My recent JW encounter

[Joan of Snarc]

Didj'all ever hear the song, "Joanie the Jehovah Witness Stripper?"

'Tis good.

[bBvideo 560,340:2xctyur0]

[/bBvideo]

:drumroll:

[lilwriter85]

Thanks for posting that Joan.

[church_of_dog]

Didj'all ever hear the song, "Joanie the Jehovah Witness Stripper?"

YES! :clap: We've got a great little community radio station in town and they have a lot of novelty songs on the playlist, including Joanie! Ha, that's funny, never thought I'd encounter that song anywhere else... :lol:

[feministing]

I do not for the life of me understand what the appeal is if JW. What kind of people would convert? Anyone here who is ex-JW or have JW relatives, I'm curious to hear the stories of how people became JW. What in the world would compel someone to just change their religion and drop all their previously held beliefs from one visit.

[Joan of Snarc]

I've never understood why they want more recruits if they think there's only room for 144,000 in heaven. Seems like you wouldn't want the competition.

:think:

[Trynn]

My mom got rid of jw once by telling them she was 7th day Adventist (truth.) the JW was like, "sdas.... They really know their bible."

They haven't been back since.

[church_of_dog]

I've never understood why they want more recruits if they think there's only room for 144,000 in heaven. Seems like you wouldn't want the competition.

:think:

Hmm. Doesn't Moore's Law apply to them?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law

Moore's law is the observation that, over the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years.

You'd think Heaven could hold at least a gig by now. Plus a thumb drive or two! :lol:

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I do not for the life of me understand what the appeal is if JW. What kind of people would convert? Anyone here who is ex-JW or have JW relatives, I'm curious to hear the stories of how people became JW. What in the world would compel someone to just change their religion and drop all their previously held beliefs from one visit.

I have the same questions. No promise of heaven AND no birthday cake?? What's the appeal?!

[lilwriter85]

I do not for the life of me understand what the appeal is if JW. What kind of people would convert? Anyone here who is ex-JW or have JW relatives, I'm curious to hear the stories of how people became JW. What in the world would compel someone to just change their religion and drop all their previously held beliefs from one visit.

The friend I mentioned in a previous post was JW because of her mother. Her mother's parents converted from Catholicism to JW back in the 50s. I have never asked her the whole story about her grandparents conversion. My friend's father wasn't JW, but converted after marrying my friend's mom. Throughout most of my friend's childhood, her mother was against holidays and birthdays. She said that some JWs are more strict than others. For example, my friend's mother was ok with her kids playing organized sports and watching certain movies and TV shows, while my friend's aunts and uncles weren't ok with sports and they were very strict about what their kids watched on TV.

When my friend entered her teen years, her parents started to get tired of the JW system and eventually they left. My friend and her older brother are now Catholic and that is because they married Catholics. My friend's brother did RICCA before he married his wife. My friend became Catholic after she married her husband and they did a small Catholic wedding mass last year. My friend has two younger siblings. One sibling considers himself agnostic, while the other sibling is attending a non-denominational Christian church.

[fun2beme]

My aunt had a JW come to her door and she gave the "I'm Catholic and don't need to be saved" line. Then tried to shut the door but the guy was very insistent. Turns out he wanted to alert her of gas bubbling out of the ground on her lawn. So in the end, she literally was saved by a JW. :)

My sister tells them to leave her property and to consider it their first warning. Tells them if they coming again, it's trespassing and she's calling the police. She never gets them anymore.

[anjulibai]

I've never understood why they want more recruits if they think there's only room for 144,000 in heaven. Seems like you wouldn't want the competition.

:think:

The rest of humanity will live on Paradise on Earth for eternity. The 144,000 are kind of administrators for Jesus.

My ex-BF was JW. I lived with his family off and on while we dated. They were very nice people. They issues with the organization every so often because they were more worldly than is thought okay by other JWs.

[nokidsmom]

We have gotten both JWs and Mormons here. The JWs, I tell them that I'm just about ready to sacrifice the goat and they're welcome to come help. The Mormons...I tell them I can't get into a religion that believes that God fucked Mary to get Jesus...

My comeback would be that if they want me to learn about their religion, then they should learn about mine and they are in luck, the coven meets in a half hour.

