Any JW's remember the Smurf Doll incident in the 1980's?

Question

A story went through the congregations in the 1980's that a new family at WT Study one Sunday let their daughter bring her Smurf Doll to the meeting; and, that during the meeting the doll jumped off the chair and said, "I've had enough of this ****," and walked out the door. As you may recall, it was commonly believed in the WT that Smurfs were representative of demons.

My question for current or former JW's who were in the Tower then, how was this received in your congregation; and, do you have any other incidents you remember?

Yes, it is ridiculous, but it actually was believed by many.

To Jinenglish: ROTFLMAO! I gave you a thumbs up for that, it made me laugh!

<3: Were you in the WT in the 1980's? If so, how was it discussed in your cong?

Ms_nmducote: No lie. Although many knew it was just a story, you'd be amazed at the JW's who actually believed it, even at least one CO who I knew.

Incidentally, I was on QuickBuild committees for several years as a project co-ordinator. The KH's you build now may have windows, but not a single one of the ones I was involved with did. The plans we got had to be approved by NY, and they said it was for security reasons, as well as saving utility costs.

Linedancer and Brownskin: I don't get your question. Of course it never left so it couldn't come back. It was just a story that many JW's believed and passed around as if it was fact.

The silliest thing is that anyone would have been gullible enough to actually believe it!

Jason W: It really ticks me when a Dub who wasn't even there insinuates that I'm lying. The reason I left the WT was because of perjuries that the elders and our CO covered up in a criminal case involving a congregant. Then, when I wrote NY, the legal dept said even if I reported the perjury, they would hire attorneys to quash any subpoena or investigation. I HATE liars! If I didn't, I'd still be there! So, for you or anyone else to compare me to the hypocrites who followed their father the Devil and father of the lie, is not excusable.

This story actually made the rounds in the 1980's and many JW's believed it was true. If you weren't an eyewitness, then don't judge. After all, the WT says only at the mouth of two or more witnesses will they believe child abuse took place. If they require two witnesses for something that serious, then be a big boy and give me at least two witnesses that I'm lying.

To Betty Boop: Get a life. You're just in it for shock value. Grow up.

In agreement with the 'two witnesses' rule, I now have FIVE who recall this incident: Myself, <3, Kier22_2, missmurder, and missromance.

I am still waiting for Jason W to either produce his witnesses that I am lying, or to admit that I am not lying and that he inaccurately inferred that I am.

Jason?

To PapaBear: Whether it was started by a Pentecostal (and how would you know?) or a Methodist or a Moonie, I don't know. But I do know it was passed around in the congregations as a fact, and many believed it. My Circuit Overseer related it from the stage as a fact. And, as you can see from others, they heard it and know that some believed it, too.

Wherever it started, or by whomever, my question was, how was it received in your congregation, not whether it was true or who started it or if it was a sinister plot against the Watchtower. My question was, how did ones in your congregation react to it, and what incidents you remember. There is no sinister plot here! No need to circle the wagons in paranoia!

Ya know, I don't get this. Is having a sense of humor now against JW theology? Can't laugh at your own foibles? MEIN GOTT! How do you guys 'n gals think you represent your god if you get all huffy and practically accuse everyone of being a liar?

I've seen so much anger and animosity from JW's on here, and they infer /accuse others of lying in public, right on the page. But when called on the accusation, they won't fess up in public. Sometimes they will in private. Accuse in public but apologize in private? I thought repentance was about 'righting the wrong'!

If people won't listen to you, maybe some if the reason is in the image of god reflected in JW behaviour! Who would want to associate with people who are always defensive and on edge and ready to pounce? Is that how your god is? Is that Christlike?

Sheesh!

And, why is ALWAYS someone else's fault? It seems like EVERY error is the fault of a member of another church - Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, whatever. Hey, if you've been going for long, you have met some in the KH who have some real emotional / mental issues. How do you know that this story didn't get started by an unbalance person who actual was deluded that it had happened? How do you KNOW it was a Pentecostal? DO YOU KNOW FOR A FACT that the story had NEVER EVER been told before the Pentecostal told it? Are you Omnipresent and Omniscient?

IT - IS - O-K - TO - MAKE - MISTAKES!

People will much more likely accept it as a mistake if you just fess up instead of always always always blaming someone or something else.

Even if someone is attacking you, prove yourself as cautious as serpents but AS INNOCENT AS DOVES! You do not have to be like knives ready to slash anyone who questions or disagrees!

Do you really think that kind of behaviour makes God love you more?

