Jehova's Witnesses

[southsideirish]

My wife has recently been studying with them and to be honest with you it is scaring the hell out of me. I don't like what these people teach and it seems very cultish to me. Almost like they isolate themselves from the rest of the normal world with no celebration of birthdays, christmas, or easter, which the majority of us celebrate. There are also no blood transfusions. We are about to have twins and this is really scaring me that our kids would be brought up into this situation.

 

I guess I am looking for information from people and if what I feel is correct. Should I be scared about this? Should I try to get my wife away from them? I fear it is too late and they are already brain washing her. I have no place to turn to or anywhere to try to get her mind free and see that it is nothing but a cult. WHAT CAN I POSSIBLY DO? I feel that I will lose my marriage and it will affect the way my children are raised if I don't get her out of this thing.

 

PLEASE HELP!

[SoxFan1]

You're not serious are you?

[Soxbadger]

In college one of my best girl friends had a roomate who was a Jehova's witness.

 

I think the part that really got me was something along the lines of:

 

"There are only 140,000 spaces in heaven and almost all of them are already taken, what we are offering is a place on Earth after armageddon."

 

MAN'S DESTINY: According to Jehovah's Witness theology, a person has one of three possible destinies. The Anointed (144,000) will be in heaven to reign with Jehovah God. The rest of the faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (not of the 144,000) will live forever on a paradise Earth. Both of these classifications are determined to a great extent on membership in the Watchtower organization as well as going door-to-door spreading the message of the Watchtower. Those people who are not members of the Watchtower organization will be destroyed by Jehovah God and cease to exist. There is no concept of eternal punishment or hell in Watchtower theology (Let God Be True, pp. 90-95, 289).

 

http://www.watchman.org/profile/jwpro.htm

 

SB

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:35 PM)

You're not serious are you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I am dead serious.

[Chisoxfn]

I can't say I know a lot about the religion, but I knew one lady who was a jehova witness and all I can say is that it really sounds like a cult to me. She would tell me a little bit about it and she had a child who was raised into it.

 

In fact, we had a Happy Birthday thing for her kid and she got so pissed at us for saying it that she went nuts (I worked with her and she'd bring her kid in so everyone at the office was familiar with her and we got a cake for her little girl on her bday). I also have my opinion that its the dumbest religion I've ever heard of. They can't celebrate anything and it seems like all they do is complain about stuff.

 

I'd be worried, but thats coming from someone thats agnostic. And I should say I only knew this one lady who we worked with and we just all felt so bad for her daughter cause her mom was nutsy and the daughter was nice and smart.

[Rex Kickass]

Dude, that sucks that you feel you are losing your wife to religion. At the same time, asking her to make a decision between her religion and you would only cause a lot of heartache and pain for the both of you.

 

Have you two talked about your religious beliefs that you share and don't share? How the children would be raised spiritually? Maybe it would be smart to ask her how her beliefs would affect your future children? Tell her that you wouldn't feel it's fair to deny your children the joys of birthdays and Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Tell her that you can't accept refusing medical treatment for your kids like a blood transfusion.

 

But unless you two communicate and share openly your spiritual beliefs with each other, it won't work - I don't think at least. You might find out that what she believes is just strict and not cultish. And she might be open-minded about what you need from your relationship with God too. Make it clear that you're concerned because you're confused about what her new religious path means for them.

 

But talk with her first and see how she's feeling about this and your family first before you fly off the handle and start calling them cultish or whatever. I guess, handle with care is the best advice I can give.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:35 PM)

In college one of my best girl friends had a roomate who was a Jehova's witness.

 

I think the part that really got me was something along the lines of:

 

"There are only 140,000 spaces in heaven and almost all of them are already taken, what we are offering is a place on Earth after armageddon."

http://www.watchman.org/profile/jwpro.htm

 

SB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There is another cultish thing they push. Always pushing that the end of the world is near. I have heard that they have made many false prophecies as well. When I told my wife about this she asked her Bible study person and she had a legitimate answer for all of them. False prophecies are supposedly the work of the devil, correct?

