No it didn't bother me. This post seems to be more about women's position in the congregation or the organization, but I'll also comment on their position in the home.
I believed what the bible said and the bible says wives are to be submissive and there's that scripture in Timothy that says women are to be quiet and not to teach. JW aren't the only ones to interpret those scriptures literally. I remember women from Southern Baptist churches coming on the news and bragging in a sort of way about how proud they were to be submissive to their husband and obey everything he said because that is what the "Lawd" says after attending one of their conventions. And then there are the Muslim religions and their teachings about women.
Another thing to remember is that the bible says that husbands are to be heads of their wives just as christ is head of the congregation. So husbands were suppose to follow christ's example. If it was pleasant to be under christ's headship, then, in theory, it was supposed to be pleasant to be under men who were executing their headship just like Christ. That was part of JW interpretation. Of course, in reality this situation never existed.
I was raised from birth a JW. My parents bought fully into this. If my mom felt repressed by this arrangement, I never saw it. One thing my father told me was whenever you are in charge of or leading other people, you should always give in to their preferences as long as their preferences are not wrong even if you as the leader prefer things another way. In other words, the only time you exercise your headship, leadership or authority is when those you are leading are about to do something wrong. I also remember early marriage advice that I should put up with a woman's irrational behavior because that was a woman's way. So no the second-class status of JW women did not bother me because I did not see it that way in many situations and because I believed what the bible said. No they can't give talks, be elders, etc. But in the home, proper exercise of headship, according to their teachings and counsel I received, seemed to give the woman most of the power in end.
Does it bother me now? Not really. JW are a religion and not a career or job, despite JW insistance to the contrary about pioneering. I don't choose to follow any religion so what they do is of little concern to me. Some women choose to follow JW religion and some choose to follow other religions with second-class woman teachings and some even choose to follow the 'woman is second to man' rules of the religion. Others choose to follow the religion and ignore the second-class woman rules. Other women choose not to be involved with any religion having any kind of second-class woman view. (Then there are those who are into BDSM Oh that's another topic. ) Now, at home, I don't assume any headship duties. Sometimes I go with my own preferences and while trying to be aware of the differences between a man and a woman, I don't make any excuses (e.g. a woman's viscissitudes (sp) or that time of the month) for childish behavior. If a man or a woman insists on acting like a child because they are upset about something, either I wait till they can think calmly and rationally or I move on. I have been exposed to plenty of intelligent, strong and strong-willed women outside and even inside the JW's so I know that women are not inferior in any way. The second-class woman view simply will not hold up when operating on the job or in society in general these days. I've seen women blow the socks off men in physical, mental and creative occupations. So I didn't really have a big change in my mind to make regarding women in general when I left the JW's.
