Many Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses Have Received Texts from Loved Ones Ending Their Relationships Forever

[lilwriter85]

Friendly Atheist posted this article which isn't surprising, in regards to people who have left certain religious denominations. . The stories are sad and the article is a bit long.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/03/many-ex-jehovahs-witnesses-have-received-texts-from-loved-ones-ending-their-relationships-forever/

 

[December]

Not a huge shock to me, given the personal anecdotes I've heard from an acquaintance who was in a similar situation. And yet, still very tragic. I can't imagine how many families and friendships have been torn apart because of stuff like this.  

If someone tells you to cut off contact with anyone just because they have different views, whether it's a religious leader, romantic partner, etc... red flag! 

[Free2BeMe]

You would think a parent, sibling, aunt or whatever would have a conscience that's saying this is wrong, why are you doing this? have these JW folks lost their ever loving fucking mind?

[AmazonGrace]

Perfectly biblical to break with people over theological differences as long you warned them first . 

 

Quote

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Titus 3. 

Not from the JW translation though. 

 

I always have known that is a sin to disagree with me.

[Hortense Peyrac]

56 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

I always have known that is a sin to disagree with me.

So I agree

[klynn]

My husbands boss is possibly going through something similiar.  I don't know all the details, only that his wife has taken the kids and is filing for divorce.  Before they joined the JW, they were normal, although I know there were problems in the relationship, one major issue was some cheating.  They joined the JW's looking for, I don't know, safety, redemption, something.  Hubby's boss is a really nice guy, not pushy with his beliefs at all, and considers my husband his friend, even though we are so not JW, or even religious.  I do know my husband is worried about him, and isn't sure what is going to happen.  I hate thinking something like this is what the outcome will be.

[mallallory]

How absolutely vile. My step-uncle is JW, for most of my childhood he was not allowed to live with his wife (also JW) because he had done something to upset the local cult leader and she was told she couldn't stay with him until he repented, etc.  They never had any children in large part due to that. I'm not sure if they're back together or not, my mom didn't try to stay in touch after her dad and later his mom died. 

[ADoyle90815]

12 hours ago, Free2BeMe said:

You would think a parent, sibling, aunt or whatever would have a conscience that's saying this is wrong, why are you doing this? have these JW folks lost their ever loving fucking mind?

Unfortunately, cults like the JW's expect members to cut off family members and spouses who leave or piss off local leaders.

[Coy Koi]

My former landlord was JW. One time she left some JW literature (one was a book a few hundred pages long) at my door. Later she mentioned that her 5-year-old son wanted to give it to my young daughter. Like that made it appropriate to evangelize to your tenants (and she wasn't the owner, she was just the manager. I didn't report her though, I liked her, as unprofessional as she was).

[ester]

it seems the JWs are taking a page out of the Scientology playbook.

[Dark Matters]

1 hour ago, ester said:

it seems the JWs are taking a page out of the Scientology playbook.

The JWs are an older cult, so I'd say Scientology probably got it from them.  However, Scientology seems to have deeper pockets and a higher profile because of the celebrities that got sucked into it.  Outside of Prince and Michael Jackson, I don't think you hear much about any celebrity JW adherents.

[Swamptribe]

A coworker has been going through this for years.  Some children will talk to her, some wont.  One parent will the other won't.  It's heartbreaking.

[Jana814]

Just now, Swamptribe said:

A coworker has been going through this for years.  Some children will talk to her, some wont.  One parent will the other won't.  It's heartbreaking.

Is your co-worker a former JW or still a practing one?  

[karen77]

1 hour ago, Swamptribe said:

A coworker has been going through this for years.  Some children will talk to her, some wont.  One parent will the other won't.  It's heartbreaking.

MY hairdresser has also been through this for a while, sad.  (Former and came out a while back).

[smittykins]

1 hour ago, Dark Matters said:

The JWs are an older cult, so I'd say Scientology probably got it from them.  However, Scientology seems to have deeper pockets and a higher profile because of the celebrities that got sucked into it.  Outside of Prince and Michael Jackson, I don't think you hear much about any celebrity JW adherents.

The only other celebrity JWs I'm aware of are Venus and Serena Williams.(That kind of surprised me because from what I've read, organized sports are discouraged for JWs because they take too much time away from meetings, going door-to-door, etc.)

[Jana814]

 

10 minutes ago, smittykins said:

The only other celebrity JWs I'm aware of are Venus and Serena Williams.(That kind of surprised me because from what I've read, organized sports are discouraged for JWs because they take too much time away from meetings, going door-to-door, etc.)

I didn't realize they were JWs. 

