i have a question ... why ban smoking, but not drinking?
if there is a religious reason to ban the one, why not both?
which is more harmful to society in general, alcohol abuse or tobacco use?
You are right Susan, and you point out the very problem with trying to police people's action as to what they do with their bodies. Yes, drinking can and often does tend to cause far worse social and family problems than smoking. But the PC police have decided to go after smoking. Recall drinking used to be baned in the USA.
As to why the JWs don't ban drinking, it's because they're all alcholics and if they did that their membership would dry up to about 73 people.
do you think that the jw religion is a cult?
i believe that it is, but i wanted to get other people's opinion.
SexyTeen, you've seen many replies so far, but you yourself have shown that YOU follow men. When you had questions about going to college, you already said you went to the elders for advice. Why? What mystical power do those men hold? They are your leaders, you are following men. If not, you would not feel the need to discuss major life descisions with them. You would discuss with parents or make up your own mind.
You may fight and say you did make up your own mind, but ask yourself this, had the elder(s) said in clear terms that college was a waste of time, and you should go if you wanted to be 'a mature christain' - would you still be going?
Or better yet, why didn't YOU go to the bible and try and find out what god wanted you to do for yourself?
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
And I kind of hate to do this, but one of SexyTeen's quotes just highlighted to me why some might consider JW's "Evil". It was this ...
"On the college thing, sorry you didn't go. I guess those were different times."
I wouldn't say this attitude was evil. But it is quite uncaring ... "Sorry about your bad luck, shit happens, oh well" which is a very general attitude many JWs show towards past 'mistakes' of the WTBTS. "Sorry about getting your hopes up about 1975 brothers, I guess you all got carried away and read too much into it". No thoughts at all to the people's entire lives that were RUINED!
SexyTeen, in the years up to 1975 the Kindom Ministries made quotes to the effect of how "some Brothers have sold homes and businesses, given up all that to pioneer in the few months that remain until 1975" - how do you think those poor people feel now, having sold their entire lives to 'preach' about how close the 'end' is - and now they are old and broke? Put youself in their place for a few moments. Don't you think you might feel a teensy bit aggrevated?
And it's not like there's a retirement plan for old JWs - they are told to try and get help from family, or failing that to go on welfare. If the world was full of JWs, half the world would be on welfare, and the other half would be washing windows or cleaning floors!
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
Sexy, it's never too early to plan for old age. Do some graphs about how much would be in a 401K, for example, started at age 20 vrs age 30. You will be shocked. I'm not saying a 401K is the end all protection, there are no garuantees in life, but for me, I'd rather try to help myself than just wait for a mythical god creature to make everything better 'someday'. Life has proven that those who look after themselves fare better than those who sit around on welfare waiting for god to fix things. Good on you for going to college - you ARE doing some planning for the future then, see? Otherwise, if you really beleived that god was coming ANY day now, very soon, shortly, etc, you would get a window-washing job just to scrape by until armageddon. Thank goodness you're not - you will thank yourself in 20-40 years.
Now, to your quote of ...
"On point #5, it seems you were really hurt by what your parents went through. Sorry about that. I doubt that not having oral sex broke the marriage. I think there is more to love than sex. There must be other issues that were not explained to you, maybe because you were only 11. I agree that it is not normal. Have you been able to get over those problems? I hope so."
shows that you are still yet very naieve (sp?) about life and relationships. Telling a man and women what they can and cannot do in the bedroom is rediculous and not a light matter. He had every right to be indignant about that. What a man and women do or don't do is NOBODY's business. And sexual frustration is one of the leading causes of marital tensions anyway, after money, and it get's worse when you stick the sexual preferences of 12 old fuddy duddy (UNMARRIED VIRGIN) men into the bedroom.
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
Sexyteen, ask yourself this ...
How will you feel when you are 60 years old, you have NO money, few friends (at least ones who stick by you no matter what), live in a crappy house, have a crappy family life, and are STILL being prodded at EVERY meeting to do more, more, more 'preaching' (book/mag sales)? And you've spent your life being told that you will never grow old and die before armageddon? Unlikely?
Before you say "That will never happen" - consider the fact that every old JW is in this boat right now - having been told all the above. And now they face death totally unprepared. My parents are in that boat right now.
