RE: Ask a Former Jehovah's Witness
June 18, 2019 at 8:11 pm
(This post was last modified: June 18, 2019 at 8:26 pm by Athena.)
(June 18, 2019 at 5:21 pm)Figbash Wrote: Have you seen Truth be Told? That was eyeopening for me (someone who previously thought it was just a religion, and not a cult).
I have a question for you - why do JW halls have so few windows??
I don't think I've seen that one.
They eliminated windows for a decade or so because sound equipment would be stolen. It was just a security measure. They're building halls with windows again.
(June 18, 2019 at 5:56 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote: Have you ever done the door to door thing? If so, what was that like?
Yes, and it's tedious. No one answers their doors. For the record, I think it's worthwhile to talk to them. They'll dismiss everything you say, but if they ever have doubts they need something to help them out. Something you said may come to mind. They're strictly forbidden from certain types of outside information so they can only get it while trying to convert people.
The only good part about the ministry was break time. Donuts or coffee or something. That was good. The rest was torture.
(June 18, 2019 at 5:56 pm)arewethereyet Wrote: ...I watched her go through so much pain in those first few years. She had a great job and later met and married a great guy and they blended their families together and all's well in her world...but she went through hell getting to where she is now.
I'm glad things worked out. It's a difficult transition.
(June 18, 2019 at 6:42 pm)wyzas Wrote: I hope we don't overwhelm you with a rash of questions but I have a couple.
Now that you're out and looking back, would you consider JW a cult?
We probably all know the list but how strictly were all of these rules enforced? : https://cbncray.files.wordpress.com/2012...-rules.pdf
Cult has a few different meanings. I call it a cult, but it's also another way of saying it's a religion that isn't mainstream.
Some of those are rules like: no voting, running for office, attending other churches, etc. You can be kicked out for those. Others, like the social ones, are things most JWs would try to do, but it's not a rule. You can attend a social gathering after work. You can go to a wedding at a church. That kind of thing. And yeah, yoga and hypnotism give you demons. Now, I'm thinking I would do yoga if it gave me demons. At least it would be more interesting than what it actually is.
(June 18, 2019 at 6:35 pm)The Valkyrie Wrote: I’ve argued with relatives when I’ve called the Johos a cult.
I always finish with “You practice disfellowshipping which makes you a cult.”
As has been asked above, did you do door to door work?
And do they still practice that women aren’t to teach men even though women make up 60 to 70% of their number and seem to do all the door knocking?
I did go door to door a lot and even started learning a foreign language. Millennialists do better in underprivileged communities. They promise a better world and all that.
And yes. They still teach that. I had to wear a head covering to conduct a bible study in front of my 8-year-old son.
