idk the ones around here don't come too often, although i haven't gotten a chance to greet them with my copy of the satanic bible in hand yet

but half of my extended family are witnesses, and my mother grew up in the religion i got to properly meet them in person a couple of years ago and with the exception of my bipolar aunt they weren't too nutty i was 90% sure prior to meeting them that my being an atheist amongst other things was going to make it really awkward but they didn't shun me or anything a doctor gave my grandmother a blood transfusion without telling her though oops

Another Witness kid. c:

Yes, they push that a lot. I think one of the reasons I didn't even want to get too involved in it (I remember junior pioneering and being asked/told to join at practically every meeting) was the push, at least in our congregation, to leave higher learning alone ("we don't need anything beyond basic worldly learning") and focus on spreading the 'good news'. I wanted to go to college (knew it since I was seven and before I even knew what a Jehovah's Witness was), so I knew that just wasn't going to work for me. Plus, so many other rules and regulations they had just didn't sit well with me. Especially the one about not associating with people outside the faith, who left, or who were shunned. I mean, if my sister or mom or aunt left, I couldn't just not talk to them. They're family. That's just ... no. I could never believe that God would want you to basically say 'f-you' to members of your family and never have a relationship with them until they believed what you believed again. And I felt they were backwards with the treatment of women. Like we couldn't give actual - in front of the entire congregation - talks and you couldn't hold certain positions. It seemed so sexist to me, like we weren't at all equal in God's eyes. I couldn't stand it, though I think a lot of religions are similar in that. Not to even mention the accident that happened to me that eventually led to me leaving.

Yes, I remember the 'do not call' list. I'm not sure if they still do it. The only Witness I still know is one of my aunts (and her children), whom we don't talk to because she didn't have a problem with shunning us...

- We were also actively discouraged from pursuing higher education. Fortunately that worked out fine for me, I had zero desire to go to college, anyway, but now I see that any religion that would actively deny you knowledge is a Very Bad Thing and to be avoided at all costs. I also wanted to do some of the things the boys could do, like work the sound booth, and carry the mikes, but no, you are a girl you're Not Allowed To. I also found that silly.... and certain parts we couldn't do that I knew I could read better ? sigh.... I get the whole men are in the lead, but, that's discounting all the gifts women do have.

I remember that nasty self righteous feeling I'd get in elementary school when I'd "proudly" say that I wouldn't take a holiday or birthday treat.... I thought I was so much smarter than everyone else, some special snowflake. Now, I see my sister doing that to my nieces and that's pretty fucking condescending behavior.

Well hello fellow survivors.

Not gonna lie, just reading the title made my heart race a little. I had a horrible childhood thanks to those people. Yay shitty misogynistic religions that hide and protect sex offenders! Got out when I was 15, took my parents with me and never once looked back. Luckily I was never cajoled into getting baptised, so no shunning for me. My parents got disfellowshipped, I think. We don't talk about it much.

But to op, I'm sorry they bothered you. If there were any kids there, I assure you they hated it just as much as you did, haha. Just tell 'em you're an apostate or something and they shouldn't bother you again.

- You know, it wasn't until years after I was out that i ever heard any ripples of sex offenders. What I always heard was there was NEVER any lewd conduct w/ kids, and that's why we were so much better than the world, b/c we didn't have any pedophiles ever.... apparently that was a lie. :( I'm lucky in my first hand experience (and extending to second hand based on family/friends) the congregations we were a part of never had these problems, or elders/min/ servants/COs/DOs mysteriously being asked to leave/come under unclear circumstances.

I remember going to Bethel once on a tour, I was the annoying kid who could math in her head. It honestly flustered some of the guides that i could do some of the figures in my head, and I was honestly bothered by the whole NOTHING on your floor in Bethel EVER.... and how poorly they were asked to live/subsist.

Ha, I can't think of anything they preached that wasn't a lie. I'm glad you got a good congregation though. Lots of the brothers and sisters in mine were truly good people, but, y'know, "a few bad apples" and all that.

- Oh I'm not saying it was always peaches and cream, there were .... problems, but nothing 'so' major like some of the bad stories I've heard.

I hated that they discouraged kids to not follow any type of higher education. I mean, it's all well and good to have strong faith and even not be too involved with people (drinking, smoking, etc) outside your faith, but what's wrong with learning more? The internet was always a huge thing with the kids in my congregation. They would tell us not to get on it and to stay away. However, I was home-schooled during my time there and went on the internet anyway and that is when I learned some things about Jehovah's Witnesses that I couldn't believe and that really turned me off of the religion. Can't really say it was all true, and it didn't happen in our congregation (as far as I know), but to know it could be happening in others upset me.

