What was it like being a JW in the 1960's and 1970's (page 4)

Village Idiot

Ucantnome,
I believe there was a change to a shorter study period before baptism.

Study period for baptism in my day was six months. How long is it nowadays?

TD

I have some clear memories (As a teenager in the late 60's when my parents began studying)

I remember softball games after the meeting on Sundays. The entire congregation from young to old would play. If you've ever seen the movie, Frequency, it was a lot like the softball game at the end.

I remember a sense of camaraderie and family. It's hard to put into words, but the atmosphere today is sterile in comparison.

I remember full blown kitchens and real hot food at conventions. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. People volunteered and enjoyed it because of the social aspect.

Of all the many gaps in the knowledge of the current crop of leaders, their ignorance of basic human psychology is one of the more glaring.

Religion is more than doctrine.

Diogenesister

Religion is more than doctrine.

And *that* is one of the reasons they can't keep people

snowbird

Amen, TD.

The word religion comes from a root meaning to bind.

Like in a family, a community.

Bound in love, not fear.

I was baptized in 1974, and I remember a loving brotherhood.

Came the 80's, and all havoc broke loose.

Sylvia

Nathan Natas

It was FUCKING GREAT! </sarcasm off>

My introduction to JWism started in the late mid-1950s. It is the reason I am such a cuddly curmudgeonly XJW today.

Phizzy

I was born in, in 1950 so, in 1960 I was ten. At that age I very much took it that we had the "truth" and others did not understand.

At 11 or 12 I began to question a number of things, my dad gave me what seemed to be almost satisfactory answers, but he was the kind of guy you did not press on matters. I now realise he was somewhere on the Autistic Spectrum, but throughout his life, nobody challenged him for long. He had this kind of Aura of wisdom and Authority, which I now realise was not based on anything more than his personal faith.

As soon as I hit my teens, (13), I began to drink beer, date girls and question more in my own mind. The Congregation I was in was pretty strict, run by guys who had been in the Army etc so you can imagine. I managed to simply be the Balck Sheep without actually being chucked out.

In 1970 Mrs Phizzy and I married, and moved to a Rural Congregation that was run by Country Bumpkins who really did not give much respect to the C.O's that visited, or to the "Society" in general.

This liberal and slightly rebellious attitude went on for the next 25 or 30 years. I swear if I had been anywhere else I would have left years before I did.

The Congregation was I think unique, shaped by those original rebels, and their offspring, and maintained by the new guys who moved in because the place was so free.

So, the answer to the original question is that if you were not in a Congregation like mine, it was strict and tough I guess.

Landy

Is it true you could disassociate yourself prior 1981 with no restrictions?

That rings a vague bell. I think the changes were to do with ray franz iirc.

btlc

I was a kid in 70', but i would say: same sh*t different year...

Plus: it seems to me that JW was a more spiritual, less materialistic oriented. DA and DF was considered as 'people from the world', you could talk with them even in a hall. And, if I remember correctly, in the middle of the meeting was not a song to sing, just a 5-10 min break, some used that for smoking break in a yard...

Minus: More spiritual - more spiritistic and occult talks, more superstitions, more "Satan" and "demons" in common talks, i.e. when you were in a losing streak, bad things happened to you, or you just catch a cold, first to check did you got something from 'suspisious' person, if did - destroy that (by flame or throw it in deep water), if didn't - keep looking...

JW was a little more cracked and they didn't mind about that like today, everything else is pretty much same (to me, imho).

nowwhat?

The main thing is service was serious business. As earlier poster said their were no fakers going through the motions. Everybody had a couple of bible studies and every Sunday you would see somone new. When the end didn't come in 75 most people had the attitude of well maybe we all got over excited But so what? we may just have to wait just a few more years. After all we have the guaranteed promise the end would come before the 1914 generation would pass away! Yeah right.

James Mixon

Yes service was serious business. Evening door knocking while folks are sitting down for a nice relaxing meal, standing in front of churches when their service is let out, calling on old class mates (didn't care if they thought I was nuts I found a new religion the truth). Informing my Baptist minister, take my name of the roll I have the truth now I will not be part of Satan's organization..Bold we were and a little crazy....LOL

What was it like being a JW in the 1960's and 1970's

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