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Original poster

To just go to a jehovahs witness meeting?

796 replies

blobtobetter · 07/04/2012 21:05

One of the older women at work is a Jehovah's Witness. I don't really know what they are but they don't like blood or birthdays. I thought they were just another type of Christian but apparently not.

She keeps asking me to go to a meeting and I keep putting her off. Thinking now that I should just go once and then never again!?

It sounds really shallow but I wouldn't want to give up Christmas!!

Part of me wonders what it would be like. Would they be over friendly? Would they be distant as I am a heathen type? Can't imagine it really.

OP posts:
SparklyGothKat · 11/04/2012 16:25

Yes they believe in Satan. He was casted out of the heavens in 1914 and therefore given reign of the earth. At Armagedon (sp?) he will be locked into an place and all wicked ones destroyed, after 1000 years he will be released again and anyone choosing to follow him again will be destroyed. With jws it's the truth or satan, you can't be nothing as if you ain't following the truth then you are following Satan.
My family in the religion are lovely and as a result of my upbringing I am a law abiding honest person, and most jws are really lovely people who are honest and well mannered too, they are polite too, just make sure it's something that you want to do.

SparklyGothKat · 11/04/2012 16:28

I know my mum fears that I will not live forever as I'm not in the truth anymore but I live my life honestly, I'm not perfect but I think if there is a god he will see into my heart regardless of my religion.

Collision · 11/04/2012 16:30

This thread has turned really nasty...................Sad

SophieNeveau · 11/04/2012 16:32

Blob, I have been posting since the beginning and not pming. As I said I have done the bible study on and off, I went to a meeting.

I was introduced as a friends sister became a JW, she was one of many people who volunteered as someone for me to practice on, prior to me getting a qualification. The friends sister introduced me to the lady that still eight years later calls around, we go through stages of intence once a week, several hours of study to not seeing one another for months. The relationship is all her persuing me.

I would be classed as vounerable now, I wasn't when we first met. I have given it much thought and something keeps me from joining, I am uncomfortable with the controlling aspect, the blood issue and some other things too. I can see the logic in a lot of things and understand why they want to be around people with certain morals and behaviours. I really don't like the way it is controlled and I don't trust or like who is at the top of the organisation, it is all very secretative. In the CoE everyone knows the head is Queen and Arch Bishop of Canterbury, In RC it is the Pope, there is no secrecy.

I would proceed with caution, there is no harm in studying, just be very carefull about joining the full hog, you will be told as I have that knowing is not enough and all sorts, they do want you to become more and more involved.

Maybe I am stronger than I thought to not have joined yet, I don't regreat the time or what I learned.

SophieNeveau · 11/04/2012 16:35

By the way the Friends sister, was disfellowshiped, she was baptised and moved in a boyfriend, she has been with him about six years. She would like to marry, she is married to a JW, who she never lived with, he refused on their wedding day to move out of his Mum's house in with my friend, they never even consumated the marriage in the end.

SparklyGothKat · 11/04/2012 16:38

Can the marriage not be annulled?

Collision · 11/04/2012 16:39

I am sure she could divorce him on those grounds alone!!!

BonfireOfKleenex · 11/04/2012 16:40

Collision - why nasty?

SGK - that is really sad that your mum believes that, must be v difficult for you both Sad

SophieNeveau · 11/04/2012 16:42

I haven't spoken to the friends sister in detail about the marriage to the JW man in a while, when I see her we talk about other things and friend and I don't see a great deal of each other at the moment right now anyways, so I don't know the current updated situation. To be fair I am not that interested, I was just referencing for usefull info in the thread.

Collision · 11/04/2012 16:43

I just think that witnesses get a roasting on here and that Blob is entitled to go to a meeting or have a study if she wants to.

They are not a cult.

hiddenhome · 11/04/2012 16:47

'turned really nasty' Hmm really, Collision slight overstatement there Hmm

hiddenhome · 11/04/2012 16:48

Oh, and the witnesses are getting a roasting mainly from who?......ex-witnesses mostly. And they should know after all Wink

BonfireOfKleenex · 11/04/2012 16:52

Collision - I think it would be unreasonable to demand nothing but unquestioning respect for your religion from everyone on the thread, surely? Is that what you want?