And besides a few little incidents, nothing majorly bad ever happened in our congregation. However, I must say a lot of them didn't follow what was being taught. People went on dates without chaperons. People gambled. Some even celebrated holidays. What they would do is not celebrate on that exact day, but maybe a few days before or after and just call it a get-together. Like a kid wouldn't have a birthday party, but they'd have a get-together a few days later where people brought them gifts and they had a cake with candles. That's pretty much a birthday if you ask me.

- OH MY GOD YOU DID THAT TOO :D Seriously, I thought no one else got away with that.... We went to my grrandma's every year for Thanksgiving (My grandma Violet was "worldly") and my mom always made us understand it wasn't a celebration, because we were only eating and playing, not "celebrating".... but birthdays were right out, and grandma wasn't allowed to bring us "wrapped" presents on Christmas, but she brought us unwrapped things on Dec 26 (oh my god, the ugliest sweaters known to man.) but one of my fondest memories was the hot pink knit by hand matching skirt and blouse when I was six. I adored that set and wore it out.. but it was NOT a Christmas present b/c it came the day later 'cough' :D

We did celebrate my parents anniversary every year, and we could drink b/c it was a "conscience matter" as long as we didn't do it to excess, and that's something I think my family did right. Alcohol wasn't hidden or banned, but it was shared (i.e. we had a sip twice a year from dad's nasty ass pbr) with us and allowed ot be had by us as we were older teens long as we were at home and they knew what we had. All of us like to drink, but none of us drink to excess, and I have let kidlet try a lot of different alcoholic things (sips a few times a year now to maybe a shotglass full of an alcohol mixed in juice or soda).

@ Doe Yeah, it always really bothered me that they pushed "serving where the need was greater" over actually getting an education and doing something with your life. But since "millions now living will never die" what's the point in higher learning? Or starting a family? Or making any kind of life plans? We'll all be in the new system before you need any of that.

I'm jealous you guys got the not-holidays. My parents were super high on the kool-aid, so everything was expressly forbidden. My mom is so bad that seven years later, she still calls it The Truth, and when I left, my dad was an elder. But we would go to my grandmother's house at some point in November for a big meal, and that's the only thing we had. No presents whatsoever, birthdays were just a normal day, and we weren't even allowed to accept gifts from school friends. I had to sneak off to a friend's house for my first birthday party at 15. Her mom bought me my first birthday cake. Ironically, gifts were from the devil, but alcohol was a-okay in my congregation.

If I sound bitter, it's cause I most definitely am

I live in an apartment building so they don't really bug me that often. If they buzz the intercom I just say I'm not interested and hang up. Sometimes they get upstairs, either by waiting until someone else goes in or out, or until someone lets them in. If they still come to my door anyway after already being told "no" via the intercom, I'll just yell "Didn't you hear me? Not. Interested. Please leave." through the door. Usually once they get in they just wander around the building knocking on random doors until the super makes them leave.

We've got a big "NO SOLICITORS" sign by the bells and again in the lobby, but it looks like they think that doesn't apply to them.

Since you know a bit about it.. do you know if they have like.. a plan where to knock? Sorry if that sounds stupid, but i always wondered why they approach some people, but never try it on other people in the same neighborhood. Do they choose randomly who to ask or is there a concept behind? Or are they just annoyed by the task and don't feel like trying it everywhere? Oh and.. why are blood transfusions not allowed?

As far as getting rid of them goes.. i sincerely don't appreciate people walking all over our property without permission. And a lot of them do so as soon as nobody opens the door promptly, just to see if we are maybe somewhere in the backyard or garages. Just.. no. So.. i have to admit, i guess i kinda make fun of them..? ^^' Like.. asking about taxes, if they believe in longcat too and telling them to come back when they sell tomatoes. I remember one time they were so persistent and kept coming closer, i told them i was fucking catholic and something like "you infidels will burn in hell!" before slamming the door.

..now i feel a bit bad for them.. ;_;

They have, like, different territories, and each Saturday (assuming here that most witnessing is still done on Saturdays) they all meet up at the kingdom hall and get assigned their territories. Then they're supposed to go door-to-door and knock at every house aside from the ones on the do not call list. Some JWs don't really do it though, cause a lot are only still in cause they'll be disowned if they try to leave, but they're required by the church to get in X hours of witnessing each month. So then you end up with what you've noticed, where it seems they're half-assing it.

And I wish I could remember the blood transfusion thing, but I don't remember the details. I wanna say it's just 'cause they consider it unclean or something.

