Drinking & Jehovah's Witnesses

by minimus 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  minimus

  You know, I knew a lot of Bethelites and EVERY ONE of them LOVED their booze. As an elder, I would entertain alot of the COs, DOs and Bethelites and their wives. It was not unusual for the wives to get loaded while they were at my house!

  Many Witnesses, I think, drink because it's one of the very few things you can do that feels good without getting in too much trouble. And why is drinking overlooked by many in the Organization??? It's because those from the top leadership down like their beer, wine and hard stuff. It's hard to disfellowship members of the congregation when every prominent family has someone known to be "able to hold their booze".

  Were there a lot of
  "drinkers" in your experience???
• 

  BurnTheShips

  Yeah. Me.

  As dub dub I used to drink because of the stress.

  Now I drink because I like to drink.
• 

  babygirl75

  I personally got drunk/wasted way more as a JW than I ever have since I left. That was "the thing" to do every weekend at the lake. We would even have the punch parties. It was hilarious to watch some of them try to behave when certain elders came around. But hell, most of the biggest partiers where the elders...
• 

  jaguarbass

  Were there a lot of
  "drinkers" in your experience???

  Yes there were. But there are a lot of drinkers everywhere in America. Theres a bar on every corner and a liquor store next to every grocery store. At least where I live in Florida. And Cleveland was the same way back in the 70's.

  The human condition for most is misery so people drink to make more dopomine and feel better.
• 

  undercover

  There seemed to be two classes of JWs in the area I from when it came to alcohol:

  Drinkers and teetotalers.

  The teetotalers were either older folk who grew up in 'dry' counties and were used to hearing about the evils of drink and never took it up before or after being a JW or ultra-conservative JWs who had decided it was better to not even get close to anything that could them in trouble. Teetotalers usually consisted of older sisters and spinsters and the occassional older brother who just kind of was there but not really ever used.

  The drinkers were usually more liberal thinking in most things in addition to alcohol. Most drinking JWs that I knew didn't drink one or two beers and say, "I've had enough...I've got to conduct the WT study tomorrow." No, they were professionals. The elders and MSs could kill a case in nothing flat (There were more drinking elders/MSs than non-drinking). Not to be outdone were the teenagers who could drink better than the 20somethings and 30somethings. The 40somethings were pretty damn good too.

  I was a drinker...but compared to many of my JW peers, I was a lightweight. 20 some years later and I can see the effects of years of over-drinking is having on them now.
• 

  minimus

  And that's why certain elders were always invited to "gettogethers".
• 

  Tyrone van leyen

  The reason it's one of the few things that's ok with the witness's, is cuz "Big Papa Joe's" personality was fueled by it. Papa Joe, took away Noel like the Grinch that stole Chistmas and every other other holiday for that matter. Don't take his friggin booze away though! Since he created the "pecking order" mentality, and the "Judge" mentality in elders, it only fitting they can at lest resonably keep up with his drinking habits to. You know what they say, Like father like son!
• 

  choosing life

  Drinking is very common amongst witnesses. I think you're right about it being one of the few acceptable ways to loosen up. I knew quite a few heavy drinkers, many of them elders. I knew one elder's wife who is a known alcoholic, but it is just overlooked because her family runs the congo, husband is secretary and son is PO.
• 

  undercover

  And that's why certain elders were always invited to "gettogethers".

  As long as they brought some beer...
• 

  minimus

  I knew a young prominent elder's wife that had an eating disorder and got TRASHED every place she went! She died very thin and no one would talk about her drinking for fear the elders would go after them.Her death was shrouded in secrecy. But anytime I saw her at a function she was severely intoxicated, laughing and acting foolish.