Here's a little post for those who wonder: Can I have a relationship with a JW?
Firstly don't just read my story and accept it as gospel as this is only one person's story, but i'm sure it's a common one.
This all started a few months ago when I started a relationship with a fellow workmate, lets just call her Girl. Now Girl was beginning her life as WT follower and I had been interested in her for quite some time, When I found out that she was a JW instead of giving up I decided to research her beliefs. The more and more I looked into the WT the more and more things I found disturbing, now being brought up in a Christian family I had certain beliefs myself. So instead of stopping there I thought after everything I read that I could actually do something about it, Little did I know that I was terribly wrong. You see I thought I could show Girl what I had discovered about her religion and she would understand. This is not the case and it took me some time and a lot of research from various sources to work out why. Now the following is a very brief explanation and there is a lot more to it than what i'm writing here but, JW's are given beliefs to follow, now firstly they believe there church is the one and true church and all others are wrong, secondly they believe the Governing Body recieves all the guidence from Jehovah and then there are other silly things like celebratons and not associating with "wordly people". Also there is this silly thing that they shouldn't study the bible alone because they may missunderstand the "true" meaning. You will also find that trying to show them evidence contrary to there belief is near impossible, with Girl I was quite lucky I think because she thought I might accept her way.
Very Important don't change what you believe just because you fall in love with someone, Remember your own beliefs and if you make a change consider everything very seriously.
If you want to know why people have such a problem with the Watchtower read Raymond Franz's "Crisis of Conscience" and if your thinking it's such a thick boring looking book read Chapter 5 Tradition and Legalism to start with and I guarantee you will be very interested by the end of the chapter!
Now if your reading this and if you are it's most likely that your finding yourself in the same position. I suggest you seriously consider where your at and where you might want to be, take these couple of points into consideration: Holidays and Celebrations, Birthdays, Marriage ( ooh the "M" word) and Children. Now to tell you the truth it was the marriage side of things and the thought of having children that made us reconsider where we heading.
Now as I said this is very brief but for some this might provide the answer if not I urge you to contact me, just send me a message. I have heaps of info I've collected over the past few months and with my experience allthough only short in this field i'm sure i'd be able to help.
Lastly I would like to say a huge thankyou to all who have supported me through this difficult time especially Concerned mama , because without this help and guidance I could still be following that misleading path of sadness. Thanks !!!