JW Married to a Jehova Witness....

[Ruzty1311]

Hello everyone!

Anybody else here married to a Jehova Witness? Am I the only one lol?

Back Story:
-Met my now wife back in 2007 and when we met I told her I was Christian, although not really very strong in my walk, and I knew she had a JW backround. I had asked her if she would convert and she was open to it. Kind of left it at that...
-Fast forward to 2010 and we are now married.
-About 5 years, a house, and 2 girls later she decides to go back to the JW's. I was a bit shocked, but we hadn't really been in a good spot for quite a while to that point. As reluctant as I was to just flat out say "no", which I didn't have a right to anyways, I told her she could do what she wanted if she felt the need. It ended up saving our marraige as she turned herself around 180* which ended up making me want to be a better man for her since she had changed for the better. I didn't know much about the JW's only from what I had heard and was told from family so I didn't view them as something good to be honest. I really think a lot of people don't and might need to try to understand them more and not just go off of these exjw testimonies. Anywho,
-Here we are with now 3 kids. My 2 daughters are deep into the JW life and they love it. I love seeing them so happy to be honest. I love seeing my wife so happy as well. I'm able to gain a better understanding, although still doing more research, about JW's in general by seeing what they talk about in their meetings since its all done with Zoom because their meeting halls are shutdown due to COVID.

I would like to hear some opinions on what they think about all this. I'm one tough cookie to get offended so please, do not reserve your opinions for fear of offending me haha! I seriously do not get offended.
Thanks guys and gals! I want to open this up for interesting conversations also so lets go!

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Well I'm sure you probably have already heard that the JW's are a cult, and that they basically teach that you need to "earn your salvation". So what else is there really to say.... ?

The girls are having a great time now (the JW's entire marketing seems to be aimed at elementary level of education), but they are being set up for spiritual slavery when they become adults. (Their entire Evangelization plan is almost a multilevel marketing so they get to be the chosen 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation).

144,000 - Wikipedia

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hello everyone!

Anybody else here married to a Jehova Witness? Am I the only one lol?

Back Story:
-Met my now wife back in 2007 and when we met I told her I was Christian, although not really very strong in my walk, and I knew she had a JW backround. I had asked her if she would convert and she was open to it. Kind of left it at that...
-Fast forward to 2010 and we are now married.
-About 5 years, a house, and 2 girls later she decides to go back to the JW's. I was a bit shocked, but we hadn't really been in a good spot for quite a while to that point. As reluctant as I was to just flat out say "no", which I didn't have a right to anyways, I told her she could do what she wanted if she felt the need. It ended up saving our marraige as she turned herself around 180* which ended up making me want to be a better man for her since she had changed for the better. I didn't know much about the JW's only from what I had heard and was told from family so I didn't view them as something good to be honest. I really think a lot of people don't and might need to try to understand them more and not just go off of these exjw testimonies. Anywho,
-Here we are with now 3 kids. My 2 daughters are deep into the JW life and they love it. I love seeing them so happy to be honest. I love seeing my wife so happy as well. I'm able to gain a better understanding, although still doing more research, about JW's in general by seeing what they talk about in their meetings since its all done with Zoom because their meeting halls are shutdown due to COVID.

I would like to hear some opinions on what they think about all this. I'm one tough cookie to get offended so please, do not reserve your opinions for fear of offending me haha! I seriously do not get offended.
Thanks guys and gals! I want to open this up for interesting conversations also so lets go!

In my estimation, that's not a bad situation to have as long as the opportunity to learn goes both ways and not just one way (i.e. I mean, it shouldnt' just go the way that a Jehovah's Witness wants it to go. )

You can learn about how and why Jehovah's Witnesses interpret and apply the Bible (via their translation usually) the way they do, but she SHOULD be also open to learning why you believe the way you do and how you interpret the Bible in a more Trinitarian, Traditional way.

 

[Hazelelponi]

When your wife originally left the JW's, she was "disfellowshipped", meaning, any family or freinds she had could no longer speak to her.

If you offered her nothing to replace that family with, she was just floating through life alone (save yourself) without any friend to talk to. No wonder she was unhappy.

