physical and emotional abuse from JWs

060702015

Is physical and emotional abuse taken seriously in JWs ? Do they address this form of abuse that their members inflict on others?

Not having been born-in as a JW I could not say whether physical and emotional abuse is taken seriously in the religion, or something you're expected to put up with. (I'm assuming you are referring to within the family regarding physical abuse).

But, as a young-adult convert, I definitely noticed there was a lot of emotional abuse in the JW congregation. And, you were just supposed to "take it" if the abuser was related to the right people, or was a person perceived as "more spiritual" than you, either because they pioneered or were around in the "old days" and professed to be "anointed" or associated with anointed. Some of these people were arrogant and thought they had a free "pass" to be nasty if they felt like it.

I noticed a lot of delusional behavior in the religion and much of it overlooked, unless the RIGHT people were offended. Otherwise, nothing was done, especially if you were a single woman. It is as though you were just there to "absorb" people's problems. This is the underlying sick mentality in the Jehovah's Witness religion.

I just learned to stay the hell away from certain people. All this is laughable now!

KateWild

The religious leaders in WT mishandle domestic violence and other forms of abuse.

Me and my family were victims of domestic violence. I have a YouTube explaining it and a JC meeting with the elders.

If you are interested in hearing what they had to say let me know and I will post it on the thread.

Kate xx

Jordandemm

Emotional abuse is what keeps the organisation alive you know what shunning is right. I agree with everything longhairgal says the members inflict emotional abuse on one another in my last cong I was often excluded, my every action criticised and talked negativley about by ones perceived to be "spiritually strong" despite them lacking very few Christlike qualities if any themselves and it wasn't for "spiritual" reasons either it was just they really didn't like our family being that we were all baptised and had good jobs no sir they didn't like that not one bit. I was upset when someone told me there was no real love in the organisation, 4 years later now I get it lol. It's all about control and unity by any means.

Vanderhoven7

KateWild. I'm interested. Please post your YouTube video.

purrpurr

I suffered from emotional and physical abuse my whole life in the and the Cong all knew about it. Yet it was ignored and when I asked for help I got the old "Jehovah sort it out in his own due time" fob off

zeb

Physical abuse is ignored or covered up.

Emotional abuse is fixed by doing more field service, praying more, attending meetings more regularly. This being the sum total of elders advice to anyone asking.

Professional help is proscribed as of no use and dangerous.

Gulf Coaster

Smacking young kids if they were noisy or fidgety at meetings was a normal thing at my KH. If that didn't work, then it was the typical 'grab the kid and haul them to the back, or outside, in front of everyone, to give them a good walloping'. You could often hear the smacks or the howls of the assaulted child. I don't know if that falls under "physical abuse" for you, but it does for me, given it wasn't for really good or serious reasons. Even then, it'd be abuse. It's unreasonable to expect young kids, 2 or 3 years old, sometimes younger, to sit like good little JWbots in their seat for the whole meeting.

It went far beyond just one smack on the butt, which I'm okay with on the rare occasion when nothing else works and it's a really serious matter. Bruises were the norm and it was inflicted on older kids too. I remember parents talking quite proudly about their disciplining their kids this way to each other. It made them look good in the eyes of the KH. I often skipped P.E. because I didn't want the bruises on my arms and legs visible to my classmates. This was back in the day when you didn't report this kind of thing - 70s.

When I was about 19, I couldn't maintain the pretense anymore, having woken up at least 4 years earlier and loathing every minute of the JW existence forced on me, the advice my mother got from an elder's wife, as to "what to do about my spiritual weakness", was: Beat her. This from an elder's wife. Note the word "beat". No shame in it either. I don't know about today. I hope it's not as bad.

And the emotional abuse, well, like others here have said, that's part and parcel of the cult.

Linda

I find emotional abuse is what the GB and or congregation does with intent. When I was baptized I was told Satan would find me and try to get me to resign from the organization. Well shortly after my dedication, the congregation wouldn't talk to me for no reason. They would have socials and not invite me and yet talk about them after the fact all in front of me. One woman who was my bible teacher never talks to me now. I asked once if I did anything wrong and the person looked at me and said, "no, not unless you have something to hide". WHAT!?!?!

I thought something was wrong with me. Here it is them who shun me and then say Satan wants me. Well he wasn't in my life till they came along. How does that grab ya?!?!

They LOVE emotional abuse and will do anything to get away with it. I worked in domestic and sexual violence for over 20 years so I know all about abuse tactics. Heard it all, everything.

I am so sorry for those of us who were mistreated and in the guise of working for GOD! The hell.

tor1500

@LonghairGal & All,

"This is the underlying sick mentality in the Jehovah's Witness religion" You hit the nail on the head...I'm a newbie & have noticed they all have some type personality quirks. Oh, I'm saying we all don't, but they have a certain way that they get offended very easily. Always loaded for bear...ready to retaliate...They only see the bad, nothing good unless it's towards them...

I just wanted to add my 2 cents..I too try to stay down wind from them as much as possible...I deal with the friends when it's a must...but my association with them is limited...I'm a little nutz, but not mental, so I don't want it to rub off on me...we can catch bad things, but folks never catch good things...so again, limited association, until I find a way to leave...

The org. is not a good place for normal folks...

Tor