I have two brothers

teejay

It's true. I have two brothers. They are both older than me.

My father's oldest son was born in November of 54. His second son was born in the summer of 56. I was born just over a year later in November of 57. So, yeah... I have two brothers, but I don't think I could be more distant from two men than I am from them. It's a fact that I'm not especially proud of... that I'm not close to my brothers.

See... one of 'em... the oldest, is a Dub. A hard-core, dyed-in-the-wool, can't wait for Armageddon Dub. He's so serious about it that even when his own mother (who's prolly even more of a hard-core Dub than *he* is) invites him to family (meaning: blood relatives) 'gatherings' where there will be ex-JWs like me... he absolutely refuses to attend as if his immortal soul is at stake -- as if his Jehovah will strike him down with a thunderbolt if he showed up to fix hisself a plate of barbeque and potato salad... like the ex-JW-ness that plagues *us* just might rub off on *him*, I guess.

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The other one, born in between me and the Oldest, left the JW religion years before he turned 20. His departure from "Jehovah's Spiritual Paradise" happened after he read the notoriously demon-inspired "Autobiography of Malcolm X." After reading Malcolm's story, Brother Number 2 came to believe that the Nation of Islam is where he oughta be.

[Side note: Some years later I read the same book and, after reading it, wondered how somebody could read (and understand) that book and become a member of the Afro-centric Nation of Islam. But I digress...)]

To his credit, he has since left the NOI and has become (without exaggeration) way more Orthodox in his Muslim-ness -- probably overly so. He now knows that what he was taught early on was a buncha bullshit, but he's still extremely religious -- in ways probably more so than my JW brother.

For example, the last time I talked to him, he told me that there was a certain "Allah-approved" way of entering a room ('left foot first') and a certain number of times you could kiss a friend / loved one on the cheek upon greeting them ('an odd number... never an even'); and a certain number or prayers (five) Allah expected every day. Even the exact words of some of the prayers.

We talked for more than an hour. Well... he talked and I mostly listened to the ins and outs of his religion and his fascination with it. I don't know if he noticed, but I spent much of the time wagging my head from side to side, rolling my eyes and sighing heavily... wondering how in the hell he could have gotten trapped up in one religion after he found so much disdain for *another* one of equal elitism.

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I have two brothers.

I love them both.

In the next minute, either one could call me with a need and I would be there.

But in fundamental ways, I am furthest from them than every other man alive.

DJ

Hi Teejay,

I hear you. I have 2 brothers too-- and two sisters. I think? Love, Dj

Solace

I have two brothers.

I love them both.

In the next minute, either one could call me with a need and I would be there.

But in fundamental ways, I am furthest from them than every other man alive.

((((((Teejay))))))

You are a good man.

asortafairytale

I've read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Good read...very intense.

teejay

Something I forgot to say about my two brothers:

They each think that their god has it in for me... that god can't wait for the day when he can bring me to my everlasting end.

The Older Brother thinks that unless I "return to Jehovah" then I have no chance of living one day beyond Armageddon. His (our) father -- who died some years ago and who was quite vocal about his belief that the JW religion was total bullshit -- has a much better chance of getting Life In Paradise than I do. "Daddy," my brother would say, "didn't know any better. YOU do!"

Brother Number 2, the Moslem, thinks pretty much the same way. When we talked the last time, I brought up our deceased father in part to get Islam's viewpoint on non-believers. Know what? It's even more stringent than the Dub's. My father's ass is already in Hell, it seems, and there's no way he's ever getting out. From what I hear, Allah don't play.

I look at my two brothers and wonder how people could think that way about a loving creator / father. I wonder how *I* could've ever thought that way. Religion is a powerful disease, you know? Getting free of it is sometimes a matter of pure luck.

LyinEyes

I enjoy the way you put things Teejay , even thou you are serious you make me laugh. Especailly the part you said, according to your brother, "My father's ass is already in hell.....". I just had to stop and think , I wish there was a hell for my father to pay for his sins....... well, sometimes I do. I am not sure I am that evil to want him to pay forever....... but don't ask me on a bad day.

