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It's sad that Jehovah Witnesses look down on having friends that are not JW. I wouldn't like to be told who i can be friends with, no way, never.

It's also sad to see kids of JW not able to play with other children who are not JW. Let kids be kids, let them play, remember they are only kids.

It's even more dissappointing that a family remember is thinking about removing her kids from school so they wont be around other non JW kids. That's taking away from the childhood, what happens with the kid decides not to become a JW, he or she never had a true childhood, sad, sad, sad..

How can people accept the fact that Jevohah Witnesses are promoting a form of segregation?

2007-04-05 03:13:36 · 12 answers · asked by R.D 1 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

I also will like to add the fact that i have a nephew being brought up a JW, he loves sports, likes to play and watch but again his parents dont let him. So when he's around me, we play and he's have a time of his life and i see the shame that his parents are denying this from him, all because the belief of JW, why why why.

My nephew wants to play sports in school and will never get the chance too because the JW religion will not let him, what a shame..

2007-04-05 03:40:19 · update #1

12 answers

Yeah right! I don't hear that. It's not a balanced thought.

It's unnatural not to have friends. Even God had a friend (Abraham). If the parents of these kids aren't balanced, they will portray something that isn't true. That's unfortunate.

2007-04-07 07:00:50 · answer #1 · answered by Zoila 6 · 3 0

You are going to get some very diverse responses to this. Particularly from those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. To wit: one person posted that 'you cannot even acknowledge a family member who is not JW and you have to disown them.' This canard is repeated incessantly and yet nothing could be further from the truth. I have been a Witness for over twenty years. I am the only one in my family now that my mother is dead. I have disowned no relative. Neither am I expected to. If this has been the experience of some, it is unscriptural at the very least of it and ridiculous at the very worst. I have a few who I consider to be fairly close friends. They are not Jehovah's Witnesses. It is true that Christians are admonished to be careful with their associates. That is reasonable, is it not? And it is true that 1 Corinthians 15:33 is often quoted: "Do not be misled: Bad associations spoil useful habits." Why? Interestingly enough, the apostle Paul was here discussing the resurrection hope. Paul cited the resurrection of Jesus Christ and yet there were those who were denying this teaching. Paul warned of associating with some. See how the wrong association can undermine one's faith? A fundamental and important teaching was being denied by some claiming to be disciples of Christ and that denial was threatening the faith of others. Serious, indeed. It truly matters who your friends are. A person can be affected detrimentally in a spiritual way by those he chooses as his friends. But this is true in other matters as well. Hannah J Paul

2016-05-17 22:28:39 · answer #2 · answered by aline 3 · 0 0

JW can have friends who are not JWs, they are merely cautioned, as it states in the Bible, "do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers."

Do we avoid all non JWs? No. But as far as our associations, and those we let our kids play with - does it make sense to avoid certain types of people? Do normal parents stop their kids from hanging out with trouble makers? Witness parents do the same - they don't ban their kids from being around non Witness kids. Do some JWs home-school? Yes. Do all? No. Do non Witnesses home-school their kids sometimes? Yes. The vast majority of Witnesses do not, however.

Witnesses do not promote segregation, we merely try to limit our time with individuals who do not share our moral standards. Why? We have strict moral standards that we live by, and if we spend all of our time with people who commit immorality, are dishonest, curse, etc, it becomes far more likely that we will slip into these habits ourselves.

2007-04-05 03:27:31 · answer #3 · answered by Andrew G 3 · 5 1

Naturally you chose close friends because they are people who care about the same things you care about, and they like to do the same things you do....

I grew up in a Witness family and have never once felt "deprived" in ANY way. My childhood was wonderful and full of love. Don't feel sorry for us. We are a happy people!

I went to public school from pre-school to graduating from community college. I chose friends based on my personal values. These values were instilled in me through studying the Bible.

I am happy to share the wonderful truths and hope held out in the scriptures with anyone who wants to know them. That's why we go from door to door. Love for all people and Jehovah God motivates our work. Do you call that segregation?