Yes, we did the 'celebrate, but not on the day' thing. Pretty much everyone went along with it, except a few of the elderly members. There was also a family who didn't celebrate and, oddly, people treated them badly. They talked about them, shunned them, and they eventually left to find another congregation.

I loved Christmas(that set you had reminds me of this awesome shirt I had. A girl's face with huge heart sunglasses, yarn hair with a huge polka-dot bow, and pink poodles in the lenses. I wore that shirt until it was literally a rag, lol). Though we always made sure to do it the following week or the week before, so that meant it wasn't really celebrating Christmas because it wasn't on that day or even in that week, lol. In my family, Christmas (and any other holiday) is awesome when you're a kid, but once you hit 16/17, presents and actual celebration dwindle to nothing, so I have nothing but good holiday memories from that time. So, when people come and say how sorry they were I didn't get to experience all that, I find it kind of funny. I experienced it more when I was a witness than after. Alcohol is shared in our family, too. Mainly wines and champagne. I believe I had my first wine when I was 5. We were taught, and most others in our congregation agreed, that a little every now and again is fine as long as it's nowhere near excessive.

I also felt that way. I just hate anyone discouraging people to seek more knowledge, but I think that is a way for them to have more control over you and keep you believing. If your ideas are small, you never think beyond, and you believe what they tell you, you're the perfect member because you won't think about what they are teaching or question and challenge it. I never got baptized, but my my grandmother, mom, and a few aunts and uncles were. One of my cousins, too, if I can remember right. I just couldn't dedicate myself to something that I didn't seriously believe in and agree with. None of my family refers to it as The Truth anymore, but they forbid me to call it a scam, cult, or talk badly about it at all. I'm glad you got your 15th birthday, though. Birthdays are nice little milestones (your own little special day) and I always felt bad that some kids didn't even get not-birthdays.

(I'm a little bitter myself, honestly.)

explained it pretty much. Not much more to add, except that some are definitely not doing it to the fullest for a lot of different reasons. As for the blood thing, it's considered unclean, I believe. Also, I think there is something in the bible that tells Witnesses to abstain from blood.

I do have to laugh at how persistent the witnesses are where I live now. Most leave us alone, but there are some that bother our neighbors like crazy. I honestly don't think the witnesses have told them about the Do Not Call list ... unless they just don't have it anymore. I don't know.

Sorry if this was all jumbled. Sleepy as heck. xD

I collect their magazines. XD We get Jehova's Witnesses at our door quite rarely, but there's a family in the neighborhood who practice this particular religion, and sometimes they stop by to offer some new magazines. Around here the Witnesses are actually pretty polite and I've never had anyone act like "NO LET ME IN I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT GOD LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK OKAY??" soooo I don't really have an opinion on them.

- It comes from their interpretation of Acts 15:29 where Paul talks about the things first century Christians (Which some of them co opt and say were first century Witnesses, because that was a thing already, you know.) being Christians were forbidden from eating/taking into their bodies. "to keep abstaining from ... blood and from things strangled" to them implies that blood is a holy thing and JWs aren't to eat it or, in the year of transfusions and stuff, not by surgery either (The strangled is so that you don't eat an animal's blood which is also holy....) I left out the extraneous bits of the verse, btw. So, taking in blood in food is out, and now, that follows to not take in any blood for medical reasons either. Paul was a visionary apparently ;)

We didn't do the half assing of doors, we'd canvass everything, because our groups went out two by two by two and leapfrog over houses, so you had 2-4 other people watching you, and you watching them to make sure everyone had a chance to "hear the word of God" when I was little in Milwaukee. After we moved up to northern WI, the way we half assed it was if you didn't want to sidewalk all day, take a rural territory, where you got to sit in the car and drive to each house. But then everyone still had to take turns and get out, but it was definitely easier on the feet ... plus, naps on the way back ;)

Ooh, ok, thank you all for the input!!

And concerning the blood.. thats surprising. I thought it was more a "science is evil" kind of thing.. ^^' clueless

You're welcome.

I thought that, too, when I first heard about it, but yeah, it's something they get from the bible, basically.

It's rare that they stop by, but it happens. Usually, we just go hide somewhere in the house and pretend we're not home. (They usually get the hint after a while...at least the ones around here. I have heard stories where that doesn't work, though.) Once, when I was a baby, my mom engaged them for a little while, then had enough. So since she was holding me, she pinched me, and I started crying so she could use the "Oh, I have to take care of the baby!" excuse. Another way I could head them off: "I'm sorry, I respect your views, but my son is a hemophiliac, so any religion that is against medically-necessary blood transfusions is...not for us. Thanks anyway, though. Have a nice day!" (I don't actually have a son, hemophiliac or otherwise, but it's a good excuse.)