Is it possible for a child to be exposed to JWism and not be damaged by it?

by Mickey mouse 140 Replies latest jw experiences

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  WTWizard

  I can think of only one case of where it's possible for a child to be undamaged by being raised a witless: If the child is a "frog baby"--and then it has no brain, and will die within a day or so of birth. And it will never know what it could have been like.

  Aside these extreme conditions, it is not possible to be unharmed by being a witless. They are given a negative view of so many things and then told not to cross-reference any of them. They get persecuted for being different. They miss out on playtime for field circus. They miss out on after school events. They flunk tests because they are too tired (or couldn't study for them) because of a boasting session the evening before the tests. They are forced to sit still for hours at a time at boasting sessions, and are often beaten for not doing so. I don't think a child would be unaffected by all that.
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  slimboyfat

  Okay put it another way: is it possible for a child to be exposed to human society and not be damaged by it?

  It all depends on your understanding of what damaged means. And where is the perfect ideal childhood we are supposedly measuring a Jehovah's Witness upbringing to anyway? Every sort of upbringing and environment will have different characteristics, and whether onlookers (or insiders who later reject their upbringing) decide to view those as either beneficial or detrimental to a person's wellbeing will in turn depend upon their own life experiences.
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  Mickey mouse

  What can we truly know about the inner life of another person with any certainty? Not a lot I think. But it certainly seems to me that many people live their whole lives happy as Jehovah's Witnesses. They have careers, friends, family, a place in the congregation, a sense of purpose, and an ideology that makes sense of the world around them. Sure some leave because being a Witness makes them miserable too. But we should be cautious about assuming our own thoughts and feelings about any given situation to be universal.

  Which is why I was asking for other people's opinions and viewpoint.

  In some ways being raised a JW was a protection for me too. It's a cost to benefit balance though, isn't it? I broke my leg once as a child. If my parents had kept me locked in a padded room for the first ten years it wouldn't have happened but then the effects on my overall development would have been detrimental. I'm glad for all the experiences I had of the outside world; the cast on my leg was worth it.
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  drew sagan

  I was exposed to the JWS at 14, joined at 17. I'm doing fine. My wife grew up and she is fine as well. It was hell leaving but once we emptied our mind of their garbage we moved on and are doing great. I think that "damage" is relative. We all learn from tough experience.
  
  OTOH, there are those that experience more than just the pains of being a JW. They have abusive parents, elders, friends, ect. They may have a more intense a and demanding experience.
  
  The point is that even though you may think that being a JW is similar for everybody (which it is), it is by no means the same for everybody. Some make it though just fine, others can be devastated. It all depends.
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  jgnat

  We are all a sum of our experiences, good and bad. A child raised as a Witness would be no different. The question rather then would be, "Is a child raised as a Witness better off or worse off than the general population?"

  Generally speaking, the Witness child has a few extra challenges from the general population. He lives with the knowledge that he could be rejected by those closest to him at any time for non-performance. I've noted an odd detachment between mother and child in Witness households. I chalk it up to that conditional relationship, dependent on performance, that could be yanked away at any time. It's just as tough on the mothers. If she or any of her children defect, their relationship is severed.

  This stress on performance could lead to extreme choices such as hyper-obedience, rebellion, or a general detachment from the community. Even "successful" children who stay the course, pay the price by delaying maturity and independence.

  Now, as for the degree of impact, it would depend on the child. We all come with a different degree of resiliency.

  I've met delightful adults who were raised under the most horrific circumstances. Now, the odds weren't good. Many of their siblings simply tanked at life. But once in a while, a child will rise above their raising. It seems to have something to do with resiliency and choice. The child picks a positive model, whether it be a relative, teacher, or other model, to base their life on.
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  cameo-d

  If the child is a "frog baby"--

  Rflmao!
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  ninja

  well it hasn't affected m.....flurb whistle thurrrrp......ramalama ding dong.....(ninja sticks a guinea pig on his head)....gerp...gloggity
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  quietlyleaving

  If a family were looking for a moral path I definitely wouldn't recommend JWs but would probably not raise objections to any of the secularised religions.

  I don't think its possible to be raised a witness and not be damaged by it. But some will be damaged more than others. I don't think any family should put their children at risk even if the risk is slight.

  Mind you I didn't grow up a witness.
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  garybuss

  Maybe it's possible to have a healthy and happy childhood within the Witness group with rational, objective, sane parents. My problem with that is I've never known a rational, objective, sane Witness.
  
  My Witness childhood is not the one I would have chosen. My parents were not the parents I would have chosen.
  
  
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  StAnn

  Frankly, the WTS rapes its victims emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Some may be less damaged by it than others but there is NO WAY to be told (gleefully) that your classmates, relatives, neighbors, playmates, etc., are going to be killed by God if they don't believe like you do and not have it cause serious mental damage. If the prospect of every non-JW he/she knows becoming "bird food is not" damaging to a child's psyche, then the child is probably a sociopath to begin with.

  StAnn