Were You Ever "Proud" To Be A Jehovah's Witness? (page 5)

katiekitten

I was proud that I was standing up for what I believed in. I think that is a virtue, to be brave enough to face the majority and have the courage of your convictions.

Now I know my convictions were wrong, but that doesnt take anything away from the courage I had to defend them. I am still proud to have the courage of my convictions, its just that I have a different set of convictions now.

Id hate to go along with the majority just because I was too scared to disagree. I love being different.

So yes I was very proud, and I still am proud.

minimus

I think most young kids take pride in being "faithful", as we were trained to be by our parents. But anyone that knows bullcrap when they see it could never be proud of being a Witless. Most try to minimize that they are JWS. They won't even wear their badges after the conventions because they feel weird.

jeeprube

I was always proud right after the conventions. You know the feeling. Us against them. Just a little while longer, and Jehovah is going to prove how right we are! Ohhh you poor stupid worldly people, but you had your chance.......

freedom96

Never, ever proud to be a witness.

willyloman

For instance, it used to make me proud that JWs were the only Christian group who openly defied Hitler--of course until I discovered all the facts and found out that the organization was prepared to support Hitler's government, even calling Jews "the representatives of Satan the Devil."

I was proud to stand up to the government of Malawi in support of human rights until I discovered the WTS's blatant hypocrisy -- as illustrated by the fact they told Mexican witnesses to look the other way in similar circumstances (the mililtary reserve card issue).

I was pround of our ability to organize and deliver low-cost food items to thousands of "brothers" at huge district conventions, all the while developing and maintaining comaraderie with total strangers who came together for four days to serve the cause and became a band of brothers, until they did away with the arrangement because they figured out they'd make more money with fewer hassles by "simplifying."

I was proud of our stand on blood, sticking it to the pompous medical community and being willing to put our lives on the line for our religious beliefs, until I discovered the WTS was in bed with the hospitals and had absolutely no firm convictions on what was and was not "blood," leading to a convoluted policy that not one dub in a thousand comprehends -- all of which made it clear there was no scriptural injunction against blood transfusions after all.

I was proud to get together with dozens for fellow dubs for the annual talent show and potluck (oops, pot fortunate) dinner, until they issued an edict banning large gatherings.

I was proud to stand up for political neutrality and refuse to get involved in the world's governmental organization and schemes, until I discovered the WTS slept under the UN's sheets for 10 years and didn't tell any of us about it, dropping their NGO status abruptly when a newspaper report revealed the duplicity.

I was proud... How much time have you got?

tabbycat

I completely agree with Katie, but I didn't always find it easy to demonstrate my pride. I think I find it more difficult to stand up for my beliefs now. I just don't have the same confidence...

inquirer

Hello coffee_black, This is the message you sent to the Watchtower Society back in 1968! I did this with your permission. So here it goes:

Grateful to Be One of Jehovah’s Witnesses

RECENTLY the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society received the following letter. It speaks for itself.

"Dear Brothers,

"I just wanted to write to tell you how happy I am to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses. I am so grateful to my parents for teaching me about the truth. I am fifteen years old and I attend high school. Sometimes it doesn’t seem easy to maintain integrity at my age, because it is natural to want to be accepted by others. But I am so satisfied when I see the contrast between this system of things and Jehovah’s witnesses. And it makes me feel glad that I have stayed away from the bad influences of this system of things.

"Sometimes during a study hall at school I look at the other students. They, for the most part, seem to have a far-off look on their faces. You can see in them that they are desperate and uncertain about the future.

"Yesterday in a speaking class we were assigned to try to convince the class of something. One boy spoke of the war in Vietnam. Three friends of his had recently been killed there. He was so bitter about it. He said, ‘If someone doesn’t do something about the condition this world is in, who knows what might happen?’ All the students fear the future because they have no hope. I thought to myself how grateful I can be to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses. On Monday it will be my turn to give a speech. I’m going to prove to them that God is alive. I don’t know what their reaction will be. I’m going to tell them about the hope the Bible offers. But do they want it?

"Some time ago a girl came up to me and asked me if I believed in God. I told her Yes and started to explain why. She said ‘OK! OK! All I wanted to know is if you believe in him or not.’ I later found out that she was taking a survey.

"Another time I got into a discussion about evolution with a girl in my class. She believed in it strongly, and nothing I said to her really sunk in. It did make her think, though, and I’m glad of that.

"I’ve come to believe that they don’t want to believe in God. Religion in any form is a mockery to them. One girl said to me, ‘My boyfriend is Catholic, I’m Protestant, but we’re both atheists.’

"Half of the students here are drug addicts. Almost all of them are alcoholics. I think I’m the only person in school who doesn’t smoke. This is a residential town too.

"This system of things is searching for something. They don’t know what it is, and they can’t find it. They are dissatisfied with the conditions of the world, but they don’t know how to improve it.

"Seeing the corruption in the world, I am proud and grateful to be able to say that I’m not part of it, and that I am one of Jehovah’s witnesses."

Jesus plainly said that his followers would be "no part of the world," that they would stand out as separate and distinct from it because of living by godly principles. (John 15:19) They are a people with a purpose in life; their hope is firmly rooted in God’s promise of a righteous new system of things. (2 Pet. 3:11-13) Is that true of you?

coffee_black

Thanks, Inquirer... I couldn't bring myself to type it....yuck!

This past year I went to my 35th class reunion. By the way, I was wrong...they were not all drug addicts... Most turned out to be great people! ( By that letter you'd think I went to some inner city school...not true.. I went to one of the top rated high schools in the state) It's nice to get to know them on my own terms...instead of seeing them through watchtower eyes... I have some new friends after all these years...

I'm really ashamed of what I wrote back then.... I was really drinking the koolaid.

Fortunately I've changed a lot since then...

Coffee

Sparkplug

I used to be very proud. I was self righteous without a foundation for it. It has been one of the best lessons in humility in the "learning how wrong I was" process. It has helped me understand that sometimes we can believe something with all of our heart and it be so very true to us, and yet be such a wrong and misleading thing. Keeps me humble.

Makes me have a little understanding for my friends when the bark too loud or preach at me instead of taking care of the business in their homes..so to speak. Helps me bite my tongue and not be too cocky especially when justification would feel so good, but perhaps at the harm of someone else. Sometimes I just sit and know that how can I get upset with others when I have been so misled myself, religion, love, family. Big slice of humble pie.

caligirl

Never.

Were You Ever "Proud" To Be A Jehovah's Witness?

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