The Epic List of Things JWs aren't supposed to do

[Jana814]

Michael Jackson was raised JW but I am assuming he fell away from it later. I recall he even did the door to door thing when younger. Not sure of his family's current status with the religion. Correct me if I am wrong.

I think the oldest sister is still a practing JW.

[Maggie Mae]

I think the oldest sister is still a practing JW.

I think Rebbie and Katherine (the mom) are still JW. I vaguely remember Jermaine converting to Islam. And I think Michael disassociated himself when they shunned LaToya. These are the kind of things that I wonder why I know and when I learned them. Oh and Michaels funeral was JW, from what I understand. If Katherine has his kids, I bet they are getting / have been converted.

[BackseatMom]

NPR did a segment recently about the rampant sexual abuse in JW congregations, including how it is systematically hidden. Horrifying.

America is the most blatently and consistently nationalist place I have ever been. But its like we think our nationalism (which we call patriotism or pride) is different from the "bad nationalism" of other places.

[xtwheeler]

My best friend was raised JW in North Dakota. She went door-to-door, the whole bit. She says her congregation gave the kids "Jesus points" for going door-to-door. The 144k thing makes no sense to me. Supposedly they're predetermined. They also don't believe in hell, if I'm not mistaken.

She moved to CA when she was about 20. I had the privilege of spending her first Christmas with her. It honestly was magical, just like it was when we were kids. I even snuck some things into her stocking in the middle of the night, and I swear to you, she believed in Santa for just a minute.

She left the church, but her family is still in deep. They don't shun her now, but they did when she first left. All of her friends from growing up shun her too. The worst part for her is knowing that her mother cries herself to sleep most nights because she's so terrified for her own soul. Her dad prays fervently and often tearfully and fearfully for his own soul as well. It certainly does nothing to lift them up.

[Chach1984i]

NPR did a segment recently about the rampant sexual abuse in JW congregations, including how it is systematically hidden. Horrifying.

This is my first post so I apologize in advance if I'm doing anything wrong. I've lurked for a bit and have read the stickies and other threads in SOTDRT.

Regarding the quote above, I was raised JW from age 4 until I left at 16. A few months before I left I told an elder about being abused by my step-dad and was told that if it was bad enough to pray that it would end and if it was it would and that Jehovah would punish him. That combined with a couple sexist answers to questions I asked proved that I wasn't the right fit for that religion and left a week before being baptized.

As for the 144k bull I remember in our congregation that if you thought yourself to be a Remnant (one of the living 144,000) you ate and drank of the body of Christ. As a young child I asked my mom why we always passed on the memorial and her response was that we weren't good enough to get into heaven. That still sticks with me today and I often tell people who ask why I left that my religion didn't think me Christian enough to "rule in heaven with Jehovah".

[nastyhobbitses]

I read somewhere (don't know if it's true)that he was active at least up to Thriller, and supposedly wore a disguise to do his door-to-door work, but did leave at some point afterwards. Which is interesting, since his JW family members didn't shun him afterwards, AFAIK.

When your family member is as big a cash cow as Michael Jackson, you don't shun him.

[Jana814]

When your family member is as big a cash cow as Michael Jackson, you don't shun him.

Good point!! That's probably why they didn't shun him.

[Imrlgoddess]

I worked with JW my first round in college years ago. He tried very hard to convert me. At the time I was still a practicing Catholic, he'd tell me about the hidden mathematical predictions in the Bible...the world wars, Hitler, etc. He did explain the whole "set number of people going to Heaven" bit, but I don't remember it. I looked at him at one point and told him, I was raised Catholic, I liked being Catholic, I'd always be...Catholic. He looked at me with the most horrified expression and told me that was a terrible attitude to have.

I'm no longer Catholic...but I ain't JW either ;)

When they come by the house I'm really sweet to them and take their tracts. My mom (Sunday Catechist at church) invites them in for coffee. Usually after that first visit...they don't go back to her house.

:D :D

[SilverBeach]

I think the oldest sister is still a practing JW.

And the mother.

[FoxyMoxie]

Don't JWs and Mormons hate each other? Doorstepping rivals I guess! Once there were both in my street (I live in a close/cul-de-sac so wider than the average UK street and you can see all the houses) and I so hoped for a West Side Story style dance-off :lol:

[DaisyD]

I worked with JW my first round in college years ago. He tried very hard to convert me. At the time I was still a practicing Catholic, he'd tell me about the hidden mathematical predictions in the Bible...the world wars, Hitler, etc. He did explain the whole "set number of people going to Heaven" bit, but I don't remember it. I looked at him at one point and told him, I was raised Catholic, I liked being Catholic, I'd always be...Catholic. He looked at me with the most horrified expression and told me that was a terrible attitude to have.

