To just go to a jehovahs witness meeting?

[blobtobetter]

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.

The shunning is horible no one enjoys it at all. I have never had to do it personally. I guess I can see the reasoning to it. I believe my faith and believe its the truth like anyone in faith does. The shunning isn't to be cruel or unkind, it's the not supporting their decision and hoping they will return.
Weirdly enough we have lost dh parents because they have disowned us because of our choice so not just Jw who shun others.

Lisa - if one of your children needed a blood transfusion, what would your stance on this be?

Blob you are more than question anything you like. They dont tie you to a chair and brainwash you (clockwork orange styee)!!

I recall reading a few years ago about a woman who gave birth to twins. She had a traumatic birth and needed a transfusion- which she refused as she was a JW. So, she died, leaving her newborn children motherless.

In whose world is that even remotely justifiable?

Just curious on the thinking behind it - when it leads to a loss of life.

I have no faith or belief in God, I almost envy people who can have that kind of blind faith but I could never act in a way I think is unkind as is shunning just because I was told to, this I cannot understand. I have to follow my own conscience.

blobtobetter To be fair, there are a lot of good points from a religious point of view. JWs as a whole promote living honestly and simply and putting God before anything else (including your own life).

They genuinely believe everything they preach (to the point of being willing to die for it). The social community is also very strong (as friends outside the faith are discouraged - ideally only associates and minimal contact).

Most people are attracted to these points, and to the one-on-one attention/teaching they will receive, and are eased into the whole thing very slowly and comfortably.

Disfellowshipping/disassociating is not a commonly brought up subject, and unless you read all the fine print or know someone it has happened to, the full implications might never occur to you.

I know that when I mentioned my version on the bible the lady said it wasn't authorised but she was willing to have a look at it.

Are there rules about what books can be read?

I tend to jump into things without thinking - trying not to do that any more!

my brother married into a JW family, they couldnt have been less lovely if they had tried

mad, deluded, nutcases springs to mind

I'll pull up a few comments that have been made:

Not all JWs refuse to enter other places of worship. I got married in a CofE church and my JW mum attended (albeit after a long discussion and a few tears). She just didn't sing the hymns or take part in the prayers. It is up to the individual.

The point about the military - my husband is RAF but has never encountered any problems with my mum or her sister (also JW)

Blobtobetter, for the most part, people they get to join are those who aren't in the best situations. In the congregations I was in, it was usually single parents who were low income and didn't have a lot of support in their life, and were people who were quite happy to be told what to do. When you start going to meetings, there is a lot of "love bombing" going on. People are very happy to see you, often times they would offer to drive new ones to meetings, include them in gatherings, etc. This is really appealing to those who don't ever have a lot going on in their lives, and gave them a sense of inclusion. I can think of one family that studied for a bit that would be considered well-off and had quite a network of friends and support, but they only lasted a few months, and then never returned.

It must be amazing to have such faith that you are actually willing to die because of it as in blood transfusions. I think it's a bit bonkers but still an amazing sign of your faith. Obviously I'd hate to see this choice taken in regards to children or young people. After reading all the points listed though I really wonder what kind of folk voluntary sign up for all this, what makes them find all these rules attractive?

The rules become tighter the more involved you become.

As a fully baptized JW, you would be expected not to be reading paraphernalia from other religions, and to be using the New World Translation of the bible (although JWs can use homeowner's own bibles when studying with them). The bible should also be read in conjunction with JW magazines/books.

You would certainly not be allowed to keep any literature or other items that have anything to do with the occult or paganism (tarot cards etc.)

I have a set of Tarot cards under my bed!!

I wonder if I seem vulnerable ...... I suppose my "spiritual quest" could be seen that way.

Only JW publications are used to study in. They rely more on their publications than the Bible. Their Bible is actually different than other translations despite what some will tell you, putting in the name Jehovah, and they translate John 1:1 different than any other Bible out there, along with several other verses I can't remember. They will let you bring your own material in to humor you for awhile, but should you choose to study, take note of how quickly they want to get your books out of your hand and give you their books and Bible. They don't ever use any other books at their meetings than their own.

I think that with regard to children, hospitals quite rightly gain court orders overturning the wishes of the children that their children die rather than receive 'tainted' blood - but i am not 100% sure about this.

