11 years. Started when I was en elder. Tried to combat it, but it grew stronger, and the internet reinforced my opinions and reading CofC and IsofC substantiated that I was right in leaving.... It was though though. Was afraid to loose friends and family. Well, of course lost all friends, and have limited contact with family.
InquiryMan
JoinedPosts by InquiryMan
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27
How many years before you left did you realise it was not the truth?
by jambon1 ini was only in for 10 years.
however, i never feel that i 100% believed it all, even at the point of baptism.. i think after the initial period of 'love' shown on the part of the brothers, i must have only been a baptised brother for about 4 years when i knew it was all wrong on so many different levels.. i remember a sister saying to me "once they have got you under the water, that's when you see the real way they treat you".
it all changed after baptism.
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Children at the meetings, how did you cope
by Mrs Smith inmy son was about 5 years old when we stopped going to the meetings.
the other day i asked him what he remembers about them (his now 14 years old).
he remembered the puzzles i bought him to play with during the meetings.. he remembered that i packed a sandwich and some juice for him to eat in case he got hungry.. when he got board i use to take him outside for a walk around the kh garden.
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InquiryMan
This brings back some memories. I remember that a few years before I left the JWs, while being an elder, another elder gave a local needs talk based on an KM article. He stated that noone should eat and drink at meetings, and whereas this applies well for adults, it was the culture in our congo to allow children to get their evening meal at the hall on tuesday nights, after all, they were kept there longer than their normal time being awake. I remember I was so angry that I called him up after the meeting, stating that this was absolute out of the question... I even stated, and that is pretty frank when you are an elder: I am happy that I was not raised as a JW when I was a child... A bit childish though. I guess he never forgave me for my outburst... I, however, got bad conscience for my outbearst, and tol the PO about it... He agreed with my sentiments on the matter, albeit not he way it was said though. So good to be out, no longer thinking about people taking offense and that kind of stuff.
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Children at the meetings, how did you cope
by Mrs Smith inmy son was about 5 years old when we stopped going to the meetings.
the other day i asked him what he remembers about them (his now 14 years old).
he remembered the puzzles i bought him to play with during the meetings.. he remembered that i packed a sandwich and some juice for him to eat in case he got hungry.. when he got board i use to take him outside for a walk around the kh garden.
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InquiryMan
We had three children. Always had coloring books and toys, even though being an elder. Never spanked them. But it was quite a show getting things rolling though.... One of my sons, says that although the meetings were boring, he did not mind, cause he played with his dinosaurs. He also liked the intermessions at the assembly, cause of the non spiritual food.
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Comments You Will Not Hear at the WT Study (10/15 Teach Children)
by WT Comments insoliciting your comments as well!
please take a moment to post a comment, even if brief.
share your experience and keep the topic active.. .
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InquiryMan
Honestly, the depiction of JW childhood, seems vastly exagerrated according to my experience, or are the Scandinavian counterparts of JW in general less extreme in their way of practicing the religion. When we were in: children attended children parties frequently (albeit without presents, although that occurred at times) some kids took part in pre school activities children did go amusements parks, circus, movies etc witnesses travel a lot, not less than non-witnesses. In fact they travel so lot that a major newspaper had a specific aticle on the topic... (priori to christmas). however, in Scandinavia, employers have five weeks of paid holiday as a right, and only 1 day is spent for assembly, so there are plenty of days left for other pursuits. Field service hours are always lowest in holiday times, sometimes 20 per cent less than average months. That is just my impression of the average witness life in my country. Also, most witnesses do alternative things when society as such celebrate their holidays, e.g. constitution etc. Still: I wanted to leave, cause I did not reconcile the Watchtower teachings with my own ideas of being tolerant etc... I disapprove of a lot of the Watchtower, but have nothing against individual witnesses--- Many are nice people..
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so many nut cases are JW's
by fresia ini have seen so many jw's that are fruit loops, i'm not meaning clinical depression or mental illness, many are just balmy, they seem to be off tap.
i would estimate that 1 in 4 are off their head.
disruptive behaviour and trouble makers, gossipers and out right rude, so many seem to have problems out of the normal, many i find are backward, maybe that is the one way street of indoctinization.. what experiences have any had..
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InquiryMan
On the contrary, having met witnesses in many countries, on various countries, the vast majority resemble normal people, just more uniformed in their ways and a bit more disciplined.
