Experience of JWs

[SundayGirlB]

Anyone have experiences with JW family members? My (toxic) and semi estranged father has got back in contact as CV19 is making him predict armageddon again. He is regularly abusive towards me but then randomly sends me these JW promo videos to try and save me and make out he is a good father.

He didn't need religion he needed therapy and an AA meeting. All the people I came across when I was made to attend meetings were similarly lost/struggling in some way but the years of emotional manipulation and collective gaslighting of him and his congregation makes me doubt myself sometimes. Maybe I'm just a horrible person and they are a perfectly lovely religion?

Feeling very anxious again even though I have little to do with him and them anymore. All the memories of being pressured and guilt tripped by people pretending to be nice to me as a child resurfacing. Anyone else had experiences with JWs?

@Friendofthemouse

You have all clearly made up your minds so I will not waste my time trying to explain anything. I only hope that one day non of you are blindly judged in ignorance by others.

@Friendofthemouse

I'm gay, I've been judged in ignorance by Jehovah's witnesses.

My mum was brought up JW, and used to take me as a child. When my dad became abusive she went to the elders asking what to do. They told her she had to submit to her husband. So she left him and the religion. After my grandparents passed away most of the rest of the family also left, although a few of my relations are getting twitchy about Armageddon again with all the Covid stuff going on. Of course its a cult, and of course some of the people in it are nice, but its still a cult, and a fairly controlling and unpleasant one too.

@Friendofthemouse

It's funny how so many people have a 'friend' that knows something isn't it. And if you believe everything you Google and read in the media then you are clearly more naive than me. I won't respond again, you all enjoy your witch-hunt. Remember that we are all people and kindness costs nothing.

So if people's experience don't match yours, they must be making it up?

My experience is my own but I obviously have friends who have also left the org. too. Many of them have little education, family or friends when they walk away. @Friendofthemouse you are being disingenuous at best if you believe worldly association is encouraged other than to witness. Most JWs I know work within three chosen fields, which allow for the occasional witness to others but are all about keeping good association.

Bettysprocker which 3 fields are those? Of the 4 JW I know, one works in international development/aid (for a non religious organisation), one is a hairdresser, and the other two don't work just now due to long term health problems.

I don't know how anyone can say that JW are wonderful people when they have the two witness rule. So a woman goes to an elder and says my husband is violent and sexually abuses me, she gets told she needs to be a better wife and as there aren't two witnesses nothing will be done.

These types of 'religions' set women's rights back hundreds of years but those in it are so indoctrinated they believe that we non JW are the awful ones condemned to die when Armageddon comes.

Bat..shit.