CaveMum The rules regarding other places of worship are slightly flexible. As a baptized JW you are certainly not allowed to go anywhere to worship, and are discouraged from entering any such places at all. When it comes to family occasions (weddings, funerals, etc.) it is ultimately allowed to be individual choice, but is still strongly discouraged.

Only JWs themselves are not allowed to be any part of the military (and indeed are expected to die/go to prison, rather than join), and they would not shun a non-JW because of it.

*of the parents - not children

blobtobetter - after all you've heard do you really think this could be for you?Are you willing to die if you need a transfusion, are you willing to shun people you like? If not then why would you even go one time?

Hownoobrooncoo - The blood transfusions, shunning people and only reading JW books bothers me. I suppose all religions have their rules to follow though. If I truly believed in what they did it would probably make more sense to me.

I was surprised that there weren't more appearance rules though given that they seem quite old fashioned.

Wonder what they think of dating and boy / girl friendships.

Dating is not allowed without someone being there, they don't agree with gay couples and it's a sin if you are gay.

So things about the religion bother you and you aren't even involved yet but you are still interested?

So you may discard your reservations if you could attach/take on to their beliefs enough?

Thinking more cult material than spiritual quest now you are way more open minded than me! [buwink]

Appearance rules are more to do with social pressure than centrally-imposed rules. Although certainly you are expected to be clean, well-groomed, and not wearing anything overly revealing or offensive.

Sex is not allowed outside of marriage, and divorce is not recognised as spiritually valid by the congregation (unless the other partner was unfaithful).

Young men/women are not supposed to spend time alone together (unless doing something very public, like preaching within a group), and are expected to have chaperones while they get to know each other.

In my day, dating was discouraged. People didn't date at all unless they were expecting it to lead to marriage. You were not allowed to be alone with a member of the opposite sex and either had to be chaperoned or go about in groups. So there was no going to the pictures and snogging in the back row because kissing and hand holding was only for committed relationships. Boy.girl friendships weren't really practical because of the no being alone thing.

And you were only really allowed to "date"/chum about with other JWs, worldly associations were very much frowned upon. Bad associations spoil useful habits.

Oh, don't even get me started about divorce. Growing up, my dad ran us into the ground financially and then after that, he stopped working, leaving my mom to barely have us scrape by. After about 12 years, the congregation finally let her separate from my dad. But 14 years later she still can't get a divorce, even though my dad is living with is girlfriend "nurse", because there aren't two witnesses to him having cheated on her, which will ensure my mom will never be able to legally divorce my dad again, or find happiness with someone else the rest of her life, unless my dad dies.

Wonders why JWs are so reviled, when, they have never been to war in the name of religion.
Take the vulnerable and needy and turn their lives around. (I personally know many examples of this, my dad included)
Live moral upstanding lives.
Do no worse than any other religion. Look at the other, more popular religions. Imagine, in places like Ireland, the trouble that would be caused by a catholic marrying a Protestant. A Muslim marrying a Jew. Many religions shun people who marry out or leave.
Yes, they are willing to die for their faith. I give you Muslims. Jews. Protestants. Catholics. Burned at the stake, fed to the lions, blow themselves up. All in the name of their religions.
Women have the place of mother and home maker. I give you Muslim women in burkas, catholic women who can't have abortions, or use contraceptives.
They knock on your door. Well, how dare they! Can I remind people that in the name of the catholic church, people were dragged from their homes and burned alive. Men, women and children. in the name of the Protestant church, the monasteries were looted, the priests murdered. Having your door knocked on in an attemp to spread the word is hardly comparable.
People have been told how to worship, for centuries. You may not read the bible in English, you must read the bible in English...
As for the proper bible, there have and always will be, many interpretations of it. For centuries, translators have used their own particular languages and ways of interpretation different words mean different things in different languages. King James, who's bible most people use nowadays, sat scholars from several religions down, and insisted that they write one universal bible, to be used by all. It doesn't mean it is right.
Jehovas witnesses have some strange beliefs and rules, but compared to some other religions, they don't measure up so badly!

And for the record, I'm a total non believer, so I don't think I'm that biased!