I'm no longer Catholic...but I ain't JW either ;)

When they come by the house I'm really sweet to them and take their tracts. My mom (Sunday Catechist at church) invites them in for coffee. Usually after that first visit...they don't go back to her house.

:D :D

He wanted to marry you, but has to convert you first. :wink-kitty:

[ADoyle90815]

Good point!! That's probably why they didn't shun him.

Exactly. I think his mother and oldest sister are still practicing JW's. I remember that VH1 showed a documentary after he died, and it mentioned a lot about his family's JW beliefs, and how they might have contributed to why he was so screwed up as an adult.

[nausicaa]

Don't JWs and Mormons hate each other? Doorstepping rivals I guess! Once there were both in my street (I live in a close/cul-de-sac so wider than the average UK street and you can see all the houses) and I so hoped for a West Side Story style dance-off :lol:

Yes, I've heard this as well. And apparently a really effective way to get a JW to leave you alone is to tell them you're Mormon.

[December]

I know an ex-Witness who took great joy in doing most everything they mention in that video! Really pretty scary how restrictive it is... at least with the ex-Witness I know, it really messed them up and set them back.

Since other people have already mentioned Mormons in the thread... I've never had issues with Mormon missionaries. Always very polite, and respectful when I tell them I'm not interested. Witnesses that have come to my door, though... ugh. When I was a little kid, they literally broke my parents doorbell from ringing it so many times (they could tell someone was home, and they weren't going to give up apparently). My husband's super afraid to offend people, so whenever we get Witnesses coming to our door I basically run over and scare them off.

[WhiteRun]

My family often get JWs coming to our street as theres a couple Kingdom Halls in my area.

I'm pretty sure my house is on the JW blacklist because my dad likes to argue about religion (hes very argumentative about religion)

The last time we had to deal with them, dad saw them going up and down the street so when they got to our house he yanked open the door, hollered "what do you want?!" with our two large barking dogs by his side. It turns out JWs are pretty scared of dogs (or at least pitbulls). They stand outside our house now but won't come though the gate.

[DaisyD]

My family often get JWs coming to our street as theres a couple Kingdom Halls in my area.

I'm pretty sure my house is on the JW blacklist because my dad likes to argue about religion (hes very argumentative about religion)

The last time we had to deal with them, dad saw them going up and down the street so when they got to our house he yanked open the door, hollered "what do you want?!" with our two large barking dogs by his side. It turns out JWs are pretty scared of dogs (or at least pitbulls). They stand outside our house now but won't come though the gate.

This explains why they only showed up here once. My pit mix is very sweet, once he knows that you don't pose a threat to his people.

[clueliss]

Growing up we lived next door to a JW family (2 years in a duplex then 1 year when we moved across the street). Mother and son were JW. Father was not. Mother and son were a couple of the most miserable people I have possibly met. Son was in my grade (5th - when we moved there) but everyone knew he had been held back. And he didn't progress on to 6th grade at the end of the year. So in addition to being an outcast due to his religion he was an outcast due to held back (and well, mean). Side note this same family is on my list of weird/horrible neighbors for keeping a pair of dobermans in a large under the stair closet and then putting them on choke chains outside (rendering our backyard unusable).

Mother's parents lived across the street from them. Also JW. Nice people. (her polar opposites). They had a 'son' who was allegedly the woman's brother. 'Son' was 2-3 years younger then me. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the kid was actually the nice couple's grandson and that he was the son of their daughter (mean woman's sister). He didn't play with any of the rest of us, kept to himself. Nobody in the neighborhood ever teased or taunted him about his parentage. Lonely messed up way to live from the perspective of living on the same block.

Interestingly none of them ever did the door knocking bit or trying to convert. Although the neighbor may have thought better of that due to her ongoing battle with my mother.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Now I am wondering if JWs and Mormons have done kind of implicit understanding about which neighborhoods they will hit. We get dubs regularly and there are always copies of the Watchtower at the train station close by, but we haven't seen Mormons.

Speaking of The Watchtower, it makes me feel offended on behalf of the JWs!!! That thing is so simplistic and condescending. Anyone with an 8th grade Englishr eading level or above should be rolling their eyes over it, so I CANNOT BELIEVE they get converts.

[shedemei]

Speaking of JW celebrities, Prince converted several years ago. He's still allowed to rock because that's his source of income (and gets the JWs some publicity), but he is certainly not performing Darling Nikki or wearing assless chaps to the VMAs anymore.

[bBvideo 560,340:1xiyuj0z]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHzaqOIxfo[/bBvideo]

[nastyhobbitses]

Now I am wondering if JWs and Mormons have done kind of implicit understanding about which neighborhoods they will hit. We get dubs regularly and there are always copies of the Watchtower at the train station close by, but we haven't seen Mormons.

