I was raised a Jehovah Witness as a child and had so much anger towards my mother when I found out that I had been cheated a Christian lifestyle. I realize now that I was brain washed as so many of them are. I still don't know where the religion came from or find something to show my mother. My church gave me some brochures but I really need a website or something. I feel sorry for my mother who has lost 30 years to this and is always depressed and sad. She deserves more in life and it is such a challenge to talk to her about anything. I want to send her a link so that she can look privately without admitting to me that she did-to find the REAL truth.
2006-11-27 07:09:25 · 30 answers · asked by chandeeo 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Religion is not a substitute for medical care. It seems that your mother might benefit from antidepressants such as Paxil and Zoloft, and there is no shame in pursuing this health care.
In the meantime, be assured that any mother is safe with the Jehovah's Witness brotherhood.
These facts about Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps relevant to this question. The more one compares this Christian religion with others, the more remarkable it is shown to be.
1. Jehovah's Witnesses have no paid clergy. Yet they remain tightly organized with more than 6.5 million active Jehovah's Witness preachers (about 16 million associate themselves with the religion). Even fulltime preachers and workers at their branch offices are unpaid volunteers.
2. There is no elite class among Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the few 'anointed' among them enjoy no special privileges in their congregations on earth. An anointed person (one of those relative few with a heavenly hope) is not elevated above his fellow congregants in any way, and he may not even qualify for appointment as a simple 'deacon' or elder. There are no titles; EVERYONE is addressed as 'brother' or 'sister'.
3. No person benefits economically from the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the 8 to 20 men who serve on their Governing Body receive simply room, board, medical care, and reimbursement for certain personal expenses according to the exact same provision as every other branch volunteer.
4. About a hundred men have served on Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body committee during the past 125 years or so. The vast majority of them have spent the vast majority of their adult lives volunteering for their organization's purposes, and the vast majority have died faithfully and near-pennilessly while still under their legal 'vow of poverty'.
5. Amazingly, Jehovah's Witnesses did not splinter as a sect from some other religion. Instead, a truly tiny but sincere group of bible students studied only the Scriptures to determine the will of God. Thus their religion remains absolutely independent of and not carrying the sins of Christendom's history, yet carries the authority of Christ's teachings.
6. Despite the distortions of anti-Witnesses, throughout their modern history Jehovah's Witnesses have refused to claim divine inspiration or infallibility for their teachings. They have pointed to the bible (and not any particular translation) as the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's thoughts. For over 125 years, their teachings have been presented as merely the results of sincere bible research by imperfect but godly humans.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20040601/article_02.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/who.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm
2006-11-27 09:02:22 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
There is no "evidence" regarding the religion you can show her that will change her mind. However, I would suggest, if you really fee the she is unhappy, and that it may have to do with the religion, that you sit down and be honest with her. Explain to her your misgivings about the church and also that you have noticed she is unhappy. I don't think it is appropriate to say you were cheated, because everyone experiences different things and we all have learning experiences. If you really want to make a difference you will find your own faith, whether it be another Christian religion or other faith, and gain a strong knowledge and belief. If you know it is true, and you can explain it and back it up, then it may influence her. By pointing out the flaws in someone, or someone's faith, you will never change them, but most likely drive them further away. It is about being an example, not tearing others down. Lastly, if you want to know about the teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses you should seek knowledge from them, and not some negative and argumentative website. I am not a Jehovah Witness, but I believe in the power of the human heart and mind.
Good luck.
2006-11-27 07:24:28 · answer #2 · answered by straightup 5 · 3⤊ 3⤋
If you want a real life, you should go back even further to being a Jew. They have so many more celebrations of life and of God.
You are not tied down by the issues such as Hell Fire or learning the teachings of an itinerant preacher who had no formal religious education and was executed for heresy to the traditional beliefs of God's only beloved people. Beliefs that dated back far longer than the so called Christian beliefs. These people turned on their brethren, right for the beginning, over 1900 years ago, going house to house, telling them that the Messiah had come, which is not possible as he did not bring about Armageddon and the end to all believers of false religion. They are just as bed as JWs who think he came a second time without starting Armageddon.
It is clear that Christian are brainwashed out of fear of spending eternity in a flaming hell. They are so fragmented with many religions under investigation of molesting children. Judaism is the true religion of God and is a lot more fun to be in.
2006-11-27 07:48:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
It is sad to hear your story, but realise that you are not alone. Currently there are over 150,000 people leaving the Watchtower Society every year, and more than 1 million in the last 10 years
www.jwfacts.com has a lot of information in a very clear format to help you understand why they are wrong and how to present that information to your mother. It also very factual, without too much animosity coming through.
www.jehovahs-witness.com is a chat room with over 25000 people registered, mostly former JWs that can also help and let you realise that you are not alone. You will get the best ideas from them.
You need to be realistic about the power of mind control in high control religions like the Watchtower Society, Mormons etc. Your mother will not accept reason unless she is ready to leave, and it normally takes quite a strong person to admit they were conned and spent their entire life devoted to a lie.
2006-11-27 17:09:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Nothing that will help you. It's funny that you said you had been cheated [out of ] a Christian lifestyle, but you never said what that lifestyle is. By saying that, you have provided just enough fodder for those who dislike Witnesses to give their distorted views of Jehovah's Witnesses. Are you happy now? If your mother really is sad and depressed, it's because you rejected all the values she tried to instill in you. If I were your parent, I would be depressed too.
After learning the truth about false religion, you went ahead and joined it. What a shame. Do you think your church will tell you the truth about how paganistic Christmas and Easter are? Will they teach you that God is not a trinity? Will your church encourage you to get out and proclaim what you learned from the Bible like the first-century disciples of Christ did? I don't think so.
