Sanderson’s “Young People” convention talk

by FFGhost 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  JeffT

  The talk was virtually identical to every “Hey you kids, forget about college” talk given for the past 50, yes, 50 years.

  It was a talk like this at a circuit assembly in 1988 that started my personal investigation that led to DA'ing a year later. My focus was my two older children who were just entering their teenage years. They were clearly college material and I wanted them to have a decent life.

  I had already defied the elders and went back to school in the early eighties. I guess they are right - going to college and being a JW doesn't work.
  
• 

  LongHairGal

  DIOGENESISTER:

  Thank you. I’m flattered but I’m not a public person.

  I also realize my type of story is less interesting than the experiences of the others you mentioned. I do agree that it is important because the general public may not be aware that this goes on in the Witness religion. There are probably millions of JWs as we speak who are suffering because they followed the bad advice that I ignored. Of course, people might say “nobody forced anybody”, but they don’t understand the culture of the JWs with shunning and so on. But, this only applies to adults. What about minor children under their parents’ rule? They are helpless.

  Being reminded of this makes me grateful I wasn’t raised a JW and that I wasn’t a bigger fool than what I already was! I just wasted time but at least I was in the workforce then.

  Hopefully, nowadays at least, there will be far fewer JWs who fall for this. We have this and other forums. Younger people are more sophisticated today and also if they look around their congregations they can discreetly check out some of these older Witnesses who listened to all the silly talk! That might tell them all they need to know.
• 

  FedUpJW

  Also, how would you handle it if you are approached by other nervy JWs with an envelope looking for a handout because they know about this.

  I also am pretty blunt. I would use the line Sally Field used in the movie Smokey and The Bandit, "Do the letters F. O. mean anything to you?"