YMCA membership

erandir

Ok, I know this has been talked about before, but now's a good time to bring this up again. My wife (active witness) and I (inactive, haven't attended in over a year) just got memberships to the YMCA today. It's the only fitness place in town with a swimming pool. I don't care what anyone thinks, but I warned my wife that witnesses look down on a Y membership as some sort of interfaith thing. It could cause us problems in the future when people from the hall find out that we belong and attend the Y. She didn't seem to think it was a big deal or that anyone would care.

Can anyone back me up or share any experiences about this?

Thanks

Erandir

AlmostAtheist

From the 1/1/1979 Watchtower questions from readers, about joining the YMCA:

In joining the YMCA as a member a person accepts or endorses the general objectives and principles of the organization. He is not simply paying for something he receives, such as when buying things being sold to the public at a store. (Compare 1 Corinthians 8:10; 10:25.) Nor is his membership merely an entry pass, as when a person buys a theater ticket. Membership means that one has become an integral part of this organization founded with definite religious objectives, including the promotion of interfaith. Hence, for one of Jehovah's Witnesses to become a member of such a so-called "Christian" association would amount to apostasy.

So it's definitely an officially bad thing. Whether or not anyone will care is another issue. I would at least advise you to keep it quiet.

Dave

nvrgnbk

Depends on your BOE.

erandir

Thanks, guys...

I personally want everyone to know so I can show my wife how petty they are. That probably wouldn't be the best thing to do right now, though. I'll just let whatever happens happen and not instigate anything myself. We have some real busy-bodies in our hall, so it's only a matter of time, I figure.

Bumble Bee

Drew Sagan had an experience with having a YMCA membership you can read here http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/135538/1.ashx and here

an inquiry into our membership at the local YMCA. To find out how they even knew we became members there, read my wifes post on the story <a href="http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/132424/1.ashx>.

BB

bigmouth

In about 1985 the P.O. visited my wife and I about YMCA membership. Here's part of a letter I wrote when I learned of the U.N. fiasco;

A few years ago now my Mum separated (temporarily) from my father and came to live with my wife and I and our two children. We had a small house and were struggling to earn a living, get to meetings and field service etc. along with Mum being quite upset. After a short while, she decided to get a flat of her own to take some of the pressure off us. So she briefly rented an emergency room at the YWCA.

We were quite relieved, but after a couple of days we had a visit from our Presiding Overseer who counseled us on the inappropriateness of letting my mother being looked after by a member of Babylon the Great. We explained that it was just a room for a few weeks and there was no interfaith or anything like that.

He then showed the correctness of his counsel by directing us to Questions From Readers in the Watchtower of Jan. 1st. 1979 concerning membership of the YMCA. It said in part;.......

And then the quote AlmostAtheist posted.

This event sealed the hypocrisy for me.

Cheers,
Pete

erandir

Thanks, Bumble Bee...I remember that now that I've read it again. Thanks for the reference.

Thanks, bigmouth, for your experience, too.

HappyDad

Amber Rose was DF'd for joining the YMCA.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/132424/1.ashx

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/138233/1.ashx

HappyDad

hawkaw

Thanks for the reference to the Jan 1/79 article

drew sagan

As the links HappyDad pointed out, me and my wife really took a hit for joining.

An important point to remember about our case. Joining the YMCA was a tool they wanted to use in order to blackmail us in getting to come back to the meetings. They knew I was a possible "apostate" and thought my wife may have been as well. It was a great excuse for them to force us into making a decision.

So it's not really about joining the YMCA per se. I think that we would have been treated much better had we still been going to meetings. These Elders saw an opportunity to put on trial two people that quit going to meetings and took it.

YMCA membership

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