Son is giving first talk, conflicted

by marriedtoajw 59 Replies latest jw friends

  • notjustyet
    notjustyet

    I was in pretty much the same situation about 1.5 years ago.

    My son was giving his first talk, the bible reading and I was mentally and physically out but my wife and children were not out at the time. I viewed the WTBTS as a cult and that this was a major step for a JW as there would be so much love bombing given to him and it was killing me inside that, to me at least, he was getting deeper into the cult and that I would not have to work that much harder to get him out.

    I decided NOT to go to the meeting and hear his talk. It hurt him and my family for me not to go but, to me, it was the better of 2 decisions as, honestly, I was at a point where I might have done terrible things there at the KH that night, things that would have "altered" my sons view of me and not in a good way. I imagined myself throwing chairs through the 2nd schools window separating it from the main auditorium.

    My take on it at the time was that, compared to me missing his talk, the damage I might do during the meeting would be harder to repair at a later date.

    I was between a rock and a hard spot, so to speak. I had actually thought of taking him out fishing on the boat that day and just not making it back in , in time for the talk. He was basically crushed at the time that I did not make it to his talk and others at the meeting wer talling my wife, " I can't believe XXX (me) did not come to hear XXX talk" etc,.

    I went out to dinner by myself and was watching the time and was distraught at the thought that my son, trapped into a cult, due to me, was slipping through my fingers and falling deeper into the cult mindset.

    After I was able to get my family out and got to the point of being able to explain my reasonings to my family and son as to why I had to miss the talk and the potential damage I would have done and the fallout from that it is now not so much as a sore spot that it once was.

    He gets it now and smiles when I describe at what I might have done during the meeting that night.

    I will admit that it take him a bit to get over as he would throw this in my face every once in a while and I would have to re explain it all over again.

    As a side note, he recently asked me to take him on a fishing trip and my wife chimed in "If your dad takes you fishing this weekend will it make up for him not going to your first talk?" He beamed "Yes, yes!"

    I said "Sorry,.. I'm not taking you fishing this weekend to make up for missing your talk, I have explained as to why I missed the talk and the reasons and by me taking you fishing this weekend to make up for it would make it seem that I was wrong in my decision to miss the talk, do you understand?" I then added " I will however take you fishing this weekend if you'd like"

    Big smiles from him,.....

    This act alone was probably the hardest and if I was not afraid of not damaging the building or at least controlling my anger I would have went and then just tried to work that much harder to get him out. It worked out for our family in the long run.

    NJY

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Good point, notjustyet. I had to make some hard decisions with my son in his twenties, including kicking him out of the house. He was mad at me for a few years but now he is absolutely convinced of my love and devotion.

    I did not earn this reputation by being soft but by being constant. I stood by my decisions even if it hurt in the short term.

  • Gayle
    Gayle

    I think it was good you did not go to your son's talk. To do so, only gives them a false 'hope' about you going there. Your son may be desperate for praise and validation. His self-esteem is low. Then, JW relatives praise for being, well, really only a good 'parrot.' Really, I am sorry, reading the Bible to people for a few minutes is a 'no brainer.' Some of their 10-yrs. do that.

    Praise him about some 'real life' things. Reading good books (Hassan's books possibly, that don't even mention JWs)! Considering taking any kind of class that could be of interest. He needs your encouragement or genuine acknowledgments.

    (Hopefully, your wife has no money to contribute/donate to the WTS, especially with all their potential pedophile lawsuits).

  • finally awake
    finally awake

    I really feel for you man.

  • DesirousOfChange
    DesirousOfChange

    I've got a few thoughts for you.

    I would go to the Kingdom Hall for that first talk, even if it is just a bible reading, to forestall the stupid "us vs them" gossip. Go there for your son. Make it clear it is for your son and nothing else. Applaud when he is done.

    Is your 22 year old son in college or otherwise gainfully employed? He has to be. Select a rent amount he has to pay every month (slightly below market rates) and if he is not willing to pay, give him a move-out day. This is love.

    Put your wife on an allowance. No joint bank accounts, no joint credit cards. This is self-preservation, and to save your home.

    Orient yourself to the concepts in Steve Hassan's books. Knowing there is a natural person trapped in your wife will help you speak to her natural personality rather than the cultist. It is true that it is a waste of time to address the cultist, but there are many conversations, usually by using the socratic method (asking open ended questions), to awaken her own thinking power.

    You will be less tired and more able to help your family if the wage-earners start pulling their weight. The youngest could get a paper route, too.

    In truth, as the sole wage earner, you have all the power. It is time for you to start wielding it.

    jgnat's advice here is priceless!

    As I recall, you were criticized for NOT taking the lead or being the "head" of the family. Time to start doing that. At 22 years old, if he's not pursuing an education to improve his life in the future, then it's time to get his ass to work. THAT is what life is about. And since he's made his choice in life, it's time to start taking care of himself. No more mama's boy. Get a job. Pay rent. Or, get out.

    Doc

  • Terry
    Terry

    Easy as pie!

    Here is what you do.

    You find out the topic of the talk. You do genuine research with real facts (not the cherry-picked JW variety) and you

    make a simple fact sheet for your son. You write some catchy and realistic observations and heavily annotate with SOURCES.

    Then, in the spirit of "helpfulness" and genuine interest you go over YOUR RESEARCH with your so to prep him.

    You never say "this is to replace the Watchtower material". He draws his own conclusions this way and you are the good guy!

  • Billy the Ex-Bethelite
    Billy the Ex-Bethelite

    I suspect that the story at the hall was that you didn't go because you were "opposed." The fact of the matter was that you were working and getting time off wasn't an option because you cannot afford to lose the job. I think your in-laws and the local JWs should be informed and ashamed of how they are promoting laziness.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Terry, that would work if the talk were normal. These days the newbies are given a scripture to read that absolutely nothing can be gleaned from. One section hubby was given to read was from Leviticus. Blaaaaaah!

  • whathappened
    whathappened

    If you go they will think they can get you in also. If you don't respond the way they want you to, they will just label you as a godless man who loves this wicked system that is controlled by Satan.

  • Terry
    Terry

    A non-JW parent has a wonderful oppotunity to provide a CONTRAST in parenting and FREEDOM in everyday living.

    Not by being frowny-faced and petulant and 'tut-tut' about matters disturbing and bizarre.

    The non-JW parent exemplifies what access to a WIDE VARIETY of sources and viewpoints adds to forming an opinion fed by evidence.

    The non-JW parent offers a menu of reasonable alternatives without being cynical.

    Rather than being a censor declaring everyday life to be a CRIME SCENE not to be crossed or observed--the non-JW parent can

    demonstrate that it is not worldly to to inform oneself!

    Knee-jerk responses are for prudes and scaredy-cat reactionaries not educated, rational and analytical thinkers.

    How is a young person going to make wise decisions if they are never allowed to offended by the fringe elements and the obscene?

    Are things "bad" just because an authority figure tells us? Or, do we have to use our brain to sort out what is objectionable per se on a case by case basis?

    There is a huge difference between fear-based avoidance of mediocrity and degeneracy and a fact-based repugnance driven by higher values.

    In short (is it to late to say that?) the non-JW parent provides the young person with a real opportunity to observe widely divergent styles of

    appraising life and forming core values!

    Showing is always better than telling.

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