Were There ANY Advantages To Being a Jehovah's Witness? (page 2)

Gadget

I don't know where I would have been now If my parents hadn't of become witnesses. When I was bor we lived in the poorest neighbourhood of an already very run down area. My dad suffered from paranoid psychophenia, and used to go out, get drunk, then knock seven bells out of my mam. He wouldn't work, so we never had any money and he ended up in cells a few times for a number of things, including non-payment of bills. My parents became jw's when I was 3. My dad stopped drinking, found release from his ill health, stopped beating my mam, and got a job which trained him and set him up with a career, which gave him the money to move us to a nicer area away from a lot of the social problems. When I grew up they were very strict, and stopped me going off and getting into trouble. I have a very similar temperment to my dad so I would've probably went down the same route as him. I have my dads temperment and inteligence, but my mams patients so I can sit and work out scams. Because my parents were so strict, and with me being scared because of the remenants of my dads ill health, I didn't try that many things, and got away with the ones I did do. So now, I have a secure job in law enforcement, own my own home, car, and motorcycle. Knowing my temperment and way of thinking, if i hadn't of had the upbringing I had, I would either have been a career siolder now, or probably serving a long prison sentance.

Enishi

The Theocratic Ministry School helped out quite a bit with my communication skills. As far as purely positive benefits go, that's about it.

The negative spirituality of WTS did, however, drive me to take a closer look at my life and what was really important, and gave me the need to seek out positive spirituality, which I might not have found had I been raised in a different manner.

czarofmischief

he ended up in cells a few times for a number of things, including non-payment of bills

What country do you live in? In the US I'm pretty sure that you can't get thrown in jail for that...

CZAR

Gadget

I live in the UK. You can be jailed here for non-payment of council tax, and for not paying fines imposed by a previous court hearing. I was very young at the time so can't remember the details.....

mouthy

I have to say many things !!! 1-I stopped smoking to be baptised.2 I learned to do public speaking -so that now I speak in all the groups ,churches, etc telling folks WHY they dont want to be taught by the JW. 3. I learned how to take a bashing from my hubby & still smile with my black eyes!! ( after all Jehovah was allowing me to be persecuted )))) LOL.4. Stopped me from swearing like a trouper. 5 Helped me suffer great pain while knocking on doors & ringing bells with the most painful feet & fingers with my Rheamatoid Arth....( I guess that is why I havent killed myself THIS week with the pain of my back!!!!lol) So even though I know it is a MOST evil organization because I do believe The Devil himself turns in to an angel of light - As for your son John.... Who knows ???? Maybe your son CAN be made to feel guilty enough to quit the drugs ( by Mum) I do also believe GUILT is a most destructive force in the world.That if we continue to keep him in prayer ," More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams...." Look how many of us on here are FREE!!!! So dont give up my darling JOHN... I know since you were never under their mind control it is so hard for you to understand the twisted mind. Would I rather him be a JW or an addict????? I would rather he would avoid BOTH!!!! They are both distructive. Sorry for the long post. but the back is allowing me to sit longer ( Did I hear you all moan????????????LOL (((((((HUGS)))) to ALL

CountryGuy

I'd have to say I got a few advantages:

*Never went into debt buying Christmas or birthday gifts. *I love public speaking thanks to the Theocratic Ministry School. *My parents taught me a wonderful sense of right and wrong. *Because of the dubs' importance of being a good example to the world, I made good grades in high school and got a great scholarship to go to college with. *I was friends with the prettiest girls in school, because they were dubs. More than once, my classmates told me what it waste it was that the prettiest girls in school were witnesses. *My folks are the only one in their families that aren't alcoholics. If they hadn't been dubs, they probably would have been, too. *If my sister hadn't been "rebelling," she never would have gotten pregnant and I wouldn't be the fantastic uncle I am!

And, I guess most of all. Because I was a dub, I learned to see the good in any situation... even when it totally sucked. You know, kinda like finding advantages to being a dub.

DanTheMan

I learned a lot about the Bible. I think that it is important to be familiar with it even if you don't believe it to be inspired or relevant, just for its historical importance and the impact it has had on western culture.

larc

I learned a lot of things. I benefited in many ways. Like DanTheMan, I appreciated knowing the Bible as part of our heritage. As others have stated, I am glad that I learned to speak in front of an audiance with relative ease. I also learned to read at an early age and came to value learning. Of course, I took it too far in their eyes, since I went to college and eventually left the religion. I am also glad that I learned how to speak up against authoraty (sp?). Sometimes that did not work in my favor, but often it did. Also, my childhood training gave me discipline. Hey, if you can work part-time and pioneer, you can do just about anything. I worked in a factory, thereafter, and went to college at the same time. Hey, it worked out. Do I have regrets? No, not really. I am now retired and looking back from the early years, it does not look bad at all. For those of you who have left in recent times, let me asure you that time does heal the wounds.

Mysterious

Well I did learn how to find/quote a lot of bible verses. There is a girl in my class that I have friendly debates with sometimes, she is SO christian she makes dubs look postively lazy. (gasp) She admitted that I can quote the bible better than she can. (just about made me faint!)

got my forty homey?

NOTHING!

I was laughed at at school, I never had any cool clothes, never dated, did poorly in school, had no friends, had to knock on school mates doors with my parents, spent everyday of the week studying or at meetings, parents who never bought anything cool because as in my Fathers words "material things do not give everlasting life", didnt go to college, have a dead end job now which I hate going to, became a crack addict, can I go on any further?

Were There ANY Advantages To Being a Jehovah's Witness?

Share this