What are the differences between JW’s of different countries?

by DannyBloem 34 Replies latest jw experiences

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  DannyBloem

  Danny, what's seen with the JW's is not that much different to the differences in, say, Roman Catholicism.

  My girlfriend is a Roman Catholic. But she's a Dutch Roman Catholic, and her village is so liberal the Priest has hung on past retirement

  Sorry I did not mean any insult. I have some experiences how catolics ruined lives of people. In some places, far away from western europe, the doctrine about anticonception is still dominant. It is not nice if you see that people have not enough to eat but still produce more and more children just beause the pope says so. There are other issues as well. Luckely in europe they are more liberal. (would that ever happen to WBTS -- no way)

  Compare the majority of BeNeLux RC's to Irish, Spanish or Polish ones and there is a BIG difference!

  Would be even worse if I had grown up there

  The "Jehovah's people is one people" stuff only works in a pre-Internet society where the local differences between Congregations are not so easily discovered. The JW's are trying desperately to keep JW's away from the Internet, but they may as well try to council against the use of electricity.

  He he he.Like that one. Yes internet can do them a lot of harm. thank god

  Next time I'm near you I'll send you a PM, maybe buy you a beer or something if you're free... I'm not even df'd or da'd so you'll be safe....

  That is a good plan. By the way, I do not care if you are DF or DA. You can do so mant things if you do not tell it to the wrong people.
• 

  Abaddon

  Danny

  Sorry I did not mean any insult.

  Oh none taken, I was just illustrating something

  I have some experiences how catolics ruined lives of people.

  And others have experiences of how Mormons, Calvanists, Muslims, Hindus, Jehovah's Witnesses and Atheists have ruined their lives. Ruining lives is a human failing, no religion or lack of religion has a monopoly on it. Generally harm can be mapped on a graph with 'size' on one axis and tolerance on the other. Large intolerant institutions cause most harm, whatever they are based upon.

  In some places, far away from western europe, the doctrine about anticonception is still dominant. It is not nice if you see that people have not enough to eat but still produce more and more children just beause the pope says so.

  It's my main gripe with RCism, that and the fact in other areas women are treated as 2nd class citizens or unclean.

  (would that ever happen to WBTS -- no way)

  If it did it wouldn't BE the WTBS any more!

  Consider that beer a done thing although I don't know when I'm next in your area; maybe July sometime on a buiness trip. If you're heading into Holland feel free to PM me.
• 

  Ellie

  Topless sisters?

  I can't imagine that going down too well in Britain, although that might have something to do with the fact that British people are generally more reserved and prudish anyway.

  Something I could never get to grips with is why on earth sisters can't wear trousers to the kingdom hall, when I asked I was told it was because in the olden days only lesbians wore trousers, ridiculous, wish I'd been brought up in Belgium.
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  skyman

  
  Here is how it is in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Brothers no breads in almost all congregation some yes but most no, On the stage at the conventions, No western suits, No corduroy Suits, No cowboy dress shoes, No long hair for men that is longer than the collar, No piercing visible, No visible tattoos. No breads. No beards in most congregations, Sisters must have on a dress for stage or service even in the coldest of weather, Must wear nylons, NO corduroy dresses, But 1/4 inch long hair is OK for the sisters. If a brother in good standing is at the meeting the sister can’t do anything other than comment.

  Now for what is different here. There is a hot spring that is a nudist hot spring. Lots of brother and sister come from all over to go to this therapeutic hot springs. No one seem to care that sisters and brothers are nude here. But I promise you this if they went to the beach and went nude the Elders would hang them high and let them swing. Go figure if you pretend it for your health it is OK but for recreation your nailed.
• 

  fairchild

  Posted by Dannybloem from Belgium

  Here they do care about that rule, except direct family does not stop seeing each other. (contrasting to some of the stories here)

  I can confirm the truthfulness of DannyBloem's statement here, as well as the beards and the going topless. All of this is true, and I have posted some of this on JWD in the past.

  In Belgium, when someone gets disfellowshiped, the direct family has a choice. They can shun the person, but they have no obligation to do such. I used to babysit for a JW family in Belgium, whose JW neighbor's daughter got dfed. The daughter was still allowed to come to the house and talk to her immediate family. There was no rule against that. When I moved to the US and noticed that JWs shun even their own children after they are dfed, I was pretty shocked.

  Yes, many of the men at the KH in Gent, Belgium I used to go to wore nice, bushy beards.

  As for going topless, I never understood why it is such taboo here in America. In Belgium it is a natural thing to do for JWs and non JWs alike. I've been a JW beach parties where the women went topless.

  To add to this list, at one point they changed the dress rule at the KH where I went to. It was a very cold winter (still nothing compared to the winters here in the Adirondacks of NY), and it was said that the women were allowed to wear nice pants to go to the KH, but they were not allowed to wear jeans. They had to wear nice dressy pants. They were only aloowed to do this in the middle of wintertime. I don't know how things are there now, or if they have extended that rule to summertime as well.

  Having been in KHs in different countries, I have seen many differences, but I'm not sure if certain habits were general, or specific to one single KH.
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  cyber-sista

  Here in Hawaii the old missionary spirit is still strong and in my old congo the women dressed liked pilgrims. It's not the natives who are strict but the houlies (white guys) from the mainland who enforce the rules. The even found the JW attitude towards the native people here felt prejudice at times. A comment I heard more than once was "the problem with the Hawaiian people coming into the truth is that they are too close to their families." The elders here are quick to enforce any new rules real or perceived--there is much mention about the evils of too much recreation. It is especially hard on the young people here do not fare well and the majority are knew were eventually Dfd. the JW rules and regulations seem to be even more restictive than on the mainland and are very contrasting with the tropical lifestyle, which is generally more relaxed.

  Even in the hottest weather men have to wear suit jackets when on stage or handling the microphones. Men always wear a tie out in service. Spaghetti straps and sundresses are frowned upon for women. And despite the refreshing tropical breezes the KH where I attended had no windows, but frigid air conditioning and I eventually had to resort to bringing a blanket to the meetings.

  the land of aloha is definitely full of fuddy duddy dubs.

  cybs
• 

  DannyBloem

  Thanks Fairchild for confirming the truthfullness as you say

  It the WT publications there is room for family to still meet df-ed families. I do not unerstand why in USA it seems that the dubs want to be more holy then the WT says.

  Here it does happen sometimes the shunning, but very seldom that parents and children actually do not see them anymore. They can not talk spiritual things though.
• 

  fairchild

  They can not talk spiritual things though.

  Yes, that is correct. I meant to mention that, but forgot..
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  Max Divergent

  Gward... who's translating the pulications into Belgian? Sounds like somthing's being lost! LOL!!
• 

  DannyBloem

  Gward... who's translating the pulications into Belgian? Sounds like somthing's being lost! LOL!!

  It is dutch & french here what we speak by the way. But I do read the engish publications also. There is room for family members not totally shunning df-ed persons.
  I do not understand why some want to be even more strict. But then, there always have been a lot of manmade rules (not the GB man made rules I mean, the CO made man made rules). We had in the early nineties here some rules that only white shirts were allowed for brothers at the stage... Danny