[Chisoxfn]

There is another cultish thing they push. Always pushing that the end of the world is near. I have heard that they have made many false prophecies as well. When I told my wife about this she asked her Bible study person and she had a legitimate answer for all of them. False prophecies are supposedly the work of the devil, correct?

I always know they go around whining and saying your the devil for celebrating halloween and all that stuff too. It seems like they are too damn concerned with everyone else and what other people do for joy.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:38 PM)

Dude, that sucks that you feel you are losing your wife to religion. At the same time, asking her to make a decision between her religion and you would only cause a lot of heartache and pain for the both of you.

 

Have you two talked about your religious beliefs that you share and don't share? How the children would be raised spiritually? Maybe it would be smart to ask her how her beliefs would affect your future children? Tell her that you wouldn't feel it's fair to deny your children the joys of birthdays and Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Tell her that you can't accept refusing medical treatment for your kids like a blood transfusion.

 

But unless you two communicate and share openly your spiritual beliefs with each other, it won't work - I don't think at least. You might find out that what she believes is just strict and not cultish. And she might be open-minded about what you need from your relationship with God too. Make it clear that you're concerned because you're confused about what her new religious path means for them.

 

But talk with her first and see how she's feeling about this and your family first before you fly off the handle and start calling them cultish or whatever. I guess, handle with care is the best advice I can give.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Trust me, we have talked. That is what led me to this post. We communicate very well.

[SoxFan1]

The worst ones are the ones that knock on your door every day...

[Steff]

I really hope this does not sound rude.. but you need to discuss this matter with your wife.. not us.

 

Good luck.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:40 PM)

I always know they go around whining and saying your the devil for celebrating halloween and all that stuff too.  It seems like they are too damn concerned with everyone else and what other people do for joy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Very true. That is when she first started and she didn't want to celebrate Halloween. She wouldn't even pass out the candy I bought for the children. She said that they are celebrating the devil. I said the kids dressed up as spider man and the princess are celebrating the devil? All they know is that they say trick or treat and they get a damn piece of candy. It is a great holiday for kids and they are not even thinking about God or the devil. It bugged the crap out of me.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:42 PM)

I really hope this does not sound rude.. but you need to discuss this matter with your wife.. not us.

 

Good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Steff, have you read my post? I have discussed it with her. I am looking for information about this and to find a way to get her out of it. It is scary to me, which I have told her. I have posted here to get information because I can reach the most people this way and someone may have information for me. Do you really think I would not communicate this with my wife? I don't mean to be rude either, but will you at least please read my posts before you post to them. It would really help a lot.

[Chisoxrd5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovahs_Witnesses

 

Why don't you start here...

 

Few questions for you-

 

Does your wife have any former history of religion? family members?

 

When/how did this start?

[SnB]

I worked with one at my job in high school. While i can't say I know much about the religion, I know she never talked about it with anyone unless someone asked, or brought up a holiday.

 

Very un-cult like.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Chisoxrd5 @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:50 PM)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovahs_Witnesses

 

Why don't you start here...

 

Few questions for you-

 

Does your wife have any former history of religion? family members?

 

When/how did this start?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thank you. That helps a lot.

 

She does have a history of religion. She has been involved with different sects of Christianity. She is always looking to get closer to God and to get to know God.

 

This started about 2 months ago. Her mother has been involved in it and has now got my wife and sister-in-laws involved in it.

[Steff]

Steff, have you read my post? I have discussed it with her. I am looking for information about this and to find a way to get her out of it. It is scary to me, which I have told her. I have posted here to get information because I can reach the most people this way and someone may have information for me. Do you really think I would not communicate this with my wife? I don't mean to be rude either, but will you at least please read my posts before you post to them. It would really help a lot.

 

 

Yea.. I read your post. And I'll say it again just as I did the first time I read it.. I'm sorry.. but religion is something you shouldn't be going to outside sources for advice on. Perhaps someone in your current religion could help..?

