What effect did, being called "Brother or Sister" have on you? (page 2)

truthseeker1

It always reminded me of "Hulk Hogan" always saying brother. Makes me laugh inside

Mulan

It makes you sound like family, so maybe you feel obligated in that way.

I never thought anything of it, to tell the truth. It's all I ever knew.

Elsewhere

I never could bring myself to fool around with my "sister". (j/k )

Could you imagin marrying your "sister"???

I was raised a JW. I addressed most of the grownups I knew as Brother or Sister {lastname}. It was mostly school teachers and some people I met in fieldservice with whom I used the titles Mr., Ms. or Mrs. So I kind of grew up with the feeling that Bro. and Sis. were equivalent to Mr. and Mrs. etc. within the JW. At congregations I attended growing up, when someone was called on from the platform to answer a question, they made a point to call new ones Mr., Ms. Mrs. until they were baptized. Children were called on by their first name or little or young bro or sis. {parent's last name}. So I kind of had a little bit of pride when I was first called on as Bro. or Sis from the platform. Most people in my old congregation where I grew up called me by my first name. But when I moved out to a new congregation most people called me Bro. It just felt like a formal way to address me and I was a little too shy and quiet to ask them to call me by my first name although I did get to know a few well enough that they just naturally started calling me by my first name.

When I was in my late teens and early 20's, in field service, I sometimes felt awkward at doors when working with adults a generation or more older than me. I still felt young so I addressed most adults as Bro. or Sis. So when I went to doors I would introduce myself and them and it would seem natural to include their formal title, but then Bro. or Sis. kind of felt like a strange thing to say to someone outside the JW. So sometimes I would say Mr. or Mrs. but that would seem strange for someone I always addressed as Bro. or Sis.

shotgun

It always sounded a little weird and not as special as they thought it was considering every Union meeting I went to we all called each other brother as well.

Now it makes my skin crawl a little...unless it's my real sister or one of my actual brothers.

r51785

I didn't like using "Brother" or "Sister" when addressing my fellow dubs. I always preferred "Comrade."

Dan-O

What effect did, being called "Brother or Sister" have on you?

Anyone who called me "sister" got a knuckle sandwich. Calling me "brother" was OK, though.

bem

I didn't mind the term except( in Kh. where we were called sis , bro & last name)(outside kh) very few could remember my name or my daughters & we were called sis.Tom or little sis Tom cause they could remember hubbys name but not ours really made us feel. second place. Now it is most repulsive.

GermanXJW

Being raised as a JW I was used to the term. But I did not really grasp the literal meaning, maybe because I am a single child. To me it was just a substitute for Mr. If I was really close to someone we would use our first names.

In German - like in French and some other languages - there are two different forms of 'you' - one for people you know (Du) (they have to offer you) and one for everyone you do not know or who is not a relative and who has not offered you to say 'Du'. As a JW you say "Du" to all fellow JW but if you do not know him you would call him "Brother/Sister Lastname". So it is really to get some personal distance and not for feeling close.

eljefe

I always thought it was funny that JWs made fun of Mormons with their "Elder Smith" nametags. Yet substitute Elder with Brother and you have the same thing just different churches.