way of showing respect.
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  Simon

  We used uncle and auntie when I was little and I always thought it was a JW thing but it may just be that they over use it.

  I'm now "uncle Simon" to friends kids (their description) and it doesn't sound weird at all. I think maybe western society treats friends like other societies treat family but with the same language.
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  Netty

  Warren Jeff's followers called him Uncle Warren. it's creepy. Also, since they shun their own biological family, they replace us with those in the organization who are now their family...
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  kaik

  I remember it from Europe 40 years ago.
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  LogCon

  I do not remember ever hearing it in Canada.
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  sparrowdown

  The auntie/ uncle thing isn't a JW only thing. I grew up in the world and it was and still is quite common.
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  3rdgen

  What do you know? That is a new one on me. I never heard that expression in or out of the KH. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and I called everyone brother or sister (last name). Or Mr or Mrs(last name) non witnesses. The problem was that I started to call my parent's close friends and family by their first names. My parents never corrected me. I guess I was raised by wolves. LOL I am from uncivilized California.
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  StephaneLaliberte

  I don't consider my self a witness anymore and yet, I get my kids to call my best friend "Uncle" for the simple fact that he is a brother to me. Always been there, always will.