I have no choice..I must study with my kid

by Jez 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Jez

  My ex is a devout JW and is very very sly in what he says to our 9 year old. She went to the assembly with him this weekend and he made her stand over by the baptism and said, "That WILL be you someday won't it sweetheart." Or if she says, "But Dad, all religions worship the same God, JW's are no different." He says, "Of course we all worship the same God." He purposefully waters down what he believes to confuse her. They got her to read the new children book released. She said it has a horrible picture of Armageddon that made her stomach sick, but he said, "BUT look at the next page." Which of course shows paradise. So he teaches he to focus on the fantasy and not the reality.

  She has such a spiritual need. I am sick with worry that someday I may lose her to that religion, so I have no choice. While she is still with me, I must study with her. I will do it nightly. We will keep a notebook and I will study with her like I use to but this time it will be the truth. I am going to do different topics. The first thing we are going to do is rip apart the JW's doctrines/beliefs/practices. Get her thinking for herself by showing her what the bible says and what the JW's say and does it match? Are they really applying the bible? Then after I pull apart all major wrongdoings of JW's I am going to teach her about what other religions believe so that she does not have the narrow mind that JW want her to have. During every study though, we will end on a positive note about what the bible/Jesus really taught. I am going to put the bible in it's place and the JW's. It/They are not going to rule my life anymore. I have to unteach and reteach my child.

  I am going to have to hope that knowledge will be power and that armed with everything I will teach her, she will not be easily lead or live in fear or live with the need to please.

  If you have any suggestions on JW's and their biblical contradictions that are child simple and friendly, please post here.

  Who knows, maybe I will make parents a study guide to use for their children.
  "My book of bible truths" "Questions young people should ask about JW's"
• 

  Double Edge

  Great ideas.... she sounds like a smart "cookie"... I'm sure she'll figure it out. btw, you might also want to check out the "Quotes website"... it will show her how the doctrine has flip-flopped over the past century...and it's all in their own words...

  http://quotes.watchtower.ca/
• 

  outnfree

  Jez,

  I have no stunning suggestions for you, but I DO think that if you previously had the habit of studying with your daughter nightly, that some of her "spiritual" need might be "one on one time with mom" need, and that these nightly sessions may do wonders to immunize her to the false love & security of the WT religion, while reinforcing the REAL unconditional love and security that you offer her.

  outnfree
• 

  Happy Guy :)

  I don't know what that children's study book looks like now but I did see the one that was circulating in the late 1980s and it too was full of graphic violent depictions followed by a fairytale liek pictures of paradise. Clearly it is designed with a psychological element in mind to affect the child's mind in a drug like manner. What I found most disturbing though was the threat contained in it on the last page or two. After exposing the child back and forth between violent death and earthly paradise where all one's pleasures are fullfilled it clearly threatens the child saying in essence if you do not do what God tells you to do (or in this case the Watchtower Publishing people) you will end up like so an so (a character in the book who died a violent and gruesome death). I found the style or method in this book to be abusive, brainwashing and remeniscent of how a pediphile threatens there victims to comply with their demands or they (or their family) will suffer a viloent outcome. Is it any wonder that this religion produces so many people who have suffered abuse? I almost forgot....my suggestion: Look at the back of that book and see if the threat is still contained there. Show it too your child and ask them what they think of a the idea that this book threatens little kids with violent death. Your child may be young but chances are they know what love and kindness feels like and the fact that this threat is niether loving nor kind. Ask them if they believe a parent would talk to their own child in that manner. Then be prepared to explain why a publishing company or cultlike religion would want to indoctrinate their followers in this manner.
• 

  Narkissos

  Indoctrination from tender age...

  It depends on your convictions of course, but I would definitely get into comparative history of religions and philosophy. Big words as they may seem, they can be made very easy and interesting for children. Many books have been written from this perspective. Who knows if your daughter's "spiritual need" is not a "philosophical need" just as well? Unfortunately, philosophical education always comes too late, after religion and cults have sown their seed.

  Why not tell your daughter about the history of the gods before "God"? Many children love mythology. She could realize that the Bible is just one version among many. Visit museums, churches, temples or shrines as available. Introduce her to the fascinating world of symbolism and ritual, which is wider than the Bible, "God" or "religion", so as to relativize the very concept of religious "truth". As soon as she can locate Dubland on the world map of imagination, it won't be her "universe" anymore. This is worth the cost.
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  SixofNine

  If your child has even an ounce of inquisitevness, she'll want to know why we believe the bible to be anything special in the first place. Oh, she may see that that point is so well accepted that she may not be up to actually asking why... but she wonders.
  
  
  Tell her the truth: we all just accepted that the bible was special because our parents and our religions and all the people around us accepted it as special.
  
  It's not. It's just a collection of books written by people we have very little information about, giving their P.O.V. on god and Isreal. Not surprisingly, their pov on God and Isreal is the pov of ancient Isreali sheepherders and spiritual shysters and controlling mythmakers.
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  blondie

  Why not study the Greatest Man book. It is not structured like the other JW study books and you can adapt it to her level. The pictures are fairly tame and the life of Jesus and how to imitate him can be a useful topic.

  Blondie
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  seattleniceguy

  In my opinion, the most important thing you can do for your child is to teach her critical thinking skills. If she learns how to look at arguments carefully, she will be protected not only from JW doctrine, but a great deal of other foolishness throughout her life.

  Just my two cents.

  SNG
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  jgnat

  Consider building before you rip. Let her pick the topic of the night. Start with a plain reading of the bible, and have a joint speculation on what it means. Keep her in control.

  THEN you can mention how the JW's differ on the topic of the night.
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  Jez

  WOW! I love your comments so much. Please keep them coming. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ...without this forum, I would be alot more confused, sad, lonely and lost.