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
And just to elaborate on AMarie's point. In 'normal' families, if a person takes up a habit, say smoking, that the other does not approve of, usually they will come up with a compromise. Like "You smoke outside the house" or similar. Rarely would a couple actaully divorce/seperate over such an issue. So it's pointless to try and pretend that the problem was caused by 'smoking'. The problem was caused by people's reactiong to it - the shunning and subsequent mental anquish that would result to ALL who were close. Notice he said that the smoking was the "catalyst" for the father's leaving - do you think perhaps that a man could become so fed up with being treated as 'dead' in his own home, by close family and (former) 'friends' that he would want to just escape the situation?
While I don't smoke and don't care for it, I cannot imagine Jesus turning up his nose at someone for the habit.
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
Ajax, well, seeing as my JW family doesn't maintain any close contact with any non-JWs I couldn't really say. They pretty much toe the line when it comes to "Bad association". I know that my brother for instance, through his work, could form better friendships, but for example, you'd never catch them having a 'wordly person' over for dinner.
SexyTeen, If I were you I'd stay off the subject of "Protecting the children from child abuse by not allowing association with 'worldly' people". You are just as likely to be abused in the JW religion as you are outside of it. It is NO special protection. Visit www.silentlambs.com if you really want to know what is possible to happen in "Jehovah's clean organization". Just being a JW doesn't garuantee your safety. I'm glad you have not been exposed to this darker side of humanity.
I'm glad you are going to college - good for you. Had you been born 10 or 15 years earlier there IS NO WAY you'd be going to college - if you did you would be viewed like a tottaly 'weak' person.
As for the big "A" - you can think the bible claims this. So does the Koran. Why would you pick one holy book over another? Oh yea, because you were born in the USA. Had you been born in Pakistan you'd be defending the Koran as the 'one book'. And as far a the JW's thoughts as to the big "A", well, it was supposed to be 1914. Then 1915 (or 16). Then 1925. Then in WWII, it was "in a few short months". Then we all know about 1975. And don't forget that it was coming "before the generation of 1914 passed away" - and we know that is not longer "The Truth" anymore. Don't be surprised if the WTBTS tries to create a new date for the big "A".
Fact is, you and I will both grow old and die, just like every other human on the planet - baring of course premature death. Better start that 401K plan now.
i've got a bunch of those sl printouts, and i've got one pasted to a window in my work vehicle.
posted one at the supermarket by my house, but noticed the other day that it had been taken down.
gotta replace it.. several weeks ago, a car load of 'hovahs pulled up next to me at a convenience store to get their lunch while out in service.
I'd say it's far far easier to prevent a JW convert than the create one. All the ingredients have to be perfect to create a new JW - especially a 'cold call' (i.e. door knocking) JW rather than the far more plentyful children/family/associates converts. Usually lonelyness or mental health problems can help create a JW
But the vast majority of people see right through the veil, and especially more so when you tell them a few things about your experiences. They all think it's pretty whacked.
Thankfully I was a very unproductive JW and converted nobody - big surprise there!
i am shocked at the many accusations against jehovah's witnesses in this forum.. i know that i am young, but most of my family are jws and they are good people and i love them.
even my worldly family is very nice and i do not shun them.
the friends in the hall are very nice also.
AjaxMan, I have JW family that is like that, and has always been like that - even when we were 'active' JWs. Hot/Cold all the time. Same deal with JW 'friends' who would turn on you in a heartbeat if they saw some gain (usually social climbing in the JW 'corporate' ladder - currying favor w/ the elders). Then pretend the next week to be your best friends again. What a rollercoaster ride!
SexyTeen, step outa line for one second and you will see just how 'loving' your elders can be.
as most of you know i usually write about sexual matters, but i would like to take this time to write about something serious.
after two months of writing posts and reading others people's posts and have concluded that the jehovah's witness organization purposely prevents people from contact with other people, because that way it is hard for someone to leave the organization.
if everyone you know is in the organization then how can you leave?
Man, do I ever hate that "Where else is there to go?" crap. No way to fight it - the JW who's deep in (family/friends) cannot see their way out. And a lot of the one's who are DF'ed for whatever reason never replace their social structure as this is a VERY difficult thing to do, so they sit miserable and lonely wishing to speak to old freinds/family. So they swallow their pride and take their lumps to grovel their way back in. Knowing all along (at least subconsously(sp?)) it's a farce.
I wish that the vast # of people how are simple in it for social gains would suddenly say to each other "Hey, I'll speak to you guys no matter what your JW standing is." I think 1/2 of the JW's would walk that very day. And the other half would be forced to go along with the anti-shunning. Well, one can dream right?