When I left Islam and married a Christian man, he replaced all I left behind with his family - who are very close to us and reasonably large... and after I was saved I began attending church as well so all this helped.

I don't feel alone, my husband's family accepted me and love me and treat me well, and if I need a friend to talk to, I have my husband's sisters whom I love dearly.

You really should have done more research into her potential needs after leaving a cult like the JW's, and tried to do better in areas she would need support in, instead of giving up and now allowing your own children to be raised in a cult...

There are no words for that. JUST. NO. WORDS.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

When I left Islam

wow did not know that. God bless you.

 

[Ruzty1311]

Well I'm sure you probably have already heard that the JW's are a cult, and that they basically teach that you need to "earn your salvation". So what else is there really to say.... ?

The girls are having a great time now (the JW's entire marketing seems to be aimed at elementary level of education), but they are being set up for spiritual slavery when they become adults. (Their entire Evangelization plan is almost a multilevel marketing so they get to be the chosen 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation).

144,000 - Wikipedia

Ok so 2 thiings. Did you know that there are a lot of people who call Christianity a cult also? I wouldn't have believed it, but I've seen it said a lot lol So I'll leave it at that. I too was raised to believe that they are a cult, but i can tell you first hand that im very very doubtful of that now.
Secondly, no from what I understand they do not believe that THEY will have 144k Jehova Witnesses chosen for the 144k who are to watch and rule over the earth. There are millions of JWs so only 144k of them being chosen is, just wrong

 

[Ruzty1311]

In my estimation, that's not a bad situation to have as long as the opportunity to learn goes both ways and not just one way (i.e. I mean, it shouldnt' just go the way that a Jehovah's Witness wants it to go. )

You can learn about how and why Jehovah's Witnesses interpret and apply the Bible (via their translation usually) the way they do, but she SHOULD be also open to learning why you believe the way you do and how you interpret the Bible in a more Trinitarian, Traditional way.

It hasn't been too bad honestly. Yes I miss the birthdays and Christmas, but i wont let that drag me to the point of wanting a divorce lol That would just be silly and the way I feel, not right. She comes to my Christmas gatherings, but leaves during the presents openings and comes back after. Is it unconventional? Sure, but i respect her wishes and treat her as my own body as we as Christians are to do I'm learming a lot about certain aspects, and she's opem to hear my end of the bargain for sure hehe

 

[Ruzty1311]

When your wife originally left the JW's, she was "disfellowshipped", meaning, any family or freinds she had could no longer speak to her.

If you offered her nothing to replace that family with, she was just floating through life alone (save yourself) without any friend to talk to. No wonder she was unhappy.

When I left Islam and married a Christian man, he replaced all I left behind with his family - who are very close to us and reasonably large... and after I was saved I began attending church as well so all this helped.

I don't feel alone, my husband's family accepted me and love me and treat me well, and if I need a friend to talk to, I have my husband's sisters whom I love dearly.

You really should have done more research into her potential needs after leaving a cult like the JW's, and tried to do better in areas she would need support in, instead of giving up and now allowing your own children to be raised in a cult...

There are no words for that. JUST. NO. WORDS.

Ok so you weren't a JW or have any first hand experience? The reason I ask is because you are severly off the mark with your statements.
Here are my facts and some facts in general. She was baptized at the time she left. She was NOT disfellowshipped. She was allowed back with no questions asked from the elders. When she was no longer "active" we went everywhere with my friends and some of hers from her work. We werent necessarily living a life of God and I can completely understand why she needed to go back. Her family did not "shun" her. Now.....why not?
Disfellowshipping is done when something EXTREME is done. Deliberately causing havoc within a congregation. Just because one is disfellowshipped does not mean you are no longer to speak to that person. You are just no longer allowed to speak to them about anything spiritual because of the risk of that person pulling you away from God. If that person were to leave the JW and become a Christian, thats fine as well. There is nothing written that they are not allowed to have a Christian friend. As long as that friend isn't trying to get you drunk, party, be immoral, etc. We as Christians should not associate with such friends either. In fact, that IS a biblical belief. I dont remember off hand the sciptures that say this, but its there.

