Good post Englishman: When I was still a JW, my ondest son made the comment to me that many JW parents were not aware that their kids were just biding their time until they turn 18, and can back away from the organization, and let go of the religion quietly. Moany of these young JWs are now adults and likely, if they remained 'officially' in the organization, and now paying lip service as they do their own thing. It is an interesting thing to watch this happen, just as my son thought is would. - Amazing
A New Breed Of JW Emerging?
by Englishman 63 Replies latest jw friends
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Englishman
Mr Magoo,
Just shows how brainwashed the dubs are. When the ban on wedding anniversary celebrations was lifted, my own JW mum clasped her hands together and exclaimed that the brothers in bethel must be really loving to allow such a thing and wasn't Jehovah wonderful? Even as a fully fledged dub at the time I remember thinking.....Yuk!
Englishman.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
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Vitameatavegamin
Just curious, when were wedding anniversaries not considered ok?
let me know. Thanks! -
Englishman
Vitameatythingy,
Well, when I was but a wee lad, celebrating any anniversary was an absolute no-no. Xmas, birthdays, bonfire night were all regarded as pagan and not for dubs.
Round about 1970, the WTBTS made an announcement that it might be fitting for married couples to acknowledge their time together by means of a small, intimate celebration. I seem to remember that this was not an excuse for a shindig for everyone, but just a small acknowledgement of each others fidelity. There was lots of references to "great undeserved loving kindness" blah blah blah which basically meant "You are a worm be grateful for what you got" sort of thing. I know that many of the sisters in particular were amazed to be able to have a whole night out with their elder husbands instead of sitting at home with the kids whilst hubby was out making life or death decisions with the other big boys. I was totally taken aback at the time, to me the WTBTS was all about no no no, this bit of licence threw me completely.
Englishman.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
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BlackMan4Life
I agree - the JW's are changing. But let me say that I've always seen dubs living double lives - Sex, Parties, Smoking, Drugs, Cursing, Stealing, Rap music, etc (Nothing new under the sun :) While at the same time commenting and giving experiences like a good dub. However, in this age, these 'New Breed JW's' aren't confessing their sins as much. In the old days, it was just a matter of time before they confessed or someone spilled the beans on them.
I also find that more JW's are thinking independantly these days - with that "I'm serving Jah not the Org.' rheotic.
I feel that a large percentage of JW's would leave, if they only had a support group to express their true feelings. Most JW are old timers, with many years in the org, so their thinking is - 'where would I go at this point in my life, I might as well stay, and keep my doubts to myself.'
Finally, it's only natural to change or evolve over time - so why would the JW's be different :)
Peace - My Englishman
~ Larry -
Mulan
I know of a dub woman (single) who is having her third illicit affair, and has no intention of telling anyone. She says it's no one elses business, and she certainly isn't going to consult with those men about her sex life. I could care less, but I think Englishman is absolutely right. More and more people are just not letting them dictate their private lives anymore.
Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)
"Those who know, don't say, and those who say, don't know." -
Dan B
My Grandmother has been a JW for 50 years. She had a brother who was killed in France in 1944 (WW2). When I was a kid, 30 years ago, she would comment that she didn't feel bad that he was killed because he got what he deserved (he volunteered in 1939 as soon as the war started) Now, she has asked me to use the internet to find out what exactly happened to him. I gladly did this for her, and was pleased to report to her that he was a platoon sargent who was considered a "legend" by his fellow soldiers (I guess because he was in it from the start) After all these years, she told me that she is proud of him, and the sacrifice he made. We have visited a few times since, and she now talks about him often, and her 3 other brothers who fought in France. And yes, she still is an active JW!
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slipnslidemaster
Absolutely right, I remember when they suddenly decided it was OK for a couple to celebrate their wedding anniversary. That must have been around 1970, it was great to see couples actually going out to restaurants to celebrate an event that had previously been considered to be verboten.
Is there any website or thread with the anniversary prohibition all laid (I said laid, hehehe) with publication references and everything?
In addition, birthdays have always been one of my biggest petpeeves. I think that my mother just about swallowed her tongue when her CO told her that it wasn't a df'ing offense.
Slipnslidemaster: "And now about the cauldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in."
- William Shakespeare, MacBeth
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SEAKEN2001
I was surprised that my wife got so involved with her 20th year class reunion. She was on the committee no less! (I even got recruited to help at the picnic) In my days it was not considered appropriate behavior to "associate" with worldly people. I do not know how if she mentioned this to any of her "elders" but she enjoyed herslef very much. I was delighted that she could mix with "wordly" people so nicely. Sure had a hell of a lot more fun than with the dubs! She even went to the local bar with the gang!
I called her on this a few days later and mentioned that I was surprised that JW's had changed so much. I challenged her again to make a defense for her beliefs. She hasn't brought it up since. But she made it to the meeting Sunday. Perhaps that was her penance.
I had a girlfriend when I was a pioneer who said she thought she could go out with the boy and get drunk and make out and then go to the meetings and put in pioneer hours and it would be ok. I could not believe she could think that way. I guess I was a hard-liner and she was a socialite. I think there are going to be less hard-liners as things shake out over the years. But there will be a lot of hard-liners who will put the screws on a lot of their "brothers" in the meantime. Godamn bullies will make the lives of some innocent people pretty uncomfortable.
I agree E-man. I think we're witnessing a change in the average witness.
Sean
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r51785
My brother is an elder. We rarely discuss dub-dom but sometimes he will make an unprovoked comment. A couple of years ago he told me that things weren't like they used be -- the "friends" just didn't pay much attention to counsel from the elders anymore.