Were you ever scared of going to prison as a JW?...

by Hecklerboy 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  Hecklerboy

  I remember growing up a JW and always being told that someday the goverment would turn on us and throw us in prison.

  I was watching a documentary on National Geographic about San Quinton prison and it brought back old memories of those fears.

  I remember thinking how scared I would be if I had to go to prison and what I could do to protect myself. I would think of how I could just stay in my cell all the time so no one could hurt me. Especially after seeing stories on the news about riots and rapes and people getting stabbed.

  Leave it to the JW's to make a kid worry about going to prison.
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  Dr Jekyll

  We were told we'd end up in concentration camps. A horrible enough idea but even worse for this lovely elderly sister that was in my congregation. She was German and went through the whole of the second war fighting for the wrong side. We talked about her experiences quite a lot and I can tell you she was REALLY terrified of ending up in anything like a concentration camp.

  Chris Mitchell she was like a grandmother to me... I miss her.
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  luna2

  I wasn't a kid when I joined up, but I worried about my kids. I figured I could take whatever happened, but I was scared to death about what would happen to my boys.

  Had a dub friend who used to talk about how we (the dubs) were probably going to have to eat bugs and other creepy crawlies (like Steve McQueen in Papillon) in prison during the great trib. Used to gross me out. Isn't the idea of incarceration bad enough without contemplating eating disgusting insects and centipedes too? She was a nut case.
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  Gopher

  The idea I heard a LOT during the 1970's was that as JW's, when the great tribulation came -- the whole world would be against us, and JW's would barely escape only through angelic protection.

  We were groomed to be persecuted, tortured, and killed. The persecution against the Witnesses in Malawi (over buying an ID card worth about 25 cents) further stoked my fear as a child.

  By their unreasonableness, the Watchtower leaders have repeatedly invited persecution upon their members. Then they turn around and instill fear of persecution into the members and their children.

  It's no wonder the JW's are often compared to end-of-the-world cults like the Jonestown or the David Koresh groups.
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  Finally-Free

  I would think of how I could just stay in my cell all the time so no one could hurt me.

  I don't know about the policies in all prisons, but I was confined for a short time in 1982, and we didn't have the option of staying in our cells. Either we were locked in our cells or we were locked out of our cells and confined to a common area with about 20 other inmates.

  When I first joined the cult I might have gone to prison rather than compromise™ my beliefs, but that changed shortly after my baptism once I realized that JWs had no interest in my beyond whatever statistics I could generate.

  W
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  james_woods

  I would just guess that somewhere between 25 and 50% of all draft age young men during WW2 and Vietnam really did end up getting sent to prison. Later the society politely informed them that this was wholly on their own conscience and that it is no longer required to refuse the consciencous objector option. I'll just bet that made the guys that did 5 years feel great. Sort of like people who believed in 1975 thought it up with no help from the society, too.

  So, yeah - you bet we were scared of going to prison. I have said it before, but once again: I think I might just rather have gone to nam and volunteered to fly a helicopter over that mess before doing time in the fed. Luckily, my draft lottery number came up so high that I didn't get called.

  Incredible to think that so many actually let this bizarre cult and it's senile leaders make such monumental personal decisions for them.
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  south african beef

  In the early '70s I remember my mum telling me to read the Yearbook from cover to cover.
  
  I was not even in my teens and I can vividly recall reading about persecution in Malawi and Germany. My mum said that we would all have to be prepared to go through persecution for the 'troof'.
  
  I remember thinking that the first time they tried to put me in prison or try and pull one of my fingernails off I would give in and name everyone in the KH immediately - I can't help the fact I'm a big chicken!
  
  As every year went by i was really glad that another one had gone by without any persecution - I didn't mind if other J Dubs had to go through it, as long as i didn't! How selfish was I!
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  Emma

  Oh, yes. Scared of the police (somewhat to this day), persecution, concentration camps, what would become of my children, just like others have answered. An elder told us that if we had any fear of this stuff, we'd already lost as we'd cave in if persecuted. Talk about a signed, sealed, and delivered judgement. Why bother trying to be faithful.
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  morwen

  I feared going to concentration camps and what might happen to my kids.

  My Grandpa went to prison in WW II for 3 years.His brother (my great uncle) went to prison for 7 years and his JW wife who married him right before he was hauled off, divorced him 2 years later(wonder why).

  My Grandpa is still alive and kick'n today and he's the PO of a cong. He's a total "brown noser" and if the WTS says it's a green book and it's really blue,well then, by golly, it's a green book. It makes me sad to think of all the things that go on behind closed doors in JC meetings and what these elders do.He's been a PO for like 50 years.I know that whatever the WTS would told him to do he would do and wouldn't even ask any questions.He's a nice man but that part of him I have no respect for, it makes me disgusted.

  Morwen
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  south african beef

  I can sympathise with you Morwen.
  
  Although not a PO, my Elder dad always was a good public speaker and was always giving talks at various congo's. He is one of those that wherever he goes some Witto somewhere will recognize him.
  
  He took early retirement quite a few years ago, thinking that the End must come soon - I haven't spoken to him for 4 years due to my being d'fed but i know that my parents recently had to 'downsize' there home, presumably because money is getting tight.
  
  Not too tight though - every year they are always off to at least one Assembly in some exotic part of the world - wouldn't dream of going on holiday just to relax or enjoy the scenery, oh no, it MUST include theocratic activity. A normal couples photo album would be full of famous places or fantastic scenery from their holidays. not my mum and dad, theirs are full of pictures of every Bethel and kingdom hall you could imagine, or pictures of 'brothers and sisters' from around the globe. How sad.
  
  Anyway getting back to the thread, when I was a Witto I remember my mum saying that she would rather go to jail than serve on a jury. How crazy is that when even the dubs say it's ok? Apparently she didn't want to judge her fellowman. Well don't judge me for leaving the org then!