Double Standards

by Perfection Seeker 31 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Prisca

  Xandria asked:

  I have a question for those who read this. Growning up, did your parents believe that going to the doctor was "dumb". Naaa Doctors did not know any thing .. the only time we EVER went to a doctor was only if you were bleeding and or extremely ill w/ a fevered illness.

  I'm not sure if you're referring to families that beat their children or all jw families.

  My family respected doctors, cos my mum had breast and lung cancer from the time I was 4, and most of my childhood (up to the time she died) is filled with visits to doctors and hospitals. I just wanted to point this out, so people reading this don't get an unbalanced view of jws' attitudes towards doctors.

  Reading all your stories on this thread make me want to give each of you a huge hug. I used to get the hand and the belt (occasionally I remember getting the belt end) when I misbehaved.

  My dad was an elder, and sometimes if he was busy on the platform with congregation stuff, he assigned another brother to administer discipline to me. I hated that brother for giving me the punishment my dad should have given me. Funny thing is that I never hated my dad, the one who organised it!!
• 

  blacksheep

  It just goes to figure, the JW's are so focused on outward appearances that they forget (or actively deny) the inner soul.

  Outward appearances were VERY important to my mother. Yet our homelife, like many others here, was tormented on several levels. My dad, a non-JW supporter who used the JW teachings of my mom as yet another weapon where we didnt measure up was often verbally and physically abusive. His swearing would make a sailor blush. I remember when I was a small girl a very nice (non JW) neighbor woman who befriended us wanted to take my sister and me to a movie. My mom didnt allow it, claiming she didnt want to expose us to the foul language in the PG movie. Apparently the neighbor said something like I could say something but I wont. My mom recognized immediately she was alluding to the rampant swearing she no doubt overheard from coming from our house. She was SO mortified that the woman would acknowledge the inconsistency. (note, not upset that we WERE exposed to so much foul language in the family, lol). Guess her self-righteousness backfired here. I always DID like that neighbor.

  Also, my mom was very keen for me to hook up with a very theocratic family, who, by all appearances, were the perfect example of good JWs. One of their sons was very interested in me: he was good looking, smooth, said all the right things. Invited my mother to several family dinners, etc. I dont know, something caused me to really back away, but I couldnt quite put my finger on it. Something was wrong, deeper than the fact that I wasnt in love with the guy and didnt want to marry a witness and have my course set for the rest of my life. You can bet my mom was disappointed in my errant refusal to participate fully in the "courtship". Well, about a month later the perfect JW familys mom committed suicide. Shocked the family, of course. Shocked the congregation. Shocked my mom. What a horrible tragedy. And I dont claim to have the answers. But you know, denial eventually catches up with you.