(Via Isabelle)
I was 5 years old the first time the Witnesses came to my home and spoke to my parents. I don’t remember how many times they came back, but it seemed all to quickly that my mother suddenly threw out all of our holiday decorations and I was told I couldn’t have birthdays anymore. Suddenly I had to take strange pamphlets with me to school to explain to my teachers what I was. I didn’t get to participate in any holiday activities. I was made to go to these boring meetings and day long conventions and sit and listen to things I didn’t understand. I felt so left out of everything. I wasn’t permitted to have birthdays, or to go to any parties. When I was 10 my mom allowed me to play on a soccer team at school, but I was instructed to keep it a secret. As I approached my teens I became very frightened about how good I was being, and I was so afraid of upsetting Jehovah and going to hell that I tried to do extra good, and became obsessive about my actions. I was terrified, never sure if I was being good enough. I was told when the new paradise came that all of my memories of former friends and relatives who weren’t witnesses would be completely erased. Upon reaching the age of 15, and in the middle of reading “The Crucible” in school, I realized the witnesses for what they truly are. I refused to go to any more meetings and have since set out on my own spiritual path. I am much happier now. I wish my parents had never been witnesses, and I will never put my children through such trauma.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
It's so horrible for anyone, particularly a kid, to go through this. Besides, birthdays and holiday celebrations are important to kids in America. JW sucks the fun right out of life! It's like a sci fi story…
September 16th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
It's equally difficult for kids and adults alike! I am now almost 32 years old, remarried with 3 beautiful, funny, and smart kids. My former life as a Jehovah Witness still haunts me… it has been 5 years, 3 months, 11 days, and 4 hours (Stuttgart, Germany CEST) since I submitted my dissasociation letter to the last elders that came to my home.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I could relate to everything you said in your entry. My mom was a Jehovah's Witness for about 6 years, when I was in elementary school, and I remember going to school with notes pinned on my jacket about not participating in holiday celebrations and not saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I also remember the insatiable desire to be good all the time so I wouldn't be so afraid of the consequences if I screwed up…I started heading off my mom's punishments when I was 9, thinking that if I was repentant enough, maybe it would show and she wouldn't need to punish me.
I remember the day she told an elder she was leaving for good. His parting words were, "You know what you're doing by leaving? You might as well take a gun to your daughters' heads because it's the same thing." I was 11 and my sister was 9. So glad we left.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
I spent 14 years growing up as a Jehovah's Witness… really the lack of birthdays/holidays is hardly the worst of the situation.
its the fear of doing anything wrong or the invisible man in the sky will smite you… that fear which is present on different levels in all religions…
Also, this whole Faith business is bad for the human race…
February 26th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
I don't believe an elder would say such a thing. Please don't exagerate. "You know what you're doing by leaving? You might as well take a gun to your daughters' heads because it's the same thing."
February 26th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
"its the fear of doing anything wrong or the invisible man in the sky will smite you… that fear which is present on different levels in all religions…"
Do you think this "fear of doing anything wrong" is that bad? Last i check it's a PROTECTION since we know that bad things have bad consequences and ruin our lives.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
It's not horrible for everyone. there are millions of grown-up JWs and many of them spent their younger years serving Jehovah already. They're still joyful now. They may have not celebrated birthdays but their Bible-trained conscience comprehend why they ought not to. And that should not cause any trauma unless the kids know why. They're still happy and if not, why are they still JWs? if it's too restrictive, why so many members still? The door is wide open if anyone wants to come out. The sad truth, many of those who were formerly Jehovah's Witnesses become so bitter about it. If they have really moved on, why still linger and keep count and malign this religion? Another sad truth, it's easy to get out of that religion, but you'd have to crawl to come back in and prove your integrity to Jehovah… Jehovah couldn't be mocked. Jehovah is a God of justice.