I am an ex Jehovah's witness. AMA

[gem584848838]

Not sure if this will be of interest to anyone! As per the title I am an ex Jehovah's witness that had been disfellowshipped from the religion. AMA

smother but it isn't sexism! The sexes could be changed and I'd feel the same. One is on board with it all, one is having difficulty.

Im not sure that arguing all of faith are lovely people

This faith treats its members appallingly, noatter how lovely and kind or vile they are. They arw srill abusing, traumatiaing and controlling their families and other members.

What a silly argument.

You think you know people

Its clearly sexist, amonst many other things.

This faith treats its members appallingly, noatter how lovely and kind or vile they are. They arw srill abusing, traumatiaing and controlling their families and other members.

Like all generalisations, this simply isn’t true. Of all the many Witnesses I’ve known, including my mum, granny and great aunt, none of them have abused, traumatised or abused anyone.

Clearly I don’t agree with their beliefs but no group of people is good or bad without exception. People criticise what they see as their monochrome views, then do precisely that by writing them off as an evil cult.

The mind control and brainwashing is evil though. The people are mostly good, honest and decent people. However they are led to believe that they won't be able to cope outside the religion and will be damned forever if they leave. The world 'outside' the cosy confines of the belief system is very difficult to navigate. The guilt and confusion carry on for years, or they did for me.
What I find ironic is all the emphasis on being a 'good christian' . However they do not practice what they preach. They aren't full of love and tolerance. Anything but.

See, I have found them to be loving. Tolerant not so much, but then they’d say that the bible says you need to be intolerant of transgression. They certainly adhere to very high moral standards and I can’t knock that.

Its just not justifiable!

People who might seem so kind as and lovely are still doing abhorent things to young childrens psychy, and I am very dubious of anyone who supports mysogyny.

Ita how abuse works. Wolf in sheeps clothing.

I have found this thread incredibly interesting and informative and my heart goes out to all those who have escaped from this. Thank you @gem584848838

@Smotheroffive I have come across you on other posts and I always find myself nodding along to you!

They see it as protecting their children though. They also see men being head of the household as the right order of things.

But most of them don’t do horrible things to their children’s psyche. They tend to be very good parents. At no time in my childhood was I ever frightened by what I was taught.

Such an interesting thread!

Thank you OP, I love threads like this. Learning so much about a topic I didn't know in ten minutes of reading.

@MrsTumbletap I know!

Suggest the sadism one next for tips on how to use a magic sponge.

But this kind is different and a true revelation and I end up thinking I have learnt something from several very genuine posters who have relayed their own experiences.

Also you do actually need to hear what pp and OP are saying instead of denying their actual lived terrifying experiences.

You also know full well that the vulnerable that are abused are not safeguarded and the law regarding sexual assault is avoided. These are major issues and police matters....no matter how lovely. It makes the whole thing pretty sinister tbh

Massive systemic failures to protect.

This is so interesting thank you OP.

One of DS’s friends Granny is JW.
Mum isn’t but was brought up JW.
She is very young (22 maybe? Kids are age 6) and is a single mum to 2 young kids to two dads.

She’s an amazing mum but given this thread I’m wondering how she is still able to have a relationship with her own mum?
Granny is very on board with the kids and they definitely are all still involved with each other, and Granny is definitely still JW and doesn’t come to her grandsons birthday parties or nativities etc

@Smotheroffive, I’m not denying anyone’s experience. I’m offering my experience as the child of a JW mother. Mine was different, it sounds as if you’re denying my experience because it doesn’t fit your narrative.

@Alsohuman but your mother would have been regarded as spiritually weak by the relationship she had with you and while they were lovely to you when she died that would have been in the hope that your loss (read emotional vulnerability at that point) would make you more likely to convert.

Nothing without a reason there whether you choose to see it or not sadly.

Do JW have any kind of religious festivals/celebrations?
Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter. Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses? Do they not believe that Jesus is the son of God?

They have the ‘Memorial’ which is a celebration of his death around March April. That’s it. Their Assemblies are big events that they all look forward to. Apart from that there are their own weddings but that’s it. It’s very dreary.

Christmas is not celebrated because it’s based on a pagan festival and isn’t the actual date of Christ’s birth anyway. Their take on it is that the Bible does not state we should celebrate Christ’s birth , just his death. ‘Do this in remembrance of me’.

The religion fosters a paranoid fear of anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs. Also everything is black and white thinking. Evil, sinful, or morally good. No shades of grey, no room for debate or actual reasoning. Anyone who questions the accepted line is suspect. The thought police are everywhere. Their literature is laughable. They show potential converts a DVD of ‘paradise ‘ after Armageddon where everyone is gambolling about with wild animals tamed . They teach there will be no more sickness no need to work, ever lasting life and no more conflict of any kind. People with no critical faculties lap it up. There’s no thought about how boring ever lasting life would be with nothing to do all day but lie around eating food that never runs out, consorting with lions and wolves.

@gem584848838

Thanks for your reply.

Sounds like your parents are more relaxed than the little girl at school.

She certainly leaves the room for any lessons of RE or when they've done Diwali etc.

A big shame to not even learn about other cultures.

and isn’t the actual date of Christ’s birth anyway.

Even C of E vicars acknowledge that they don't know the exact date. Most educated people know that the Christians hijacked the winter solstice to create Christmas. And this broad minded acceptance is fine with most people.

Why do they have huge baby showers yet ignore birthdays?

@MaryPopppins
JW kids are not allowed to attend any religious observance or teaching other than their own. I was never allowed to attend Assembly at school for example.

Sorry OP I feel like I’m hijacking your thread.

Birthdays are not celebrated as the Bible contains no instructions to do so. It also contains no instructions not to!