*** w94 4/15 pp. 27-29 Determined to Serve Jehovah! ***
Likewise today an opposed husband may demand that his wife stop attending congregation meetings. How should she react? Jane found herself in this situation. She explains: “I would never back off under pressure. I knew there could be no compromise. I had to demonstrate how much the meetings meant to me.” Jehovah blessed her resolve as she kept attending.
“My husband tried to keep me from going to the meetings, but that didn’t last too long,” relates Glenys. “I still went. When I returned home, he sometimes beat me, and at other times I was greeted by silence.” Yet, she coped, praying repeatedly. Also, two of the congregation elders regularly prayed with her, which greatly encouraged her to keep attending.—James 5:13-15; 1 Peter 2:23.
At times a husband’s superiors may pressure him to discourage his wife from preaching the good news. Diane found that she had to make it clear to her husband what her priorities were. “I was prepared,” she said, “to take the consequences of my continued preaching.” How like the apostles’ stand this is! (Acts 4:29, 31) Nevertheless, she was circumspect in her preaching. She relates: “I used to have gatherings for coffee and offer everybody present a Truth book.”—Matthew 10:16; 24:14
Another child
*** w99 2/1 p. 12 The Great Potter and His Work ***
Molding Our Young Ones
13 Parents can share in the molding of their young ones, right from the children’s infancy, and what splendid integrity-keepers our youths can turn out to be! (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) This has been true even when the tests were extreme. Some years ago, when persecution was at its height in an African land, a trustworthy family cared for the clandestine printing of The Watchtower in a backyard shed. One day soldiers were coming down the street, searching from house to house for young men to induct into the army. There was still time for the two young boys in this family to hide, but the resulting search by the soldiers would surely uncover the printing press. This could lead to torture or possibly the killing of the entire family. What could be done? The two boys spoke up, boldly citing John 15:13: “No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.” They insisted on staying in the living room. The soldiers would find them and no doubt subject them to cruel torture or even kill them when they refused to be inducted. But then they would search no further. The printing press and the other family members would be spared. There was, however, a remarkable outcome. The soldiers actually skipped this one house, going on to the others! Those human vessels molded for an honorable use survived, along with the printing press, to continue publishing timely spiritual food. One of the two boys and his sister are now serving at Bethel; he is still operating the old machine.
The husband doesn't become a witness in these
*** yb98 pp. 191-193 Martinique ***
A Night in the Mango Tree
The Kingdom message had reached Le Lamentin as early as 1955, but severe tests continued to face those there who sought to worship Jehovah God. This was not always because of the clergy. Martinican men are generally proud of their masculinity, and many of them are quite domineering toward their wives. When a woman wanted to worship Jehovah, she often had to face up to violence from her husband.
One of our sisters in Le Lamentin relates: “In 1972 when the Kingdom message was brought to my home, it was the answer to all I had longed for. But my husband forbade me to study. Nevertheless, I continued studying secretly. When he found out, he burned my Bible and my study book and beat me. He decided that we would move, hoping that this would put an end to my interest in the Bible.
“When I started attending meetings, he used to lock me out. I often had to sleep under the veranda. Then he destroyed everything that could serve as shelter to me, even the henhouse. He beat me often, and many times I had to go without food. Once, he chased after me in the middle of the night with a cutlass! To get away from him, I had to run through the bushes and climb a mango tree as quickly as possible. I escaped, but only because his flashlight had stopped working. He looked for me for hours, passing close to where I was hiding, curled up in the tree, praying. I spent that entire night in the mango tree.” Nevertheless, in 1977 she got baptized. Later, her daughter too took her stand for Jehovah.
*** g92 9/22 pp. 20-21 My Burning Desire to Serve God ***
After I had been studying for two years, I was determined to go to the 1968 Memorial of Christ’s death. I prayed before telling my husband. I knew he would react violently, and he did. He screamed that he’d rather see me dead than for me to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He grabbed a knife and held it to my throat. “Tell me you’re not going, and I won’t kill you!” I prayed silently to Jehovah: ‘Help me stay faithful even if I have to die.’ I was amazed to feel the inner calm that came over me and found myself thinking, ‘What good would life be anyway without serving Jehovah?’ It seemed forever, but he finally threw the knife on the floor. “I can’t kill you,” he wailed. “I want to, but I just can’t. I don’t know why.”
During the Memorial service, the feelings of peace and closeness to Jehovah again welled up within me. When I got home, I was locked out, and my things were on the doorstep. I spent the night with my parents. Thereafter the threats with a knife at my throat continued, and the beatings continued. I often found myself locked out of the house when I got home from meetings. My husband said: “If you’re going to serve Jehovah, let him take care of you.” He stopped paying the bills. We ran out of food, the gas and electricity were cut off, we lost the house. But Jehovah was always there for me and the children.
In July 1969 a big convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses was held in New York City. An hour before I was to get on the train to go, my husband cornered me, made his usual threats, and held the knife to my throat again. But I was used to that by now and never wavered. At that convention, on July 11, 1969, I symbolized my dedication to Jehovah. Along with 3,000 other conventioners, I was baptized in the ocean.
At least twice a year, I put in 75 hours a month, even though my husband forbade me to go out in the service. I knew it was the command of Christ Jesus to preach, and I had to obey him. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) I always worked hard at home, however. I kept the house clean. I had his meals ready on time. On meeting nights, I made his favorite meals. When I got home, I prepared special desserts for him. Even so, he was pretty grouchy. But it’s hard for someone to keep yelling at you if you’re feeding him his favorite dessert!