Seriously, we used to get JWs around our neighborhood all the time. But a few years back Mr No. decided to answer the door (because I wouldn't) and talk to them. I told him not to answer because they don't take no for answer and you won't say yes anyway, so why bother? Long story short, the man kept returning to talk some more and leaving Watchtowers. It was a good year before he stopped but I suspect that there were complaints from others in the subdivision that the "no soliciting" signs on their doors were being ignored. Haven't seen JWs for a few years. Never saw Mormons though.

[realist51]

(there's good subtiles)

I just saw the Book of Mormon this weekend. It was fantastic. Now I'm following your link to all the songs, and I will NEVER get any work done today.

[Bugnyou]

I do not for the life of me understand what the appeal is if JW. What kind of people would convert? Anyone here who is ex-JW or have JW relatives, I'm curious to hear the stories of how people became JW. What in the world would compel someone to just change their religion and drop all their previously held beliefs from one visit.

My maternal grandparents became JWs about 65 years ago it was a very different religion. Over many years it changed drastically. That long ago it looked like many other religions, over the years control tightened, no more Christmas, birthdays are bad, no crosses, smoking will get you disfellowshipped. My grandparents are gone now. My mother was raised in the religion. My dad became a JW as a very young adult (about 50 years ago) he was impressed that they seemed to have all the answers, later he realised that they had all the answers because they were asking all the questions. My family at different times have now all left. Many of the JWs come from within their ranks children are raised in it and taught it and told not to question it. Many stay, but many do not.

In my experience not many converted but some did. JWs teach that 144.000 will go to heaven, they teach that the rest of faithful JWs will survive armageddon and they will return the earth to an Eden like state and people will live in perfection. They teach that if you died before armageddon and are faithful you will be resurrected to this paradise. (There is a bit more to it but this is the basics) I think that much of this is appealing to people and so if someone believes it then the only way to get to this paradise is to convert.

Another thing I think that is appealing to many is the patriarchal structure. At least when I was in the JWs did not encourage higher education. Therefore many of the members only had a basic education. There were many who had blue collar jobs. Within the JWs men could climb the ladder of power and become a bit powerful within the ranks. That gave some a way to gain power when it may have been limited within the community or their jobs.

The JWs will often practice what I call love bombing so when someone first comes around they are all over them and give the person a royal treatment. This gives people who may be lonely a place within their ranks and a feeling of family, they call each other brother and sister, I think this gives isolated people a feeling of belonging. The love bombing will slowly wear off and turn to many expectations people long for that feeling of belonging and will often follow along to get that.

I realize this is a long answer I tried to trim it as much as possible. My family spent many years in this and we still try to help people who would like to leave. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer. :)

[tkr322]

We have gotten both JWs and Mormons here. The JWs, I tell them that I'm just about ready to sacrifice the goat and they're welcome to come help. The Mormons...I tell them I can't get into a religion that believes that God fucked Mary to get Jesus...

wait wait wait. I thought I knew everything about the Mormons but they legit believe that? I knew they didn't believe in the trinity or the virgin birth.

[Marianne]

wait wait wait. I thought I knew everything about the Mormons but they legit believe that? I knew they didn't believe in the trinity or the virgin birth.

Yep. They don't tell it like this, but in fact, it's this. Mormon theology is often very WTF/Funny.

[tkr322]

Yep. They don't tell it like this, but in fact, it's this. Mormon theology is often very WTF/Funny.

Oh I know. It absolutely boggles my mind how anyone could be Mormon (and SO MANY people at that!) I mean Christianity, Judaism, etc. are easy to question too but there is at least SOME evidence of truth available. Mormonism was started so recently and there is absolutely no shred of any sort of evidence that there were gold plates, and all this other bogus stuff Joseph Smith said happen. That guy was the greatest con man ever.

And how can anyone believe they get their own universe, wear special underwear, etc.? I can see if you were raised in that and "drank the Kool-Aid" but I just don't get why people would convert. I do have to say though, they have an excellent sense of community. I am somewhat jealous of Mormon friends because they can move and their church has an instant friend group for them, book clubs, play groups, etc. So I guess I can see why people would be attracted to that aspect.

[AllisonWndrland]

And how can anyone believe they get their own universe, wear special underwear, etc.? I can see if you were raised in that and "drank the Kool-Aid" but I just don't get why people would convert. I do have to say though, they have an excellent sense of community. I am somewhat jealous of Mormon friends because they can move and their church has an instant friend group for them, book clubs, play groups, etc. So I guess I can see why people would be attracted to that aspect.