[catlady]

Mr. CatLady's dad's family is JW; his dad had nine siblings, most were baptized, a few were not.  baptism was the key for them:  since my FIL had not, it was ok that he married a Methodist and raised his kids Methodist.  if you're baptized, you either stay forever or get cut off.

one of the baptized uncles married within the cult and had 5 kids.  all five were baptized, but one met his wife later on.  she is Catholic, and the son left the JW's to join her faith.  that did it.  mom and dad mostly excommunicated him for that.  the five siblings were never all together at the same time again.  if the son visits mom and dad, the other four stay away. only one of his siblings sees him with any regularity.  two of the baptized uncles will not attend family gatherings (even larger reunions) if the son is present, with or without his wife.  this has gone on for nearly 25 years.

[feministxtian]

My stepdaughters were baptized as JWs in their early teens. They have since left the JWs...and their mother won't have much to do with them at all...We have more to do with them even though we live on the other side of the country from them now. 

[iweartanktops]

When I was 7 and my brother was 5, our neighbors were JW. The mother, in her 40s at the time, told us that the cross is actually a sign for a penis. And that Christianity is wrong. This grown woman told two small children this! There's my input. Fucking crazy. 

[Jana814]

6 hours ago, iweartanktops said:

When I was 7 and my brother was 5, our neighbors were JW. The mother, in her 40s at the time, told us that the cross is actually a sign for a penis. And that Christianity is wrong. This grown woman told two small children this! There's my input. Fucking crazy. 

That's horrible!!! I have an ex-friend who is now a JW.  She was very gulable so this didn't completely surprise me.  I have a feeling she convinced her mother to become one. 

[Koala]

My great uncle's wife converted to JW many years into their marriage.  They had 2 teenage daughters who suddenly weren't allowed to celebrate birthdays or Christmas.  Total change.  Eventually she divorced him and cut ties with her daughters.

[SrMaryEloquentia]

JW.org has been quite busy around here, standing on very public corners offering tracts. I used to file that under "mostly harmless", but changed my mind after reading Misha Anouk's surprisingly funny book "Goodbye, Jehova". He grew up as JW, but left the cult as an adult. The whole shunning practice seems to be a way to enforce loyalty - if you leave, you'll loose your friends, and even your closest family will be forbidden to keep in touch unless it is literally a life or death matter. 

I also recommend jwsurvey.org for more insight into Jehovas Wittnesses (it's run by a group of dissidents). It really is quite fascinating if you're looking for yet another rabbit hole of  religious weirdness. 

[DaisyD]

We've had a couple of JWs come by over the last few years. They only knocked the first time. My pit bull mix is very vocal when strangers are at the door. I may have allowed him to strain at his collar a bit.  They just stick their tracts in the door now.

[Cleopatra7]

12 hours ago, iweartanktops said:

When I was 7 and my brother was 5, our neighbors were JW. The mother, in her 40s at the time, told us that the cross is actually a sign for a penis. And that Christianity is wrong. This grown woman told two small children this! There's my input. Fucking crazy. 

The JWs believe Jesus was crucified on a stake or a regular tree (I've heard it both ways), not a cross, although the cross=penis thing is new to me. I'm not sure how you can crucify someone without the top part for the hands, but I don't think the JWs have thought this out well.

17 hours ago, smittykins said:

The only other celebrity JWs I'm aware of are Venus and Serena Williams.(That kind of surprised me because from what I've read, organized sports are discouraged for JWs because they take too much time away from meetings, going door-to-door, etc.)

Selena was also raised JW.

[CoveredInBees]

(Not a JW story - but it reminded me of this story)

A little while ago, my teenage daughter was dating a boy from a fundie lite family. I had my issues with this, but kept my gob shut for fear of pushing them closer together. He knew she (as well as us) was an atheist, but kept pushing for her to attend church with him (3 hours every Sunday - in my day it was an hour) she went to youth club with him but was uncomfortable with some of it.

They finally split whilst he was away at bible camp. They had been texting and she had mentioned Halloween (quite a big deal at our house, I don't know how it hadn't come up before), that obviously moved us from "not being in the light" to "Satan worshippers".

He dumped her by bible verse (something about not associating with unbelievers) and told her that God told him to do it (coward). 

Not long afterwards, I was speaking to a friend who attends their church (not in quite as deep - yet). Apparently, they 'prefer' that the younger members only date within the church in order that their girlfriends/boyfriends have the same morals as them. Needless to say, I had the conflicting emotions of being happy she was out of it whilst raging that we had been judged for leading immoral lives. 

Oh, and he had a new girlfriend rather quickly (also atheist) so........... still associating with those pesky unbelievers