Moulding our JW Children (page 2)

Mickey mouse

I spoke to the teacher when my daughter started at school the first year, then I woke up, realised I was in a cult and have not had that conversation since.

cedars

angel.face - it's a nightmare that you're in, and I have no advice for you but to just be the best mother you can be under those circumstances.

I don't have kids but am coming round to the idea of spawning a Cedars Jnr someday soon. It was thinking about having children that kick-started by "awakening". I was thinking "how can I teach this to any kids I may have in the future when I don't believe it myself?" I went through these arguments with Mrs Cedars at the time and was expecting her to refuse to have kids if I wasn't going to raise them as JWs, but to my surprise she agreed that I could teach them whatever I want so long as she got to give her side of the story (the JW side) to them, and take them to meetings etc. Since then, I don't think she would even take them to meetings, because thankfully she's awakening herself.

I'm sure each of us that were "born in" will have our horror stories - cantleave is a good example. I remember being told by my rather authoritarian teacher to stand outside in the middle of the school courtyard for refusing to colour in a Christmas poster, and that's when I was six! I turned out relatively unscathed mentally (despite what the 7/15 Watchtower would have you believe) so hopefully the same will be true of your children when they are older and look back on all of this.

Hang in there!

erbie

Thanks garyneal,

it's a bit soft I know but true nevertheless. After what I've been through I have seen the very real damage this organization can and will continue to do and I feel very strongly about it. My wife on the other hand will never talk or comment on the subject. She will only say that her memory of the witnesses ashames her and makes her skin crawl. Strong emotions indeed!

The lady who started this thread will have a fight on her hands and I would love to be able to reason with her husband but obviously that will not come about. I am not the destroyer of faiths and I honestly believe that the only way forward is to get people to be self reflective and analytical of WT teachings.

Personally, I find this site a real inspiration and not full of mentally diseased individuals as some would have us believe. We're all trying to find our way and we all take different roads in order to get us there while some of us get lost along the way.

Part of the joy is in the unknown.

Bella15

Chills went throughout my body --- poor kid!

why doesn't your husband take the lead as the "JW head" and take care of that letter.

garyneal

Personally, I find this site a real inspiration and not full of mentally diseased individuals as some would have us believe. We're all trying to find our way and we all take different roads in order to get us there while some of us get lost along the way.

Agreed, I have never been a Jehovah's Witness but I was exposed to them by friends and ultimately by my wife (who is a born in). She's had doubts for years but decided to take the plunge about two years ago. At the time, I totally believed that the Bible contained the truth about everything we needed to know and began searching myself for answers. Today, I still believe in Christ but find a lot of the Bible (particularly the Old Testament) appears to be works of man (I understand the problems there but it is something I have come to accept).

I try to be understanding of my wife's choices as I see many of them as a parallel in my own choices. The people here help me to reflect on the inner reasons why my wife is trapped in a belief system that does not even fully agree with how she would lead her life if given the choice. However, I stick to my guns with the kids while trying to be fair overall. It's a careful balancing act to be sure.

skeeter1

The whole birthday and flag thing made me as a child ashamed and embarrassed because I was different. I was afraid to tell my school mates that I was a Jehovah's Witness.

I've come to see that its good to celebrate birthdays.

In Job 1:4, Job and his household celebrated birthdays.

In Luke 2:8-18, the angels had a party when Jesus was born.

In Luke 1:57 & 58, people took joy at John the Baptist birth

In Jeremiah 20:15, there is joy when a child is born

In Psalm 127:3, children are a gift from God

The stories of the Baker and John the Baptist are, like, throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The Baker's story - read ALL of it in Genesis 40. The Baker dude has a dream, a bad dream. He gets Jehovah (through Joseph) to interpret it. Jehovah says that the Baker is going to die in 3 days. In 3 days, Jehovah's prophecy is fulfilled. It happened at a birthday party. But, it could have happened anywhere. It just happen to have happened around a birthday party. It's like saying planes are from Satan because they were used by Satan in the 9/11 attacks. The planes are not bad. It's the hijackers that were bad.

The story of John the Baptist death also does not make sense to me. Harod hated John the Baptist. He already had him in the pokey. He just needed an excuse, and when the opportunity arose....it was perfect. It wasn't the celebration of a birthday that was bad, it was Harod's having an unscriptural relationship, and not wanting to be mocked for his sins.

So, the JWs not celebrating birthdays is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Colossians 2:16

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

Romans 14:5

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.

Moulding our JW Children