My name is Michael.

by new hope and happiness 14 Replies latest jw experiences

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  snare&racket

  SUCH a good point flipper...... They become your *NEW* family..... Of course the reality it, these siblings love you on a condition that you never disagree with them ever, or dare to voice your concerns and doubts, not quite as powerful as DNA hey....

  most witnesses don't realise how thin that painted on layer of fake love is, until they voice their concerns and suddenly people you have loved and grown with for 20 years close their doors, hide their faces and cross the street. Its unbelievable when you experience it. I was never even DF of DA'd, I literally just dared to ask why WT owned a military company.

  worst and best thing that ever happened to me, I wonder if they would still call me brother in their presence.....
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  Mum

  Hi, Michael. You may not realize it, but a lot of fundamentalist Christians refer to one another as "brother" and "sister." My early childhood years were spent attending such churches in the woods in east Tennessee. I think these folks did consider themselves different from "the world" and acknowledging one another as brothers and sisters kept them aware of their dependence on one another and their rejection of worldly pleasures and pursuits. They were honest, sincere, good people, with a few exceptions of course.
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  Nika Bee

  I always wondered about this as a child.

  In our culture, which is predominantly catholic, "normal people" only use this with respect to monks and nuns. They usually where given, or chose a new FIRST name when they entered. THen they where FROM EVERYONE refered to as "Frater sosandso" (Frater=latin for brother) or "Schwester soandso" (Schwester =German for sister), and always with the first name.

  I found it very weird that "we" would use sister/brother + last name.

  I once asked about it, and the only answer I got was, that if there is an unbelieving spouse who attends, he needs to see, that everything goes its correct way. ???

  For the younger ones it would switch from using the first name only to sister/brother + last name, the minute the meeting started.
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  new hope and happiness

  Thanks or the replys.

  Conclusion i think its interesting how people act on their beliefs, and so many customs are like working a puzzle.

  I feel when the elders spoke to me on a one 2 one basis the term " brother" was used not in a respectful way but a controlling way. Had i asked to be addressed by my Christian name i am sure the reply would be that is not how the society wants us to address you.
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  steve2

  Answers imply there is some kind of cultish intent behind the appellations "brother" and "sister" whereas it is a throw-back to the simple, almost quaint religious mindedness of the early to late 19th Century when America was giving birth to various contemplative or millenialist religious groups who shared a pious compulsion to dispose of ranked titles and call everyone by "humble" titles such as brother and sister. Recall too that the Watchtower's main founder, Charles Taze Russell prided himself on being called Brother Russell, although he also liked to be addressed as Pastor Russell (a sucker for modest adulation). I found it peculiar at meetings for my maternal grandfather to call upon me when I raised my hand to answer set questions as "Brother Stephen", but at home call me "Son". As I said more quaint than sinister.