 

And I'm going to be honest with you.. I'll bet a lump that some asshole poster will come in here and s*** on you and your request for help, and it will start a bunch of s*** no matter how innocent your question was.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:55 PM)

Yea.. I read your post. And I'll say it again just as I did the first time I read it.. I'm sorry.. but religion is something you shouldn't be going to outside sources for advice on. Perhaps someone in your current religion could help..?

 

And I'm going to be honest with you.. I'll bet a lump that some asshole poster will come in here and s*** on you and your request for help, and it will start a bunch of s*** no matter how innocent your question was.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks Steff, but that is not what you said the first time. You said that I should discuss this with my wife. I clearly stated in a couple posts before that that I did discuss this with my wife.

 

Someone in my religion would still be an outside source, would it not? This is the best way to reach a lot of people at once to find information. Where else do you go for reigion except an oustide source? I don't understand that comment one bit.

 

I don't care if an asshole poster is going to s*** on me or my request for help. That will just show their ignorance. I can and will ignore a response like that. Someone on this board has helped me with information already. That is what I am looking for. Past experiences with these people. Maybe someone that studied with them and has some stuff that they learned from them. Stuff to look out for. This cult/religion makes me nervous from what I have learned about it so far and I am asking to see I should be reacting this way. False prophecies, no holidays, no blood transfusions, and the end of the world is near talk lead me to a very cultish uneasy feeling about the whole thing.

[Steff]

Ingorance.. interesting description.

 

Good luck.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 11:06 PM)

Ingorance.. interesting description.

 

Good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What is that supposed to mean? Please explain.

[Steff]

What is that supposed to mean? Please explain.

 

 

 

Uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

 

I wasn't refering to someone coming in and crapping on you as that.. if that happens I would guess it would be a direct shot from someone who doesn't much like JW's and has stated so before.

[Chisoxfn]

Hell I should say my opinion is totally uneducated. Honestly best thing I could suggest is to meet the people your wife is meeting and talking to. Try going to there church on a Sunday (or whichever day is the big worship day in that religion) and try to see what its all about.

 

I'm not educated on the issue and because of that I have my stupid stereotypes that may not be correct.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 11:13 PM)

Uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

 

I wasn't refering to someone coming in and crapping on you as that.. if that happens I would guess it would be a direct shot from someone who doesn't much like JW's and has stated so before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I knew what ignorant meant. I wasn't asking for a definition and I think you knew that. I don't think you really had to go out of your way and go to thesaurus.com for me, but that was nice of you.

 

Sorry, I am IGNORANT to the fact that someone around here doesn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses and has stated that before. Is there a reason for this dislike or is there just an ignorant dislike for them?

[Steff]

I knew what ignorant meant. I wasn't asking for a definition and I think you knew that. I don't think you really had to go out of your way and go to thesaurus.com for me, but that was nice of you.

 

Sorry, I am IGNORANT to the fact that someone around here doesn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses and has stated that before. Is there a reason for this dislike or is there just an ignorant dislike for them?

 

 

I was being a bit of a smart ass there..

 

 

I don't know what their problem is.. I try not to pay much attention to threads on religion because it is an individual and personal thing.. but I recall a near WW3 a year or so ago where JW's were compared to pagens (I think that's was what they were called.) The devil worship folks.

 

In any event.. good luck. Try what Jason suggested. Maybe meeting them will give you a better feel for things.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 11:22 PM)

I was being a bit of a smart ass there.. 

I don't know what their problem is.. I try not to pay much attention to threads on religion because it is an individual and personal thing.. but I recall a near WW3 a year or so ago where JW's were compared to pagens (I think that's was what they were called.) The devil worship folks.

 

In any event.. good luck. Try what Jason suggested. Maybe meeting them will give you a better feel for things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have met them. As people they are nice. It is what they teach and preach that has me concerned.

 

They are far from pagans. Pagans aren't devil worshipers either. Pagans practive nature or earth based religions, much like the native americans. I don't know why they have such a bad name attached to them such as devil worshipers. If anything, from what I have learned, they try to seperate themseleves from pagan rituals. They consider birthdays and weddings pagen rituals. They can even date Halloween back to the pagens which is why they don't celebrate it.