This is straight from her mouth and straight from some of the higher ups that I've heard talk about disfellowshipping.

And again, there are a lot of people out there who call us Christians as cult as well. I would argue that JWs are much more organized than us, thus making it seem like they are some kind of evil lol Now im not saying I agree with everything they do and believe, but for most of my life I thought they were something that im only now seeing they may not be. Not even close. I did tell her that maybe they are different in different parts of the world, but she doesn't know of any such thing. Everyome thinks their bible and religion is #1, so we just have to look at things with an open mind and love our brothers and sisters no matter what

 

[2PhiloVoid]

It hasn't been too bad honestly. Yes I miss the birthdays and Christmas, but i wont let that drag me to the point of wanting a divorce lol That would just be silly and the way I feel, not right. She comes to my Christmas gatherings, but leaves during the presents openings and comes back after. Is it unconventional? Sure, but i respect her wishes and treat her as my own body as we as Christians are to do I'm learming a lot about certain aspects, and she's opem to hear my end of the bargain for sure hehe

Well, that's always a plus, for sure! It sounds like you're heading in the right direction with this. Marriage is give and receive, as you already know.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

Hello everyone!

Anybody else here married to a Jehova Witness? Am I the only one lol?

Back Story:
-Met my now wife back in 2007 and when we met I told her I was Christian, although not really very strong in my walk, and I knew she had a JW backround. I had asked her if she would convert and she was open to it. Kind of left it at that...
-Fast forward to 2010 and we are now married.
-About 5 years, a house, and 2 girls later she decides to go back to the JW's. I was a bit shocked, but we hadn't really been in a good spot for quite a while to that point. As reluctant as I was to just flat out say "no", which I didn't have a right to anyways, I told her she could do what she wanted if she felt the need. It ended up saving our marraige as she turned herself around 180* which ended up making me want to be a better man for her since she had changed for the better. I didn't know much about the JW's only from what I had heard and was told from family so I didn't view them as something good to be honest. I really think a lot of people don't and might need to try to understand them more and not just go off of these exjw testimonies. Anywho,
-Here we are with now 3 kids. My 2 daughters are deep into the JW life and they love it. I love seeing them so happy to be honest. I love seeing my wife so happy as well. I'm able to gain a better understanding, although still doing more research, about JW's in general by seeing what they talk about in their meetings since its all done with Zoom because their meeting halls are shutdown due to COVID.

I would like to hear some opinions on what they think about all this. I'm one tough cookie to get offended so please, do not reserve your opinions for fear of offending me haha! I seriously do not get offended.
Thanks guys and gals! I want to open this up for interesting conversations also so lets go!

As the Spiritual Head of your family you had the responsibility to say no and still do.
Insist they listen zoom meetings of various genuine Christian Pastors. If there is a conflict in time. You can find the meetings on Youtube to play every night of the week.

Also, read your devotions with them from genuine translations of the Bible. I would start with the Epistles of Paul, Book of Acts first thru Jude, then the Gospels, Psalms, Historical OT books. Include the Catholic books too. There is some good stuff in those Catholic Books. Check out the History of Susanna.


1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV / 188 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV / 140 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ...

1 Peter 3:1 ESV / 48 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,

Praying for you and your family.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

read to here

 

[ViaCrucis]

It hasn't been too bad honestly. Yes I miss the birthdays and Christmas, but i wont let that drag me to the point of wanting a divorce lol That would just be silly and the way I feel, not right. She comes to my Christmas gatherings, but leaves during the presents openings and comes back after. Is it unconventional? Sure, but i respect her wishes and treat her as my own body as we as Christians are to do I'm learming a lot about certain aspects, and she's opem to hear my end of the bargain for sure hehe

In all fairness, there are a lot of Christian churches that are, or at the very least operate like, cults. And it's important to acknowledge that and speak against it.

The question on whether the Jehovah's Witnesses are or not depends a lot on how "cult" is being defined.

For example, I would regard any religious group that practices shunning to be cult-like. Regardless of whatever else they believed. Any religious group that does not permit members the freedom of association--such as with their family, their friends, etc--is also cult-like.

-CryptoLutheran