A good friend of mine is a convert to LDS. No one in her family was raised Mormon, but she converted in her early 20s. We have talked about her search for a church where she felt welcomed. I think she enjoys the ceremony of it, as well. She seems to be a person who likes rituals and the LDS have a lot of rituals. I also get the community aspect of it, but a lot of LDS is incredibly restrictive for incredibly vague reasons. I can't imagine living according to rules that don't make much sense in exchange for instant community.

Another friend was raised in an LDS family, lived pretty freely during her college years (not judging at all, just know what her life was like during that time), then became engaged and was sealed in the Temple. She and her husband are now incredibly devout and very active in their ward. I don't understand her, either. It was such an abrupt about-face from her life during college.

[CBinMI]

Someone mentioned a JW trying to do some kind of internet conference. They are really highlighting their website now. Are you sure it wasn't this video they were trying to play?

The QR code on the back of their magazines takes you to this video and they have been showing it to people.

http://www.jw.org/en/video-why-study-the-bible/

[Hane]

wait wait wait. I thought I knew everything about the Mormons but they legit believe that? I knew they didn't believe in the trinity or the virgin birth.

At least at some point in the past, the LDS taught that God has an actual body, and that he visited and copulated with Mary. In my readings, I've discovered that Mormon theology is pretty fluid. One teaching is that the word of the current Prophet (the Mormon "Pope") can cancel out the teachings of previous Prophets.

[feministxtian]

My stepdaughters were raised JW by their mother (who was raised JW by HER mother). Of the dh's x wife and her 4 sisters, the x is the only one who is still a JW. My stepdaughters are mainstream--fundy light Christians now. They drink, dance, celebrate ALL holidays, enjoy the hell out of the holidays. Neither one of the girls (they're twins) has anything to do with dear old JW mom.

Funny how that works....

[Bugnyou]

My stepdaughters were raised JW by their mother (who was raised JW by HER mother). Of the dh's x wife and her 4 sisters, the x is the only one who is still a JW. My stepdaughters are mainstream--fundy light Christians now. They drink, dance, celebrate ALL holidays, enjoy the hell out of the holidays. Neither one of the girls (they're twins) has anything to do with dear old JW mom.

Funny how that works....

Oh yeah I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holidays now. They make me happy. As a child I did not miss them, but now as an adult I know what I missed out on and wish I had had those experiences :dance: .

[CelticGoddess]

We have gotten both JWs and Mormons here. The JWs, I tell them that I'm just about ready to sacrifice the goat and they're welcome to come help. The Mormons...I tell them I can't get into a religion that believes that God fucked Mary to get Jesus...

Glad I'm not the only one who told JW's that they could join in on the sacrifice. I think I also invited them to join some of my friends for the Beltane Fire and Orgy. They never came back. None ever came back. Think i might have scared them some?

A couple Mormon missionaries came to my house right after my son was born and bothered me to the point of harassment. I nearly had them arrested. (Yes, I called the cops). I never had another mormon come to my house after that. That was the only time I was bothered by the missionaries. Those who came by prior to this were polite. This duo were just colossal dick heads.

[Shirley Blest]

FYI...as a former JW...nothing scares them away. NOTHING :angry-banghead:

[formerlyfundie]

We have a Kingdom Hall about 15 minutes from where we live so I have JW encounters more often than I like.

Earlier this year, we had an older couple come to our apartment to evangelize about twice a month, eventually I allowed them in (it was winter and during the polar vortex so I kind of felt bad about them being out there). They were very enamored by my children and focused a lot on them, asking me about if I ever thought about them and their salvation etc. I explained we are Christians and have an active church (I was even wearing a shirt with scripture on it that day lol) but they seemed dismissive of it. As they started talking scripture, the woman asked me if I thought God heard any and all prayers. I answered yes. She quickly said that that is a common lie told by many people professing to be Christians and that God only hears the prayers of the saved. I asked her about children, like my own, who pray but aren't officially saved yet as they haven't been baptized or people who have just learned about Jesus/Jehovah. She totally changed the subject to just talking about scripture that supports her view.

They scheduled to come back the next week, and I left a letter on the door asking them to leave us alone because I'm passive aggressive and didn't want to be rude to them. They knocked, and then I heard them go up the stairs, and when I went to retrieve the note, they had taken it which surprised me.

We have a Hispanic family a few doors down who I believe are JW, just by how they dress, and the husband carries the big black bible case whenever I see him. They have two little boys who are ALWAYS dressed like they are going to church (like dress shirts with ties an slacks), same with the girl. It's just a matter of time before they show up at our door, I'm sure.