Speaking of The Watchtower, it makes me feel offended on behalf of the JWs!!! That thing is so simplistic and condescending. Anyone with an 8th grade Englishr eading level or above should be rolling their eyes over it, so I CANNOT BELIEVE they get converts.

We used to get JWs sometimes in our neighborhood. My dad got a larger and conspicuous mezuzah for our front door, put a menorah in a very visible front window, and that got them to stop coming to our house.

[Maggie Mae]

Speaking of JW celebrities, Prince converted several years ago. He's still allowed to rock because that's his source of income (and gets the JWs some publicity), but he is certainly not performing Darling Nikki or wearing assless chaps to the VMAs anymore.

[bBvideo 560,340:s5cn1jeb]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHzaqOIxfo[/bBvideo]

I heard he goes door to door in Minneapolis too.

[RabbitKM]

My nanny growing up was (well, she still is) a Witness (and I grew up Catholic). Man, good times sitting in her van waiting for my sister's school to get out, reading watchtower and listening to Dr. Laura (I don't think that's a Dub thing, but still). She used to do Bible studies with me, the whole shebang. I remember being sympathetic to the studies, but not really buying into all of the things she told me. My aunt is also a Witness, which is super random. Interestingly, both of these two women are married but neither have kids. I think it has to do with a fear of Earth being so corrupted they wouldn't want to bring children into this world.

[Exjw2015deed]

Now I am wondering if JWs and Mormons have done kind of implicit understanding about which neighborhoods they will hit. We get dubs regularly and there are always copies of the Watchtower at the train station close by, but we haven't seen Mormons.

Speaking of The Watchtower, it makes me feel offended on behalf of the JWs!!! That thing is so simplistic and condescending. Anyone with an 8th grade Englishr eading level or above should be rolling their eyes over it, so I CANNOT BELIEVE they get converts.

I grew up having to do door to door service "spreading the good news." There was never any territory battles between Mormons and jdubs, it's not like they're mob members fighting over who has what territory to sell crack.

Having the watchtower being so easy to read in my opinion is done intentionally. We usually always went "door to door" in more rural and lower income areas. It is easier to convert someone who doesn't have much is an easier sales pitch. Giving them hope that they will resurrected to "everlasting paradise". My mother was easily converted because she grew up in a non religious abusive home. Having a congregation made her feel more complete.

When I was younger it was encouraged that we did not attend a university. the less educated we were the less we would question the organization.

So to sum it up they prey on the uneducated lower class.

[Exjw2015deed]

Now I am wondering if JWs and Mormons have done kind of implicit understanding about which neighborhoods they will hit. We get dubs regularly and there are always copies of the Watchtower at the train station close by, but we haven't seen Mormons.

Speaking of The Watchtower, it makes me feel offended on behalf of the JWs!!! That thing is so simplistic and condescending. Anyone with an 8th grade Englishr eading level or above should be rolling their eyes over it, so I CANNOT BELIEVE they get converts.

I grew up having to do door to door service "spreading the good news." There was never any territory battles between Mormons and jdubs, it's not like they're mob members fighting over who has what territory to sell crack.

Having the watchtower being so easy to read in my opinion is done intentionally. We usually always went "door to door" in more rural and lower income areas. It is easier to convert someone who doesn't have much is an easier sales pitch. Giving them hope that they will resurrected to "everlasting paradise". My mother was easily converted because she grew up in a non religious abusive home. Having a congregation made her feel more complete.

When I was younger it was encouraged that we did not attend a university. the less educated we were the less we would question the organization.

So to sum it up they prey on the uneducated lower class.

[MarblesMom]

I grew up having to do door to door service "spreading the good news." There was never any territory battles between Mormons and jdubs, it's not like they're mob members fighting over who has what territory to sell crack.

Having the watchtower being so easy to read in my opinion is done intentionally. We usually always went "door to door" in more rural and lower income areas. It is easier to convert someone who doesn't have much is an easier sales pitch. Giving them hope that they will resurrected to "everlasting paradise". My mother was easily converted because she grew up in a non religious abusive home. Having a congregation made her feel more complete.

When I was younger it was encouraged that we did not attend a university. the less educated we were the less we would question the organization.

So to sum it up they prey on the uneducated lower class.

Finally, the Jay Dub mystery explained.... we lived in LA in a very... interesting.... neighborhood... and the Jay Dubs were on our street EVERY WEEK. Our car was stolen off the driveway, twice, and we frequently heard gunshots. Jay Dubs musta thought we were one of of the uneducated lower class that needed saving... LOL, we just lived there... educated and not lower class. Now I know why they frequented us :) Thank you.