2007-04-08 13:50:10 · answer #4 · answered by KayFresh 2 · 1 0

I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I am a parent. I tell my daughter she needs to be careful who she plays with at school and never did i ever say "not to play with kids who are not Jehovah's Witnesses." She has friends who comes over that are not Jehovah's witnesses and do their homework together. Just as long they are not a bad influence to my child, whether a witness or not are welcome to be her friend. As for sports? I used to be in the volleyball team in High School. My parents allowed me to join the team just as long it does not intefere with my spiritual activities. I'm sure, your nephew's parents have very good reasons why they don't like your nephew to hang out with non-JWs. Maybe your nephew is learning things that children are not supposed to learn. "Bad associations spoil useful habits"--- i suggest that before you throw out questions like this on Y Q&A, you may want to ask your nephew's parents first for every parent has their own ways of raising their children.

Just because some parents are strict about their child having friends who are not JWs does not mean our children don't have friends. They have many friends, their age, in the congregation.

2007-04-05 07:11:13 · answer #5 · answered by Agape 3 · 6 0

1 Cor. 15:33 & 34 says "Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits. Wake up to soberness in a righteous way and do not practice sin, for some are without knowledge of God." With so much violence and immorality in the schools these days, I don't blame your family member from wanting to take her children out of school. The Jehovah's Witnesses do not promote a form of segregation. The Bible says at 2 Cor. 6:14-17 says "Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be′li·al? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I shall reside among them and walk among [them], and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”

2007-04-05 03:33:06 · answer #6 · answered by Earthgirl1914 3 · 4 1

I'm a Jehovah's Witness and I have a number of friends that are not Jehovah's Witnesses.

And as a kid, I played with who my parents saw fit for me to play with. As any parent would. Whether the child was a fellow JW or not had nothing to do with if their moral background was acceptable.

Only a few Jehovah's Witnesses do home schooling. And I wasnt' one of them. I went to public school from kindergarted to 12th grade, and I graduated early with an academics scholarship. I associated with kids there, but I was wise enough to know who I needed to associate with and who was not a good choice.

I suggest you get the facts straight on the group as a whole and not just one member you know. Everyone is different and chooses things differently.

My standards come straight from the Bible, God's word. I like to associate with others who accept the Bible as God's word and try to live their lives accordingly.

Edit: It's not that the "JW's" won't let him, his own parents won't let him.
My sister is a Jehovah's Witness, and she is raising her children to be that way also. But guess what...my nephew and niece - who also likes sports - plays on a basketball team, football team, and my niece plays soccer. It's the parents, not the religion. Stop blaming the religion just because you don't like it. His mom has the right to choose what he does and doesn't do, not the religion.

2007-04-05 03:18:57 · answer #7 · answered by ♥LadyC♥ 6 · 6 2

Ya know my brother feels the same way about not being told whom he can/can't be friends with. He got his feelings hurt when I wouldn't be friends with his friend. The Pedophile.

My brother felt the same way about his daughter being able to play with whom ever. After her little friend started trying to break bones he started to change his mind.

Many parents feel the same way. I remember how thankfull my mother was that I was homeschooled when Colombine happened.

The "segregation" you refer to is called discernment. We must ALL make choices on who we/our children play with, where we/they go, what we/they do.

As Christians we Witnesses try to make the best decisions we can, with Bible principles guiding us.

There are rarely, if ever, perfect choices in this VERY immperfect world. I personally have NEVER met a "perfect" parent, who never made mistakes. All of us probably have at least one thing we will do differently with our children, assuming we have any.

As to your comment on Witnesses promoting a form of segregation. M-w.com refers to segregate as "to separate or set apart from others or from the general mass". According to this most EVERYONE is segregated. I assume when you mention segregation you are likening it to when people are segregated due to race. There is, however, a vast difference between deciding who your child should associate with based on the choices they make/influence they have, and choosing to avoid someone because of the color of their skin.

Judging someone because of something they cannot change, or because of lack of information, is wrong.

However, it is the Job of Parents to decide what is right/wrong for their child. If you have a problem withit you should take it up with them.

2007-04-05 15:06:43 · answer #8 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 1 1

Slander and anti-Witness propaganda.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/

2007-04-05 06:41:40 · answer #9 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 4 2

they are cult sad to say and will never accept that they were only formed about 200 years ago by someone who couldnot accept the doctrines of god being three in one. they also like to promote their faith as being the only true believe of god. i have had so many arguments with them. they hate children being children when their children attend kingdom hall they have to wear suits and sit still. thank the lord my children will attend a free church and not be bored when learning about our lord and saviour. god bless and keep you

2007-04-05 03:21:53 · answer #10 · answered by kath 5 · 1 6

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