Your mother has my sympathies.
2006-11-27 07:14:01 · answer #5 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 6⤊ 4⤋
wow you sound really crazy!!! first of all she's a grown woman and can believe what she wants.....and so can you. it seems to me that your trying to brainwash your mother into thinking and believing in false religion which is sad.....it seems to me as if you dont love her b/c if she's chose to be one of Jehovah's witnesses for over 30 years than she's happy and satisfied with it.......hopefully you'll learn to let her live her life
2006-11-28 07:08:13 · answer #6 · answered by calientechickspicy 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I am a spiritual person who is raised Catholic, only goes to church on "Catholic" holidays, and who believes very much in Jesus and the Holy Trinity. I have several friends who are Jehovah Witnesses. They've never pushed their views on me, but have welcomed me to join at them for church, though I've never accepted their invitations. I respect everyone, and their beliefs, and choices on how each person chooses to worship what he/she chooses to believe. As far as I know, being a JW is a choice, They don't force anyone to be that way. Most religions make themselves out to be the only one that God recognizes. Even though I don't regularly go to church, and don't agree with every single teaching of the Catholic church, I enjoy the sermons when I do go. At my confirmation classes, they showed us films on babies being aborted and things of that nature. Some people would consider that a form of brain washing, but what most religions do is preach their take on the bible, and it is their follower's choice to believe and accept what is being taught. Religions inform people of what they believe God is saying to us through the Bible. None of my friends who are JW have ever told me that I'm going to Hell if I don't join them or anything in a threatening manner like that. In fact JW's don't believe in Hell because it was never mentioned in the Bible. If they were to use those kinds of threats, then I would consider it brain washing. But they do the same things that most other religions do, which is to be missionaries, to inform others of the Bible's teachings. I don't see anything wrong with that. JW's are just more widely known for doing that, and so they've built a reputation. My view is ... who are any of us to say what the REAL truth is. I believe what is in my heart. I know I'm a good person, or at least I try to be. I believe that if God intended for us to be perfect, he would have made us that way; and it is my belief that there is no "one way" to worship God. Nor do I believe in condemning anyone for the way they choose to worship. I think it's wonderful that you are happy in your decision to not be a JW, and that you are worshiping God in the way you see fit. But I don't think your mom is unhappy because she's a JW, and you should probably allow your mom to make her own decisions in life. I've learned a lot from my friends who a Jehovah Witnesses when we discuss religion. They're more informed than most people are, and seek their answers for questions asked in the Bible. That is what they believe, and none of them have insulted me for what I believe. When I speak to my friends who are Muslim, they are just as passionate about what the Quran teaches. It is the few extremists out there who make a bad name for each religion, and then others who choose to stereotype those religions as extreme base on a few number of people in those groups. Try to find the real source of your mom's unhappiness. I think the real fault in religions is when you see those who preach of poverty and the meek inheriting the Earth and then drive home to their manisions in their Ferrari's. I once catered a preacher's party who lived in a mansion with a swimming pool, and a downstairs movie theater, and drove a Ferrai, wife drove a BMW, and daughter drove a Land Rover. How's that for brain washing. Furthermore, my friends who are JW are some of the most genuine people I've ever met.
2006-11-27 11:36:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
we are not brainwashed or a cult. if your mother wants out that has to be up to her. no one holds you to be a Jehovah Witnesses you will get a lot of mean and nasty people saying bad things about us. if your mother is unhappy she is old enough to make up her own mind. .children have to obey there parents not the other way around. www.watchtower.org. Jesus was not born in dec. he died in april (nisan 14) he was 33 1/2 years old count six months more and we come to oct. so celebrating it in dec is a pagan holiday. Jesus told us to celebrate his death and since it is in april (nisan 14) the passover or last supper, we as Jehovah Witnesses all around the world in 235 lands, celebrate it.
2006-11-27 07:14:07 · answer #8 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋
As you probably know, the biggest hurdle is the support system. The JW method is to sever all contact with the non-JW world outside of praselytizing. Either family and co-workers must become JWs or they should be avoided. When someone "leaves" the organization, they are isolated so they have no support. This can be very scary for someone who's "known" that their former faith is the only "true" one.
She needs to be able to see that there are people who care about her and will share their lives with her. Here are a few links. I haven't reviewed them. Look for the ones who are trying to provide support rather than just convert to another denomination. She needs information, not more indoctrination.
http://www.towerwatch.com/Support/Support.htm
http://www.watchthetower.com/
http://www.xjw.com/
http://www.exjws.net/
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ExJW/
or websearch "former jehovah's witnesses".
And remember that it is her decison to make.
2006-11-27 07:28:47 · answer #9 · answered by skepsis 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Well you can let you mom know that..we have no reason to be sad...or depressed. That is a demonic spirit and is not of God. make it personal with her. Ask her..how can a God she has diligently serve for 30 yrs. allow her to be so sad. Then show her in your bible how the joy of the Lord is our strength. If the satan stills our joy he can get us in a depressed saddened state and then he can talk all kinds of craziness to us and drive us to do things that are hazardous to out lives and to others. In the end killing and stealing all that God has for us. Also Jesus dies on the cross so that we can live and abundant life. finacially, heath wise, as well as our moods.. we're to be happy . at the end ask one simple question.........
would it hurt to try it one time?
it being the christian faith..let her know she has nothing to loose but everything to gain..she already sad and depressed what could make it worse..dare her even to try Jesus...and wanna be filled with his HOly Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the comforter. and much more.
2006-11-27 08:57:01 · answer #10 · answered by grpcia007 1 · 1⤊ 4⤋