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irina_444 t1_ix9oq9f wrote

I have friends who are JW. They are nice people and do no harm. They are rooted in their beliefs and grounded. You can just tell them you are not interested in converting and they won’t push.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ix9u3h6 wrote

One of my closets friends has a JW family. Awful, awful people with awful, disgusting beliefs

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irina_444 t1_ixa86bi wrote

What’s so awful about their beliefs?

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixa8h74 wrote

Everything. They disown they’re own relatives for not wanting to be a JW, to the level of kicking them out and cutting off all contact. They are EXTREMELY misogynistic. Etc. Just look into it yourself

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irina_444 t1_ixaaqm7 wrote

Well, I did. I’ve been friends with a JW for over 15 years now and she has always been one of the people I can rely on during difficult times. Her daughter is JW but her son is not a JW and they still talk daily and are very close. My Mom is in another country and also has JW friends for decades. Occasionally they want to talk about the Bible with her but she shuts them down. They still come back to her and maintain the friendship. On disowning someone, there might more to that story than simply not wanting to be part of JW.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixac5zw wrote

No it’s in their practice. You know a family who is extremely atypical to JW’s and do not go by the normal teachings. I know a family who very much does, and it’s not pretty. You can do a few minutes of research and see that.

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irina_444 t1_ixachjn wrote

Well I know several JW families in more than one country and they all have the same practices. It sounds like you are judging a whole group by your one experience with that one family.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixaco69 wrote

It sounds like you’re not telling the whole truth, or at least don’t care to look to far into their cult. It’s not based on “one family”, it’s based on common, public knowledge about their practices as a church and belief system. Which is borne out by this family

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irina_444 t1_ixadf5r wrote

I have no reason to withhold truth here. Just sharing my experience with the JW families that I’ve met. Not one of them shunned me or their family members outside of JW.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixadtj4 wrote

Well I’m glad there are JW members who go against the basic teachings of their church. Either way, I still don’t believe you’re telling me the whole truth.

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irina_444 t1_ixae6i1 wrote

You have the right to believe what you want. Your beliefs are rooted in your experience. But just because someone disagrees with you, doesn’t mean they are not telling the truth :).

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixaffq5 wrote

It’s more like what a stranger on the internet is saying doesn’t match up with the overwhelming experience of the majority of people, including myself. So, sketch

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irina_444 t1_ixafu9o wrote

Show me the statistics that say the majority of people have this experience and we can talk. So far, we are both strangers on the internet sharing our personal experiences.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixagxoi wrote

If you can’t do basic research into the basic beliefs of the JW or look into some reporting about their insular communities or how they treat people in general, well idk what to say. Not gonna do your research for you.

I mean, it’s ridiculous to the point of utter willful ignorance that you don’t know this stuff

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Essarray t1_ixbicv1 wrote

Hi. Former member of said cult here. I escaped when I was 20, currently closing in on 50. They are extremely psychologically abusive to their own kids every step of the way. Members are only allowed to hang out with other cult members unless they're trying to convert someone. If you commit the unforgivable sin of disagreeing with the WT society's constantly changing beliefs you are removed from what is then your only support network. They really do suck.

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jWalkerFTW OP t1_ixcji8f wrote

I’m very sorry that you were forced to endure that. I can’t imagine how difficult it was, and how scary it must have been to leave. I hope you’re doing well nowadays!

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Essarray t1_ixcyvta wrote

Ehh, shit happens. Thank-you though. Currently I am enjoying watching them slowly go out of business every time a kingdom hall closes and gets sold. It's hard to sell "the apocalypse will be here any day now" for 140+ years (1881).

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PhoebeCaulfield02 t1_ixandzs wrote

OP is right. If you were baptized as a JW and decide to leave, all your JW friends and family members are directed to shun you. If they don’t obey, they’re at risk of being shunned as well. The difference is whether you were baptized or not.

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bbqchickenpizzza t1_ixcsjsx wrote

I wasn't baptized and my family is shunning me anyways🤷‍♀️ gotta love cults

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PhoebeCaulfield02 t1_ixef3jd wrote

I’m not surprised. It’s a gray area and unfortunately how you’re treated depends on optics and how it affects appearances, and not actual scriptural ‘justice’

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