Collision · 11/04/2012 16:53

Nope! I want nothing from no one!!

BonfireOfKleenex · 11/04/2012 16:54

Oh, okay Confused

hiddenhome · 11/04/2012 16:55

Good, 'cos we'd be fools not to warn blob. I really hope she won't be duped and lured in. Even I'm surprised and somewhat shocked by some of the stories from the ex-witnesses on here Sad

Original poster
blobtobetter · 11/04/2012 17:06

The book looks interesting with chapters like why does God allow suffering and what is God's purpose for the world. I thought it might be a book for non-JWs but she said she had studied it too. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on bible study - she studies for each meeting, plus studies each magazine and there are other books on certain parts of the bible. Must take her hours!

I think it is odd that they aren't allowed friends outside JWs - I don't know what to class the lady at work as. We work together a bit but also go for lunch and shopping every so often. I like getting to know all sorts of people so the restriction is weird to me. Unless that is a way of drawing people in - like the JWs are holding something back until someone joins / makes a commitment.

OP posts:
hiddenhome · 11/04/2012 17:12

Yip, that about sums it up. Your suspicions are correct. This woman is merely pretending to be your 'friend'.

Any organisation that seeks to restrict your access to friends/relatives is a CULT It is abusive and controlling to do this to people.

hiddenhome · 11/04/2012 17:14

If you were contemplating having a relationship with a man who was going to do this with you, you'd be called crazy and people would be screaming at you not to get involved Sad

Original poster
blobtobetter · 11/04/2012 17:19

I wonder how it works for people who join as adults. Those who are in from childhood would automatically have all their friends as JWs but when you join as an adult are you just absorbed into the existing group of friends? What if you have a really odd personality?!

Currently flicking through the book and bible - the wording in the bible is a little odd - it reads sort of clumsy. My bible is a lot more flowing and easy to understand.

Do you class any other religions as cults? I guess a lot of them have rules but are maybe not set up in the same way as JWs.

Who actually runs the watchtower (sounds very lord of the rings!) and how do they get the job?

OP posts:
clam · 11/04/2012 17:27

What happens if someone joins, or rejoins after having lapsed, if their spouse does not wish to be involved? Is it possible for the marriage to continue, or would the reluctant partner have to go along with it? Can you be a "half" member, ie tolerate your partner being a member but not being fully involved yourself?

stressedHEmum · 11/04/2012 17:29

The people who run the Watchtower BTS are the Governing Body. They are all older "anointed" men, or at least they used to be. It was always a bit mysterious to me, to be honest, but the GB set all doctrines. teachings and the like and had final say in everything. There is a president, a couple of vice presidents, a treasurer, directors and the like. The GB refer to the WBTS as a theocracy, though, because they don't actually run things, Jehovah God does. This means that disbelieving/disregarding the GB is like disbelieving God himself, because He directs everything they say and do.

The corporations are a bit different, I don't really know anything about them, but all members are Jws and basically do what the GB tell them.

Original poster
blobtobetter · 11/04/2012 17:30

I wondered about that too - the lady at work was in a relationship but he didn't believe in God. They split up before she was baptised. She did mention that they do bible studies at JW homes if they family of the person studying don't approve.

OP posts:
stressedHEmum · 11/04/2012 17:33

You can't be a half member, but you aren't supposed to leave your spouse if you convert, you are supposed to quietly be an example to them to try and lead them to the truth that way.

Blob, if you convert as an adult, you basically have to dump your friends because they are following Satan and you have to keep yourself clean in the eyes of God and resist worldly influences. You have to make friends within the congregation, but that's OK because when you are studying and you begin to attend meetings, everyone wants to be your friend.

stressedHEmum · 11/04/2012 17:34

Oh aye, and if you are living together/in a relationship, you have to either marry or break it off before you can progress to being an unbaptised publlisher or any further.