My dad married the sister , who is only 8 yrs older than me, that he had the affair with. I have a half sister, whom, I don't know. The reasons for this are many. I guess you can say, my dad's wife and I never really liked each other , how could I. I blame her for my mom's death too. If you knew the nerve of her and my dad, the night my mom died, you would say they are accountable too. Long story. Anyway, I tried to get to know mylittle sister,,,,,,,, she is only 2 yrs older than MY daughter. In fact they used to spend the night together,,,,,, like 2 times, when I was breaking my ass for my dad to be close to my family.

When she was a baby, I saved up some money, to buy her a little baby gift, and drove all the way into town to give it to her. I called and my dad's wife answers the phone, andsays that the baby is sleeping and it is not a good time to come over, they have a party, get together to go to. SHe was like 3 at the time...... not a little baby, that had to have her sleep, she was just taking a nap. I felt hurt that they didnt say,,,,,, come on by, visit a bit and by the time you get her and have a cup of coffee she will wake up. It was like I wasnt welcome, and I have NEVER felt welcome in my dad's home when he got with her. I tried , but you can only push yourself on someone so much.

So my dad's third daughter, my half sister is 12 , and has been baptized since she was 10 and is his pride and joy,,, she is one of those kids , like I was for so long, the "perfect JW kid",,,,,I wonder how long it will be until she sees the crap herself. Ican only hope when she grows up she will look me up....I am sure they have poisioned her mind agaist me as they have done so with my sister who is 3 yrs younger than me. That is my real sister, we grew up together and I don't feel like my half sister is anything more to me than a distant relative if that

I just have to say screw the WT , and screw my dad for giving up on his whole damn family, all for a stranger he barely knew.......makes me sick. I hope he is happy,,,,,,,no I don't I hope he suffers.

pettygrudger

Teejay - I have 5 brothers & sisters - all raised JW and all turned out COMPLETELY different.

1 Remain a strictest of the strict JW; 1 became a drug dealer and still is; 1 became a raging alcoholic, lost his family & still is; 1 swore NEVER to have a family and pretty much keeps to himself; 1 had 1st baby at 14 & 1 more before 18 - while still a JW, now living off welfare; and then there's me that did the "normal" thing (after awhile) with 2 kids & hubby in suberbia....

I wonder if this is typical of ex-JW communities....I know siblings tend to have "differences", but when they are at such extremes - it makes you wonder what influenced the vast difference.

nicolaou

As judgemental as they are you clearly haven't given up on them - good for you man!

I'm embarrassed to say that I was a little like your older JW brother myself in the past. If you want to read it, here's the story of me and my brother: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=21351&site=3

Things worked out for us in the end, if you love someone you always have to hold on to that hope.

Good luck!

Nic'

DannyBear

TJ,

I have three sister's, no brother's. Although they are all still in jwdom, they each manifest extremes like your brother's.

The one that is 4yr older than me is a DO's wife. To give an example of her religious fervor and how far back it goes, I will never forget the day, I was apprx 17-18yrs old, visiting her and hubby in thier 'pioneer trailer', I don't remember how the subject came up, but I off the cuff said that 'I did not understand why the wtbs required counting of time in field service, it seemed of less value, than service performed from the heart, not base on some quota or required measurment.

Well my sister flew into one of the biggest crying, anger inspired rants, that I had ever seen from her. I truly felt at the time, if she had the power to, would have called on Jehovah to strike me down, for saying such blamsphemous words against the org.

To this day some 30+ year later, she and her husband remain, two of the most fanatical, judgemental, intolerant extremists around jwdom. Several poster's to this board will back me up on that statement.

The other two sister's have thier own particular jw ways, but come nowhere near the above.

I also agree with you, if anyone of the three or thier extended families needed something I could provide, I would be there.

Enjoyed your comments.

Danny

TR

teejay,

I, Too, have two older brothers. the middle one is a 'hovah, the eldest, is nor never was part of a certain religion.

But my question is, how does your Muslim brother lead his life? I ask because I met a Muslim black man a few weeks ago, and we had a long conversation. I got very little out of the conversation, but what I noticed is how he was able to wear cool clothes, have a nice sporty car, but his wife had to stay in the house with the blinds drawn.

Is that how you brother is? Is that how most American converted black muslim men are?

TR

Edited by - TR on 4 November 2002 10:27:52

I have two brothers

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