I find it interesting that your wife's jw friends have requested that you don't attend bible studies because you ask too many questions. Maybe you could talk to your wife about this, as jws generally encourage non believers to ask questions. Perhaps they are afraid that your questioning and, I suspect, their inability to answer you, might undermine your wife's progress, and expose to her the faults in her religion.
Hello and welcome to JWD. You could not have found a better place to come for help on this!
I picked out this quote because it spoke volumes in that the reaction by JWs to seem to be "running away from questions" during a bible study.....sure has ME wondering too! This is the best TIME to ask questions (BEFORE this goes very far)......to be SURE, because those SAME JWs will not tell you (or her) that you cannot ask questions once you agree to baptism. If they so so uncomforatble with the things you are bringing up----you must be hitting on some very good subjects!
I raised six little ones in this hideous religion and they missed out on YEARS of birthdays, holidays, after-school activities, scouts, Proms and so forth. None of these events or milestones can EVER be replaced or brought back. Your sweet little girl is just old enough now to be beginning to know about the different holidays and what excitement and anticipation they have in a child's life......and all these are in danger of being pulled away from her as long as your wife decides to listen to the WTS for directions and orders. SHE will miss out on these things....and YOU, as her parents, will never experience the JOY of celebrating all the normal things that everyone else does.
I would make it very CLEAR that this is a normal part of every kid's childhood and some men in Brooklyn have no RIGHT to dictate what YOUR little one can and cannot DO! I can't stress this enough or TELL you how awful I feel for CHOOSING to rob these things from MY kids. It will be with me the rest of my life. I will do anything to keep just one more little kid from having a horrible JW upbringing!!!
Another thing that I think should be pointed out.....is that when someone is "studying with JWs" (which is a term used for the indoctrination program to gain recruits for the WTS and has very little to DO with the bible) is that the WTS is very clever and TELLS the ones who are studying that they WILL meet up with "opposition" from their friiends and relatives.
They tell them that this is "Satan trying to keep them from learning the truth" so when you or her relatives try and point out how silly these teachings sound----she remembers JUST what her study conductor has told her----and feels they they MUST BE RIGHT!!!!.....and on the study goes with re-inforcements from the WTS reasoning. It is ALL very sneaky, deceptive and underhanded.....the very trademark of the Watchtower Society.
You have to put your foot down as often as you CAN, to stop whatever you can as far as changes in your household and your lifestyle. You have to realize she is being sucked into a cult and needs HELP for her to see how sly the WTS and the JWs ARE to convince her to continue to be "pleasing God" as they like to say! THIS is what all their strange teachings boil down to----getting her to THINK that these oddball practices are "pleasing to God" and by NOT going along with their program....God will punish her. Such nonsense----but it works!
Keep coming back here for advice----and we will do whatever we can to help you to keep both your wife and your daughter OUT of this cult! We wish you the best of luck wiith this!
hugs,
Annie......a 30-year JW.....out for 7 years now.....
