Who could know the mind of a Jdub? Well, I guess any former member can, but it's still baffles me the way they treat people and their family. My Jdub family now wants to spent time with my children, who are now 16 and 13. Since I left the BORG in 98/99 they had very little to do with them. I did allow the children to go to my sister's wedding (c. 99/00) because family from out of town was coming and I didn't know when the next time they would see them again before some of them died, moved away, etc. Of course my kids felt a little uneasy that we weren't there because the night before my Jdub mother called my house saying she think it would be best if my wife and I didn't show up for the reception due to stumbling other Jdub in attendance. She also said "some of the friends would walked out." So I called my sister, the one getting married, and asked her what does she think, and she said "Oh, I thought you weren't coming." Needless to say we didn't show up.
Last month my sister called (the one that got married) and asked if she could take my kids to a family picnic sponsored by her job. So I said "ask them." She called and asked them but they didn't really want to go. Then last week my other sister was having a cook out and asked my brother if my kids were coming - no.
Anyway my point is, what makes these Jdubs think that children can't see what's going on. How can any self respecting teen-ager want to be in the company of people who shun/disrespect their parents. If anybody treats a child's parent like they don't exist, what makes that person think the child would over look that and embrace them with open arms.
Can't the Jdubs think a little bit and reason - would my child want to be in the company of anyone that treated me worthy of eternal death? Would I want them to? It's a shame that my Jdub family are strangers to my children - their grandmother being the biggest stranger. The Jdubs should realize that they can't just randomly pop up (at the whim of a service meeting part) in a child's life and except readily acceptance.
And try explaining that to your child - "Yes, they treat me like that because I don't believe what they believe. I never did anything to them personally - never stole, cheated, hit, or abuse them in any way, in fact I helped them all my life, but they just can't associated with a non believer. They my call you occasionally, and they may call me when someone in the family dies." Do the Jdubs really think that children don't think on these things.
Unfortunately I had to tell my children that our family generation starts with us - we are the nucleus of the next generation, and NEVER allow religious beliefs or anything to separate us as a family. My daughter cried the last time we reminisce about removing her from her 1st grade class room when another student had a birthday - she said she hated that. Imagine how we felt, in hind sight, knowing we put her through that ordeal.
Thanks, I just needed to vent.
Peace - LL :)