Religious Freedom

[tracilicious]

Alex is right. I wouldn't say they tend to hang out with like minded people though. I would say that 95% of them have no friends that aren't JW's. It's very strongly discouraged. They are friendly to unbelievers though.

I have a shred of hope that my sister will change her mind. I really do sympathize with my family. It isn't as black and white as judging and not being as good of friends as I thought we were. It's a whole nother world.

Celebrating Halloween to them is akin to Satan worship. I may as well have told them that I've decided to have a baby sandwich for lunch every day. They can't possibly comprehend that this is a decision I've come to using logic. To them my mind has been corrupted by Satan. Rejecting what they consider to be God's truth voluntarily is like telling them that I have a highly treatable form of cancer but have decided just to die. It isn't an easy time for them. I'm the last person they expected to do this to them, which makes it much worse.

If they were allowed to read anything about the bible or their religion besides what their religion publishes, then it would be much easier to understand. But then there also wouldn't be a ton of JW's left either. But as it is, they are indoctrinated three times a week, read loads of material published by their organization, and only associate with other JW's. It's a very insular world. To maintain close contact with me is to reach out of their comfort zone. Thankfully, most of them will do that. Hopefully in the end all of them will do that. Only because we are family though. There is no possible way any of our friends will.

So while I certainly am angry at my sister, I understand where she's coming from.

You guys' support has meant a great deal to me. I'm lucky to have the LoT and a supportive network of real life friends so that I can at least have a bit of normalcy right now.

[Alex]

Alex is right. I wouldn't say they tend to hang out with like minded people though. I would say that 95% of them have no friends that aren't JW's. It's very strongly discouraged.

I wonder if this is just standard variation from one congregation to another or if it is has become more rigid in the last 20 years (man, I can't believe it has been almost 20 years for me), but I don't recall ever experiencing any direct pressure not to associate with anybody I wanted (other than the disassociated), nor did my parents stop doing so.

And we were encouraged to read the bible (which is why I have read most of it), and not even just their translation but we also used the KJV. But yes, the official interpretation of things was always in your face.

Is it true that in recent years, the fine people in New York have moved away from the idea that Armageddon will happen before the last person alive in 1914 dies? I've always said that the first step in the maturation of a religion is abandoning specific predictions for the end of the world.

The thing I most liked about their specific brand of faith was that it got me out of having to celebrate my birthday (which I didn't like even when we did it) and the rejection of the trinity. The concept of the trinity has always struck me as very stupid so I'm glad I didn't have to try and internalize it.

Hopefully your sister will come around enough to have some kind of relationship, and I suspect she will with time.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I wonder if this is just standard variation from one congregation to another or if it is has become more rigid in the last 20 years (man, I can't believe it has been almost 20 years for me), but I don't recall ever experiencing any direct pressure not to associate with anybody I wanted (other than the disassociated), nor did my parents stop doing so.

I can't really say definitively. I've been in seven or eight congregations in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and it's been pretty consistent. In 89 or 90 they released a book specifically for young people that stressed not associating with unbelievers or participating in extra curricular school activities. There's a good chance that people do have unbelieving friends and they just don't talk about it.

And we were encouraged to read the bible (which is why I have read most of it), and not even just their translation but we also used the KJV. But yes, the official interpretation of things was always in your face.

We were always encouraged to read the bible, but only the New World Translation. Any other version was considered highly inaccurate.

Is it true that in recent years, the fine people in New York have moved away from the idea that Armageddon will happen before the last person alive in 1914 dies? I've always said that the first step in the maturation of a religion is abandoning specific predictions for the end of the world.

I'm not totally solid on current doctrine, but they've hinted strongly at 2034. They are using the 120 years before the flood and comparing our time to Noah's or something. So 120 years from 1914 is 2034. They haven't said it outright, but the hints are there. It's just vague enough to cover their asses when it doesn't come. The entire 1914 thing is hilarious as it's historically and biblically inaccurate. I think the people in power know that, but abandoning that would be a huge nail in their coffin. They are pushing the Armageddon thing like I've never seen before. I think they're scared because so many people are leaving.

The thing I most liked about their specific brand of faith was that it got me out of having to celebrate my birthday (which I didn't like even when we did it) and the rejection of the trinity. The concept of the trinity has always struck me as very stupid so I'm glad I didn't have to try and internalize it.

Lol, that was the think I liked least growing up. Yes the trinity thing always struck me as dumb too. Though if we are all God's creations then I guess it doesn't matter whether Jesus is God or Jesus is from God. Technicality really. But JW's thrive on technicalities. I always liked the hell thing the best, as I have yet to see it accurately supported biblically. Though, I'm not sure how 99% of humanity dying is much better.

I think my sister will come around. She's married to an unbeliever after all.