by cofty 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Our family and friends blame us for the fact that they shun us.
Imagine an abusive husband who threatened his wife that if she leaves him he will hunt her down and kill her. Eventually she finds the courage to leave and he carries out his threat. In court his lawyer argues that the wife knew the consequences of leaving and so it was not his client's fault but the victim's.
This is the twisted ethics of the cult mind.
Don't play along.
Good OP,
I don't accept shunning full stop. I talk to JWs whenever I see them. I am polite and friendly and if I have time to stop and chat I express my loss of faith and my reasons. Some JWs will respond and others will shun. But I certainly don't take responsibility for being Df'd and shunned.
Kate xx
Amen!
Besides, Watchtower encourages young people not to get married too young (read: before they are at least 25), but on the other hand they pressure JW into getting their kids baptized as soon as they can ring a doorbell and hand out a tract.
How do these kids really understand the consequences of 'their' choice?
If you're not mature enough to commit to a marriage partner for life, you're not mature enought to commit to a God or Watchtower for life!
It may be that your parents would object because they feel that you are too young to make such an important decision. They may fear that your tastes will change as you mature and that you will soon regret your choice of marriage mate. [...]
Marriage should be undertaken only when we are physically, mentally, and spiritually ready to take on an enduring partnership.
Wise parents carefully teach their children a dignified view of marriage. They neither urge their children to marry for money nor pressure them to begin dating when still too young to take on adult roles and responsibilities. (1 Corinthians 7:36)
It is a fact that your tastes will change as you mature. “When I was a babe,” writes the apostle Paul, “I used to speak as a babe, to think as a babe, to reason as a babe; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the traits of a babe.” (1 Corinthians 13:11) Likewise, the traits in another person that appeal to you as a teenager will likely be quite different from those that will appeal to you when you are older. Thus, the Bible recommends that you wait until you are “past the bloom of youth”—the years when your sexual desire is at its peak—before you take the serious step of choosing a marriage mate.—1 Corinthians 7:36.
The Bible does not suggest that baptism is a step to be taken only by those who are older or who have reached at least an age at which certain legal rights may be granted. We read at Proverbs 20:11: “Even a child is known by his actions, whether his behavior is pure and right.” One who is somewhat younger can realize what it means to do what is right and to be dedicated to his Creator. Thus, baptism is an important and appropriate step for a young person who has manifested considerable maturity and has made a dedication to Jehovah.—Prov. 20:7.
At the various assemblies and conventions this year, it has been a real joy to see so many who have qualified for baptism. Among them were some quite young in years. You parents are to be commended for raising your children to have an appreciation for the truth and for encouraging them to make a dedication to serve Jehovah when young.
@KateWild,
Same here. Some family members 'preemptively' shun me. I just continue to treat them well, and contact them whenever I feel like it is a normal thing to do.
If they don't want that they better take steps themselves, as I won't conform to their announcement 'we have decided to limit our contact with you'.
All good posts .
Jan
Watchtower encourages young people not to get married too young (read: before they are at least 25), but on the other hand they pressure JW into getting their kids baptized as soon as they can ring a doorbell and hand out a tract.
It's part of their plan to trap them and keep them in the cult forever.
Doc
cofty - "Imagine an abusive husband who threatens his wife..."
Not the worst comparison, considering how lightly the Org treats spousal abuse.