In 1975 my husband moved the family to California. In November 1976 our marriage ended, after 17 years. It was never my desire to be divorced. I never believed in divorce. At Malachi 2:16, Jehovah said that ‘he hated a divorcing.’ It was a devastating experience to go through. To add to my grief, my children stayed with their father in California. I returned back East to where I had lived before.
Husband beats wife, husband studies with JWs, husband stops beating wife, all live happily ever after... help needed!
by cedars 33 Replies latest jw friends
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discreetslave
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Leolaia
A husband in Korea used to beat his wife when he was under the influence of alcohol.....For eleven years she endured.
Shudder. :{
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discreetslave
I can ask some of my facebook friends who endured abusive relationships if they want to contact you with their stories.
I chat with Danmera a lot if you'd like to contact her as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNtEzntyV60 -
designs
What are the legal issues involved if the Watchtower's own articles are used in newspaper articles.
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Leolaia
Wow! WTF!
*** w58 7/1 p. 400 Not Fair-Weather Christians ***
A husband in the French island of Guadeloupe repeatedly beat his wife because, while “adultery and drunkenness are things one can bear,” he could not bear her being interested in Jehovah’s witnesses. One night he got so violent that she fled for her life, walking ten miles to the home of witnesses. She wanted to be baptized at once, saying: “If I have to face death, at least I will know that I am counted among the members of the New World society.” After a month two witnesses worked out an agreement with her husband regarding her return to him. He continues opposed while she continues firm. -
discreetslave
Cedars PM me I put the word out on Facebook groups asking if any are willing to share their stories.
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AnnOMaly
w94 4/15 p. 27, 29 Determined to Serve Jehovah!
"My husband tried to keep me from going to the meetings, but that didn't last too long," relates Glenys. "I still went. When I returned home, he sometimes beat me, and at other times I was greeted by silence." Yet, she coped, praying repeatedly. Also, two of the congregation elders regularly prayed with her, which greatly encouraged her to keep attending.-James 5:13-15; 1 Peter 2:23 ...
... Of course, not all marriage mates are won over to the truth. What then? Jehovah supplies help to enable the faithful ones to endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Consider Glenys' encouragement for those in circumstances similar to hers: "Never, never doubt that Jehovah is the One who originated marriage and that he wants couples to stay together. So no matter what the husband might do or what opposition you might get from those around you, Jehovah will never allow you to totter." Although her husband does not yet worship Jehovah, his attitude toward her and the truth has mellowed.
w76 5/15 pp. 292-293 Joy from Having Spiritual Needs Filled
Every night the husband would come home drunk and would at times beat his wife. Their financial situation was very bad, and they had to support four children ranging in age from six to thirteen years. Because of poor health, the wife feared another pregnancy. When she again became pregnant, she tried to commit suicide. But she was rushed to the hospital and so escaped death. At this time a deaf-mute friend of hers, who studied with Jehovah's Witnesses, communicated with her about God's kingdom. This woman gladly accepted the offer of a Bible study. Soon her husband joined in the discussions.
As a result of having their spiritual needs filled, their life changed for the better. No longer did the husband smoke, beat his wife or get drunk. Freed from expensive habits, the family's economic situation improved noticeably. Later, the wife got baptized at a circuit assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1974, and the husband was immersed in the summer of 1975 during the "Divine Sovereignty" District Assembly. Presently both are busy in helping other deaf-mutes in Italy to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth.
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cedars
designs - at this stage I am looking at the quantity of articles with the same theme. The objective is to prove that the Society consistently projects the extremely damaging message that if wives do their part, their abusive husband WILL miraculously change his ways and everything will be resolved. In any case, Watchtower articles are in the public domain, so there are no legal issues as regards quoting them.
discreetslave - yes, feel free to get your friend to contact me. I will try to use the upmost discretion if she wants to speak out about her abusive relationship. I really appreciate all those references. Rest assured, I WILL be using them.
Cedars
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Leolaia
This one takes the cake.
*** w69 12/15 p. 740 Can Your Marriage Be Saved? ***
Some wives have given serious thought to such matters. And they have also cultivated the Christian quality of endurance, remaining chaste and respectful through years of abuse by husbands who opposed their Christian course. The results at times are absolutely thrilling. For example, one husband some time ago wrote:
‘For twelve years I was the worst enemy of my own wife. I threatened her and we quarreled every day; that is to say, I always sought the strife and I even began to beat her. Very often I came home drunk and would then beat both my wife and my child. But all in vain; my wife stuck to her study of the Bible and worship of God.
‘Only a relatively short time back they felt relieved every day when I went to work and dreaded the moment when I would come back. Then, a short time ago, I had a discussion with a Christian minister of Jehovah’s witnesses. Afterward I sat and reviewed the past twelve years of my life. This analysis was crushing for me. I saw how terribly mean I had been toward my wife, while she had borne everything with humility, like a piece of granite against which the waves of my insanity crashed in vain. The more cruel I was, the more love and mercy she showed.
‘Yes, it is only now that I see all this. And as I began to see it, I took the Bible; and, thanks to its instruction, I am now like a newborn man. I no longer get drunk and have stopped smoking, have left the rabble, and now share with my dear ones regularly in study of God’s Word.’ -
cedars
Thanks everyone, please keep them coming in. I haven't checked them all yet, but at a glance I can see that there are about 15 experiences depicting violence against women and children. I suspect there are still more.
discreetslave - you have a PM.
Cedars