by what_Truth? 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Never an issue in our congregation in Colorado, and from what I've seen in the South U.S., not a big issue here, either. Sure, your own biases, or those of your families, can be seen, but not within the congregation per se. I think racial integration is alive and well in the Kingdom Hall, and it just might take another decade for the cultural bias to clear up. That is one thing I liked about the JWs: not much racism now.
CG
I don't think they would discourage it because it would conflict with their multicultural veneer.
I live where you do, in Vancouver, and the only interracial marriages I saw were between Asians and white people (but that was rare). Usually you wouldn't see anything more mixed that someone with Portugese descent marrying someone with English descent.
Is an interesting question. Back in the early seventies a bethelite (white) brother got engaged to a young (black) sister in my hall. Thi caused a major uproar in the congo with many people vowing not to attend the wedding.
The people who had the biggest problem with this union were the black dubs. The reason given for the resistance was that the brother was about 40 and the sister was barely 18. Also his plan was to move her back to his hometown in somewhere in Mississippi.
Us city folk were terrified that her life would be in danger because their mixed marriage.
Long story short, they got married anyway, had 3 beauitful children and last time I saw them they seemed happy mentally and prospeous financially.
Also, they left the dubs after about 20 years.
OK, I decided to jump in on this topic - I'm gonna try to get my thoughts out in an organized manner .
In the early 80's my mother felt that we werent spiritually strong enough so she arranged with our book study conductor (Bro. Knight - one of the elders in our congregation and father of a young ms who I had a crush on - Mark Knight) to come over and preside over our family book study. I think at this moment I should mention that my family is black and bro Knight is white. At some point in the study we came upon the subject of interracial marriage (how we got there I dont remember) and bro. Knight made the comment that even though there were many interracial marriages among the jws the society has never official condoned the practise among the rank and file. My mother was taken aback and quite upset that the bro made such a comment. I dont remember how the study ended but it did soon after and the studies were stopped.
I remember being at a circuit convention at a jw convention hall in Fremont, California. During a talk I had to use the ladies. While I was in one of the stalls I heard a few sisters talking (they were black). They were from Seattle (I think, if I remember correctly) and their conversation was about how they wanted to get married, the lack of available black brothers, and being interested in dating or being courted by white brothers but how interested white brothers seems to be steered away from them to white sisters.
I also remember knowing of young black brothers who had decided to court and marry white or other non-black sisters because they didnt want any "nappy-headed" kids. Needless to say not all black brothers had this attitude but this is what I saw, heard, and was exposed to.
So even though the pratice of interracial marriage among the jw rank and file is common, it's not at all as rosy so some may think. Unfortunately old ugly attitudes may still be there, they are just harder to see especially if you dont know what to look for.
Josie
bttt
Interesting reply mrsjones5. I've known quite a few black Seattlites who have similar racial attitudes (all of them non JW's). Much like Vancouver, it's kind of rare to walk down the street and see an actual black couple under 30.
To the_classicist. I'd ask you what part of the city you lived in, but I don't feel right about asking another poster's personal details. Still, it would seem that your congregation is a bit of an anomoly. My hall had a white elder with a black wife, a white man with a japanese wife, and a third white man with a full blooded native indian wife. Another white elder's son had an east indian fiance, but they eventualy broke up. All this was in a tiny suburb of less than 15,000 people.
Another thing I've noticed about the rest of the i/r relationships mentioned in this thread is that almost all of them seem to involve white men. Is there a harsher standard against the ones that involved white women?
maynn...my family attends the korean congregation in brooklyn and recently i told my mother that i was dating a white girl and she flipped out. she was adamant about how i should try to keep the mixing of blood "pure" cuz interracial relationships are "unclean". so i countered her point by naming all the interracial couples in OUR congregation and she said that's different. the hypocrisy that is "inculcated" into us never stops rearing its ugly head. i want out of this wack misled religion but i don't know how to approach my insanely devout mother and the pestering i'll probably get from the elders. oh i probably forgot to mention that my white gf is of "worldly" descent but damn...i'd rather choose her honest sensibilities than the crazy radical stances of them dubheads. advice please??
Burnaby/New West. I've never seen very many non-white people in my old hall, there are more Italians and WASPs.
I sense that it's not big deal among the JW community. Only a matter of personal choice.
I have heard of black and hispanic sisters alike comments resenting the fact that black or hispanic brothers have gone one to find white girls to marry, instead of picking someone fromt heir own race. But, these type of comments don't reflect at all what the religion stands for.
DY
When I was about 17 I had a good friend Charles Green from Seattle, (best damm saxaphone player, ended up playing with some big names on the jazz circuit), and yes, he is black. I really was never interested in him romantically, but my parents didn't buy the "we're just friends" line. They sat my butt down and told me that if I were to marry Charles I should know that I would have a life of hell and that they were just trying to protect me and any potential grandkids from a lifetime of discrimination and evil.
Up until that time I never would have considered my parents racist, my mom's best friend for years was a black sister. That best friend moved away, fell away, and became my adopted mother, along with my oldest brother Tim. She told everyone that I was her daughter. She also said that the congregation could kiss her little black ass if they thought they were going to command her not to talk to her "kids."
Sorry, I diverted from topic, lovely memory. Bless your heart, mom!
Sherry