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Have you ever refused a "Privilege"
by JH ini refused to give a bible study to some kid.
i figured that many tried and didn't succeed.. i also didn't feel ready for that, nor did i want to drag him to each meeting after that, since he had no family in the org.
the elders weren't happy with my decision.. bottom line, you can't say no, without any consequences..
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InquiryMan
I was asked to apply as translator at Bethel, but declined, much to the astonishement of the Bethelite brother asking me..
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Are there any known JW doctors?
by 4mylove ini think there is one at my hospital because of what a coworker said one time in reference to blood doctrine.
i can't imagine them going into medicine with all the time it requires, between school, residency, etc.
just wondering
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InquiryMan
I know three doctors, all converts. One is a female pathologist, one is combined doctor and psychologist and one was converted by his biology brother, started at bethel with his nurse wife and quit there again. The daughter of the former PO in the congregation I used to attend, is opting to study medicine (I learned that from "spying" on her facebook). Oh, how things have changed in JW land since I was on her age, I had been conscience for attending grammar school. And did not pursue higher education due to what was taught at the meetings and written in the literature. My parents would not have denied me. It was enough what I was thought.... In retrospect, I realize it was good for JWs who were non-achievers at school, but for those of us who did well (I was a top student), it was indeed a sacrifice.
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Do JW's ever go into churches for "new recruits"?
by Brymichmom ini run another discussion board on yahoo for former jw's.
anyway, one of my members there said she was listening to hank hannegraff (bible answer man) with ron rhodes and the discussion was about jw's going into churches for "new recruits".. he said the process goes as follows....the jw's don't tell anyone they are jw, they wait until the invitation, then when people go forward, they go as well and befriend new christians and invite them to a bible study.
he said it was referred to as "sheep stealing".
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InquiryMan
Interstingly, when on a witness only bus trip to Austria, a visit to a catholic church was part of the sight seeing programme made by a brother.... Roughly halv went inside, the other halv did not... no big deal.... When a witness, I always visited churches as a tourist... All the time!!!
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BIG NEWS!
by deaconbluez ini have been approved to write the cover story for local newspaper about jehovah's witnesses.
it can't be any more than 2,500 words.
this newspaper has a huge reader-base.
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InquiryMan
Make sure that every thing that you write can be verified, is not exagerrated, or not sound too onesided. To be factual, trying to be unbiased and fair will give the best impact. A few sentences praising the good aspects of the witnesses might even be good, nothing in the world is totally black and white... Witnesses would very easily jump at the article, of the wording is incorrect, or that things are takenout of proportions. Stating that college is illegal, would be an untruth, since most likely they will know someone who is in college, or even non-Jw readers would know some. Then they might doubt the whole article as being the writing of a disgruntled, bitter ex member... Stating that it is discouraged, might back it up with statistics showing that the JWs have th lowest amount of college graduated among its adherents its mightsubstantiate the results of that policy... Also, it might be good to differentiate between the policies of the Watchtower society and Jws as such. Many individual witnesses are good, decent people, but at times act inhumanly (e.g. shunning) due to policies enfored by the Watchtower society. Just my thoughts.
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BIG NEWS!
by deaconbluez ini have been approved to write the cover story for local newspaper about jehovah's witnesses.
it can't be any more than 2,500 words.
this newspaper has a huge reader-base.
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InquiryMan
Make sure that every thing that you write can be verified, is not exagerrated, or not sound too onesided. To be factual, trying to be unbiased and fair will give the best impact. A few sentences praising the good aspects of the witnesses might even be good, nothing in the world is totally black and white... Witnesses would very easily jump at the article, of the wording is incorrect, or that things are takenout of proportions. Stating that college is illegal, would be an untruth, since most likely they will know someone who is in college, or even non-Jw readers would know some. Then they might doubt the whole article as being the writing of a disgruntled, bitter ex member... Stating that it is discouraged, might back it up with statistics showing that the JWs have th lowest amount of college graduated among its adherents its mightsubstantiate the results of that policy... Also, it might be good to differentiate between the policies of the Watchtower society and Jws as such. Many individual witnesses are good, decent people, but at times act inhumanly (e.g. shunning) due to policies enfored by the Watchtower society. Just my thoughts.