I was allowed to go to college. My parents realized that college would help me in my profession. Oddly enough, I didn't learn much in college that I didn't already know. Oh, I learned that in Pascal, you can put a procedure within a procedure. Didn't know that. Thousands of dollars for that. OK.
I was also allowed to go to prom. Both me and another JW girl (not from our hall) claimed we went with each other so that we could go with the people we wanted to go with. If it hadn't been with a JW, I wouldn't be allowed to go.
I think my parents were being practical about what to break and what not to break. And the things we dd break definitely made people judge my brother and I. My dad used to be an elder. He was demoted to MS, when 2 congs. merged and had double the elders. Others were demoted to nothing, reg. publishers. I was probably still a good JW, I think. I didn't want to join the Ministry School and wasn't baptized though. I was probably 13. We moved halls when I was about 16 (now baptized), and my dad lost his MS position. The new hall didn't make him anything. The new hall was our late teens/early 20's and was our wilder time. We went to college. We drank and went to bars with our worldly friend. We saw rock concerts. We lived at home while we were in college. When we moved out, they finally made him an MS again. Just like the story above. If he can't control us, he wasn't going to be in any appointed position.
My son's friend says he's in the Ministry School and goes out in service. They go to meetings regularly. But IDK how strong they are. I think his dad isn't too gung ho. He doesn't forbid my son from being his son's friend.
My son told his friend that I used to be a JW. I'm like Doh! Don't tell him that! They'll run from us now. I can't tell if they have, because contact seems less (of course it's been summer). His friend said he wants to know the other side. What are people saying about JWs?
I told him that I don't want to be the one to force him to leave, that he has to find that out on his own. I wasn't going to talk against them. But I will answer questions he asks as honestly as possible. In other words, I don't want to be blamed and have it taken out on my son and I by destroying a friendship between our kids.
He asked why I'm not one. I did mention that beliefs keep changing. That my mom believed the end would come by the time the 1914 generation died. Definitely before 2000. Yet here we are, over 100 years since 1914. She died in the 80's and if she came back to life believing what she did then, she'd be disfellowshipped. How can what she believed back then be the truth and what they believe now both be the truth? Did she really believe the truth? Is what you believe now the truth? No specific details other than timing of the end and raising questions. He didn't even know much about 1914, but he is 12.
I also subtly asked if, being the Spanish congregation, if they got a bad deal? ie. No Sunday morning meetings so that they could get home and watch the football games. The bad nights for meetings. Always cleaning the hall. He said they did and he said we're supposed to have love among ourselves, but that's not true and gave a few examples.
I hope someday he wakes up. It looks like he's an intelligent kid and he will. I just want him to open up to where I can ask the right question or make the right comment in conversation to let him think on things and nudge him in a different direction. Even him vocalizing that there isn't really love makes him stand behind that thought. It becomes more real, not a thought he can extinguish as easily. He didn't keep it to himself.
But, things can all be undone if he sits down with a good JW apologist. So I hope he flies under the radar so nobody tries to "correct" him.