Hey, Ishvarlan, I never said the rumours were started with malicious intent; PapaBear said that. I never said the WT officially believed it or promoted it. I said my CO presented it as fact from the stage. If you'll notice, the "rumour" was repeated in many places, even Australia. So, obviously we all couldn't have KNOWN each other and put together this fantastic story. Obviously a smurf doll didn't actually get up and walk out of a KH. They probably had their WT underlined and raised their hand to answer (j/k!)

It wasn't 'typed' on the internet. If you recall - if you're that old - the net was not public yet in 1984, and PC's still used DOS. Win1.0 was not released until the following year!

The point is, that many JW's are conditioned to BELIEVE these incredible stories. Whether or not a Pentecostal in Costa Mesa started it - which would be hard to track - what does it say about the credulity of people who actually BELIEVE it and pass it along as fact?

To Anna: I totally understand your husband's frustration. I had a scholarship offer in my senior year and wanted o - so - badly to be an attorney. But, after counseling from elders about how dangerous it would be to expose myself to 'Satan's Philosophies and sly teachings of men,' I turned it down. Years later, they finally said, 'ok, if you just MUST get higher education, then choose vocational courses, BUT STAY AWAY FROM PHILOSOPHY!'

How many wonderful gifts lie dormant within folks like your husband we will never know, because the WrongTower snuffed the spirit of wonder and achievement.

One final reply: To NewSystemLady. You -who weren't even there yourself - presume to say that most of us believed it was just a silly story and that YOU (I suppose because you believe you're smarter than the rest of the Witness) would have been so wise as to dismiss it as such.

As you would know if you were there - or even if you'd have read all the others who have posted that they remember it - it was NOT just a 'small minority' who believed it. Circuit Overseers, DO's, pioneers in many different countries heard and believed it. Because we were conditioned by tales of demonism to do so.

My experience as an elder and contact with many in different congregations is that it was widely believed as true.

But, then, I know you wouldn't want to let the facts get in the way of your visions of perfection.

Answer 1

I've heard a similar story as well. I heard that Yes, a young girl/boy had brought in the smurf doll to the Kingdom Hall, but that The Smurf jumped off and ran up to the Platform where the Brother was giving his talk, pulled on his pants to get his attn. and started to speak in diff. languages...that's all I heard. I don't know the rest. It's true, play telephone and the story DOES get all distorted. I believed this for so long, but I'm not sure.
F.Y.I.: Up until today, I still don't know if it is true, but My aunt who is also a Witness told me that along time ago, she had bought her son and daughter (my cousins) some Smurf shoes (but for walking around the house, don't know how to say them in english, he he), anyways, so it had the smurf head sticking out in front (i hope u r able to visualize this), and so every now and then they kept telling her that the smurf would turn around and bite their leg, and that they did not want to wear them anymore. She wouldn't believe them, until she started to notice their legs did indeed have bite marks. Now why and how would they bite their own legs? She had heard of that other story of the smurfs as well, and decided to burn those shoes.
I am not trying to be funny or say this in mockery. As I said This is no joke!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Any JW's remember the Smurf Doll incident in the 1980's?
A story went through the congregations in the 1980's that a new family at WT Study one Sunday let their daughter bring her Smurf Doll to the meeting; and, that during the meeting the doll jumped off the chair and said, "I've had enough of this ****," and walked out the door. As...

Answer 3

Hahahaha haha!

Say - Do you think it's still running around the streets now?
And if it is - I wonder if it's run across Big Foot?

Is there a point behind this question?
It's just a silly story

JWs are not "conditioned" to believe ridiculous things as you say. That is a sweeping statement again, classing most JWs as the same.
Please dont judge all of us on the basis of your experience with a few. You know it isn't right. It's a shame you judge the whole organisation because of a tiny minority. Each one of us has to answer to Jehovah.

Personally, I found the story quite funny and if I had heard it would have dismissed it as most Jehovah's Witnesses would.

Answer 4

I personally never heard this one. I do know some did not watch the Smurfs. Many religions tried to have the show kicked off the air. I used to watch it. It wasn't until seeing it reairred, I think on CN, that I noticed allot of things that made me uncomfortable with it. Case in point, the leader has what looks like a pentagram on his neck. The show involves Witchcraft (as I remember). Is it true rumors get started?? Yes. Is it sad that people at times believe them, with no proof??? Yes. Does this mean that the one's passing the rumor on are doing so wit malice or ill will??? No.

Consider, rumors start so incredibly easily. In school we always loved playing the rumor game (I don't remember the exact name). The way the game works is simple. The first player whispers something in to the second player's ear. The second player then tries to reitterate what the first player said into the third player's ear. The game continue's until the last player has heard what the first player said, filltered through several people. The point of the game, asside from humor, is how easy it is for things to get turned around. Just because someone makes a mistake does not mean it was on purpose.

This whole thing is another good reminder that we should never believe something we read on the net, on the sole basis that someone typed it.

