Misconceptions of a "raised from birth&quo...

Dawn

Having been raised as a JW - there were many things I was told and accepted as reality. Even after being DF'd for some years I still kept these beliefs - it was not until I became a born again Christian that I realized how narrow the view I held was. Perhaps some of you can relate to these small nuggets of the "reality of the world as seen by a JW"...

* Only a JW has a hope of the resurrection to look forward to when someone dies. The "world" has no hope to comfort them (let's not talk about the fact that Christians of all denominations believe in a resurrection also)

* You can trust all JW's - even ones you never met- noone will ever steal from you, lie about you * JW's know their bible better than anyone else in the "world" including ministers from other religions.

* JW's are the ONLY ones who do the witnessing work ( except for maybe the Mormons, but they don't count so we don't talk about them. Oh yea, and all those missionaries - but we pretend they don't exist.)

* Jehovah has ALWAYS had an organization here on earth (we just don't know what it was for about 2,000 years after Jesus died)

* JW's have friends all over the world. Worldly people only have a few friends and are very unhappy and lonley.

* Wordly marriages don't last or are unhappy because they don't have the "truth"

I'm sure there are many many others - these are just a few that popped into my head today on my break (yea - I'm working...........)

dmouse

Yes, I remember believing all of those things. Amazing huh!?

Also, the myth about blood transfusions not being effective because it doesn't transport oxygen for the first 24 hours anyway...(actually blood begins to transport oxygen as soon as its transfused).

And how wonderful life was before 1914...no wars or disease or famine etc, people only died of sheer happiness.

RubaDub

Yes, life was so peaceful and wonderful prior to 1914.

I think if you check the facts, the average life expectency back in the 1800's was about 45 years or so, similar to what it is in the poorest countries today.

Modern day life has its problems, no doubt about it, but I would without question prefer living today than prior to 1914.

*****Rub a Dub

Xander

I think the life before vs after 1914 was a big one. Strange thing is, I think most JWs are aware of that disparity - if you asked your typical JW youth to young adult today if he'd rather be alive now or before 1914, he'd pick 'now' hands down.

I think you hit the big ones. ALL witnesses are trustworthy, worldlings don't have that. I'd add:

* JWs are always positive, and never have to deal with depression, since they have a bright hope for the future (worldlings have no future, so need shrinks)

* As an extension to the above: The more spiritual you are, the happier you are. Look at all the COs and DOs and fine examples in our literature! (worldlings have no relationship with god, so our never happy)

* JWs are a moral people. (worldlings live according to carnal desire, and have no morals except what is left over from what jah puts into them at birth)

* Worldlings may appear different, but they are really unified in their opposition to the true god (implied that they all KNOW the 'true way', and choose to forsake it for one reason or another. IE., they all know in their hearts that whatever religion they are currently practicing is somehow 'wrong')

* Worldlings are all unified in their opposition to JWs, and recognize us as a large, powerful, organization (this one really surprised me. As a JW, you thought, no, you were TAUGHT that you and your religion were the CENTER of the spiritual universe. The very core elements of an epic struggle of good vs evil around which the entire planet, galaxy, and everything revolved on your actions. That most the world don't even know who the JWs ARE, and a huge number of them never even having HEARD of JWs was a shocker. That they heard of us and were opposed, I expected. That they knew of us, but no specific details of the religion, I was willing to accept. That they have not even HEARD of the JWs was not something I could ever have anticipated. After all, this was an epic battle of right and wrong. How could you not even know that this was going ON? And that you were on the side of WRONG? And there WAS a side of right, and it was US? The only analogy I can think of would be if an Allied soldier walked into a bar in a 'liberated' part of Germany in 1945 and the bartender had no idea a war had been going on and had never heard of the US or Brittain or France. It just floored me.

jws

Add to this the belief that if you left, you were going to go through all kinds of problems. You were likely to become a drug-abuser, sexually promiscuous, a thief, or any number of bad and/or illegal things. And eventually, you'd long for the good ol' JW days and seek to return - because life isn't worth living without them.

La Capra

I remember one grandmotherly type chatting me up when I was about 16 or 17, exclaiming how wonderful it was that I had the protection of Jehovah's Organization, and all the trouble I would be in if I wasn't raised as a JW. I pointed out to her that the only girl at my school that year that got pregnant (small town, everyone knew everything) was a JW's 9th grade daughter. I also told her that most of my classmates didn't sleep around, do drugs or get drunk. None of them shoplifted. And WE ALL cheated in US history-dubs included. I told her that I behaved the way that made me feel good about myself and treated others well. Most of the other kids at school did the same. None of them were JWs.

She never tried to "encourage" me again. (which was my plan)

Shoshana

mustang

Xander:

"After all, this was an epic battle of right and wrong. How could you not even know that this was going ON? And that you were on the side of WRONG? And there WAS a side of right, and it was US? The only analogy I can think of would be if an Allied soldier walked into a bar in a 'liberated' part of Germany in 1945 and the bartender had no idea a war had been going on and had never heard of the US or Britain or France. It just floored me."

Yet, there it is. Practically NOBODY knows the JW side of things except JW's & XJW's!!!!!!!!!! What does that amount to, 6,000,000 (???) + maybe another 1,000,000 (???). Does 7,000,000 tops sound reasonable?? Out of ~6 BILLION!!!

It floored me, too, when I thought of it!!!

That leads to the next misconception: THE PREACHING WORK IS EFFECTIVE.

Mustang