On Hallowe'en, approx. age 10,:
"No, Hallowe'en is from Satan. We turn off all the lights and keep the blinds drawn. It's Satan's favorite night, and SATAN and his demons are running around, and so happy, because they can get all the children!"
ON reading the Asleep! article about Malawi, age 8 or 9: ::
"Jehovah's people face persecution, even here in Canada! It happened during the Duplessis years. So we must be ready to withstand torture in this time of the end(TM)."
Anyone remember the horrific descriptions of the torture? I'm not sure of the year, but mid-60s? And yes, JWS were jailed in PQ in the early 20th Century. This was a real threat to my sanity as a child.
On my first day of school, age 6:
"You are to remain seated when God Save The Queen or Oh Canada is played, do not bow your head or say Amen after the Lord's prayer, and keep your eyes open. Come straight home for lunch and after school. All worldly people are ruled by Satan. Bad associations spoil useful habits."
Followed by a meeting with my teacher, who was a Xtian and DELIGHTED that I was so advanced in my reading skills, that I got to READ A SCRIPTURE to the class every morning, so that my JW mother could have 'equal religious treatment'. Needless to say, I was an instant target (I'm small, too), and remained one until high school, where anonymity gave me safety. : ))
On blood transfusions, age 15.. My friend's baby was born very sickly, and needed blood (though chances were slim that he would survive). It was, of course, refused. The doctors were prepared legally, and procured a court order. For three months, they did all they could, but the infant died.
"Well, they took X's baby, and tortured it for three months. When it died they gave it back to them and said 'Bury it' That's how they treat Jehovah's people.".
HomeByTheSea, yes, the stoning one, too! I forgot that one. ugh
Oh, and this Cherry! We've all heard this one.
"The worst Jehovah's Witness is better than the best worldly person." (Let's TM that whole sentence. hehe)