EDIT
Sorry, should have been

This whole thing is another good reminder that we should never believe something we read on the net/hear from someone, on the sole basis that someone typed it/said it.

A CO once told the story about the sister in the grave yard. He said it was a funny joke, that sadly, some took as more than a joke/illustration.

Answer 5

JW Urban Legends

A young child went to the circuit assembly with his parents. The child brought a little stuffed toy with him. The stuffed little Smurf, got up in the middle of the assembly and walked out the door. Apparently the demon inside the stuffed toy could no longer take the "light" and "truth" inside the assembly hall and had to get out with quickness.

Or another version

Took place at a kingdom hall and it was a teenage girl w/ a smurf in her purse. The smurf walked out of the purse during the opening song, and went down the aisle and out the door, yelling the whole time, ''I can't take this.”

Question: Anyone know how the smurf was able to exit the building? That little thing would have to make a running leap just to get to the door handle…….LoL

JW Urban Legends

A sister knocks on the door of a killer or rapist to offer the good news. She makes her presentation and talks for some time with the man, gives him some literature and leaves. As she is leaving, a patrol car passes by the house and recognizes the man as a suspect they have been looking for. The officers jump out and arrest the man on the spot. As they are on their way to the precinct, one officer asks the man why he didn't attack the woman who was talking to him.. The man's reply........?

"How could I when she had those two large men standing there with her!"

JW Urban Legends

There was a story going around years ago about a Sister who lived in Tennessee, worked the night shift, and walked through a cemetery as a short cut to work. One night, she encountered a "worldly" woman who approached her and asked the sister if she'd escort her through the cemetery, since she was afraid of walking through it alone after dark. The sister replied "Why yes, I'll be happy to walk with you. You know, I used to be afraid of cemeteries too, when I was a part of the world." Whereupon the "worldly" woman fainted unconscious to the ground.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

My husband was a JW from 83-03... he never heard the story about the doll (though he did appreciate it just now!) but he was taught that smurfs were absolutely evil and his little sister was prohibited from owning one.

He said that at Thursday meetings at the Kingdom Halls they talked on "local needs" and there may have been a meeting highlighting how cartoons act action figures would not represent things that a JW would like to have. Rock & Rap music, R movies, extracurricular activities like school dances, proms, sports, activities with "worldly" friends.

His biggest nondoctrinal hypocritical peeve is that in the 80's when he graduated high school, it was "highly discouraged" to go to college, but if you did, and only two year degrees were allowed, it should be for something that would be beneficial for rebuilding the earth after Armegeddon! The New Light is that it is no longer frowned upon to receive a full education, and higher degrees- for ANY reason!

He didn't go to college because he was conditioned to BELIEVE that it would make him "bad"!!! He is now in college.

PS- Just because he didn't hear the rumor, doesn't make it untrue (eh, the fact that there was a rumor, not the actual legend)... Jason should know better than to respond without research!!

EDIT - I am SO sorry to hear that you were made to feel like that about such a great opportunity! And, to be honest, from what I know of you so far, you would make a GREAT lawyer!! Wow, you really would. I hope that you might still entertain it!

One of the brothers from my husband's Kingdom Hall was made an offer to play for a NHL hockey team in the 90's and was made to feel that accepting this as a career, would put him amongst too many worldly people and take away time from Jehovah...and they pretty much decided for him that he should not do it. What a dream crusher for him, for you, and for my husband, and who knows how many others....

KEIICHI - lol, my husband mentioned the other urban legend that you described... he said that the watchtower taught that it was probably angels watching over the witness. Funny that JWs don't believe in guardian angels though.... so that can't be it....

Answer 8

From 1969 to 1996, was JW. Yes, I heard the Smurf story. From elders, CO's etc. We didn't know what an urban legend was back then, but this was certainly a good example of one. We weren't allowed to own smurfs or watch them on tv. We couldn't play with anyone who owned one.
While engaging in door to door, we were warned not to linger in any home where we saw evidence of them in the home so as not to be targeted by the smurfs.

I heard some of the other JW urban legends too mentioned here.
looking back it is funny what we believed to be actual fact. But nothing has changed. I received an urban legend today in an email. People love a good story that re-enforces their fears, their beliefs, their prejudices, the things that urban legends prey upon.
Thanks for reminding me of this.

Answer 9

Ummm, yeah. I do (totally embarassed). And yes, I fell for it too. Proof you can be any religion you want to be but you can still be stupid - myself included. But I did ditch all my Smurfs at the time.

I'm much better now. I'm going to curl up with my Harry Potter Book, light some New Age Candles, and go to my Reiki class right after this.

(JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!)

Answer 10

Ye@ it's for real... Waite till J z gets his taste..