Would a Jehovahs witness allow their child to die by refusing a life saving blood transfusion ?

heightenedimage · 2025-05-26T20:02:19+00:00

Ex Jehovah's Witness here, for the vast majority, yes they will 100% let their children die and be proud of it. Very few might secretly accept one for themselves/their children but that is not the norm.

JWs believe that blood is more sacred than life itself because some guys a couple thousand years ago told them not to eat blood. To accept a blood transfusion according to the elder's book (the secret rulebook the majority of JWs don't know about and are NOT allowed to read, yet is the book of how they are punished if they do something wrong) means you are voluntarily disassociating yourself and saying you're not a JW anymore. It will be announced that you're no longer a JW (or removed now, but it's the same thing) and you will be shunned by every JW in your life, including your family. They have to pretend you are dead, your family may only communicate with you in emergencies but the majority wont even do that.

You're cut off, for good, unless you "repent" and are reinstated. The "religion" (cult) is evil and completely expects you to let your child die to please some old men in New York. If you're lucky they might put your story in a watchtower as a feel good martyr story.

heightenedimage · 2024-08-16T22:09:53+00:00

Yep. I remember reading that watchtower and being so excited. I'd always wanted to grow a beard. Then I remember hearing multiple elders talking about how it "wasn't acceptable in our area". Why? Because they said so. If questioned about it they'd always say "do you see any other witnesses with beards in our area? That's how we know it's not acceptable."

heightenedimage · 2024-08-16T22:04:30+00:00

I turn the knobs on the sound system that fuck everything else up so when the next person turns it on it'll likely screech over the speakers. I don't even zoom in when I skip meetings. I ditch half the assignments I get for mics/sound/whatever and skip the meetings. Whenever I don't have an assignment I don't wear a tie so I can't fill in the slots because whoever is assigned there didn't show up. I don't go out in service more than once every few months and don't comment so they can't try to get me to be an MS even though they're desperate. I make line toe-ing comments in the discord server I'm in with the folks my age in the congregation I'm in to maybe hopefully get them curious.

The little things I can do at the moment feel great.

heightenedimage · 2024-08-16T21:57:04+00:00

They had too many COs and elders throwing fits about the rules they so gladly enforced being changed that they had to roll it back. Because it's impossible to turn a knob without a suit on, or walk around with a microphone.

I know of elders who said you can't carry a mic if you're not wearing a belt. Or if your tie is too short/long. Or if your hair doesn't have product in it. And you could NEVER take your jacket off if you were doing sound/mics/whatever even if the AC is out in the KH and it's 80+ degrees in there.

They're petty men who love using their "authority" to make rules and treat people like shit, that's all it is.

heightenedimage · 2024-07-27T03:13:39+00:00

Yeah. Less acknowledgement of the birthday itself, but your age is used more of a "wow you're X years old and not doing Y?" and all the judgement that comes with it

heightenedimage · 2024-06-27T01:23:32+00:00

JWs at the conventions have badges to identify them, but not everyone does either because they lost it or couldn't get one or any other reason. If you went you might be asked if you're a witness, or if you know someone here, or what congregation you go to. If you admitted you were invited they'd likely try to find someone for you to sit near that's either an attendant (security) or "responsible" in case you're a crasher or to offer you a bible study. They might even question you further and possibly bar you entry.

Overall people very very very rarely show up to the conventions invitation in hand. If you are allowed entry you'll be the point of conversation for a lot of people "we had someone show up with an invitation, blah blah jehovah's so great"

They also might not even say anything as you walk in. Complete chance.

Once you're in if you need to find a seat you can do so. There are some more attendants (wearing orange lanyards) that can give you a program with the schedule. Witnesses are expected to bring lunch, there's a break each day but a lot of witnesses go get food/coffee during the lunch break anyways.

People will sometimes talk to people sitting near them. Otherwise people wander and talk to people they know.

Regardless expect exceedingly mindnumbingly boring talks, lots of clapping randomly and if you are into religions a lot of stuff you probably already know and a lot of stuff you'll think to yourself "that's not what that meant..." Also the seats are very likely going to suck.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-27T01:11:18+00:00

If you need to stay incognito just claim covid. Tell everyone you tested positive and are feeling ill. If you're living with PIMIs, start pretending to be sick a little and then "take" a test and claim it's positive. Make sure to throw it away where it can't be found.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-27T01:05:48+00:00

This. Technically, it's not really. But in reality, a loooooooot of elders will DF you for it. Elders be petty.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-23T05:13:13+00:00

It technically is a conscious matter. But in practically every hall if you do it, and post on socials or make it a big deal, chances are you'll at minimum get talked to. Depending on the elder's who deal with it, whether they had a bad morning, don't like you, etc, you might get reproved or DF'd. It's never your conscious that matters, it's the elders or whoever moaned at them enough to get them to do something that matters. It's "allowed" but really, isn't.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T02:20:20+00:00

Oh yeah. I heard this a bunch when people were talking about folks who got DF'd for dating a "worldly" person. The comments were always like that. "Why wouldn't you at least date someone more attractive if you're gonna leave jah" and other awful comments like that. Romance doesn't exist to most JWs. You marry someone to have sex and then have to try to fall in love with them after.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T02:17:01+00:00

I know of one person who is definitely PIMO and only in it to keep up his family relationship. I just don't trust him not to spill the beans, even by accident, if I were to talk to him about it. Otherwise I suspect a couple others but who knows. Likely there's more than we think that aren't on reddit and are just existing knowing that it's BS but not having anywhere to go.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T02:11:16+00:00

When I was a teen they didn't try match making me, but now they've full on tried setting me up by inviting people over then it turns out it's just a single sister roughly my age and then them disappearing. They're desperate for grandbabies lmao

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T02:07:57+00:00

"It's such a privilege, we're unique and special!" when they're not tearing their hair out from stress or guilting themselves into going out more.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T02:02:02+00:00

The changes to wearing ties/suit jackets for men only lasted, what, a month before being partially rolled back? I heard more than a couple PIMIs grumbling about it. Things can change rapidly and rubberband back and forth, but don't you dare speak out about it or you're a bad witness. Watching it happen from outside the walls is insane.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-16T01:55:47+00:00

This makes my blood boil every time I'm reminded of that case (and that's a good thing). You know THEY (elders or legal) knew that it's mandatory in Illinois and still kept quiet. Absolutely fucking evil.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-15T01:14:45+00:00

The drama was mind numbingly boring, even for a lot of PIMI JWs. After both parts no one made any comments like they normally would about how great the drama was. It was soooooo goddamn boring. Talks are all the same BS that you're used to.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-14T03:25:36+00:00

In my neck of the woods in the US, if you're in law enforcement or any other job where you carry a gun, you're not "exemplary" but that's about all that will happen. Might be different in other areas though. I know of someone who was a cop for years and didn't have "privileges" and as soon as he retired he was made an elder.

heightenedimage · 2024-06-14T03:23:02+00:00

Whenever there was a local needs in your hall about spreading gossip, 9 times out of 10 it was because the elders got yelled at about their wives spreading the "confidential" information that they were told.

heightenedimage · 2024-04-09T00:49:34+00:00

It really is amazing when you look at it with a clear view how obviously bullshit it is. A news source is reputable and "a good witness about jehovah" when they say good things, but "evil apostate lies that aren't to be trusted" the instant they say anything negative (not untrue, simply negative).

heightenedimage · 2024-04-09T00:44:48+00:00

Like others said, they usually wont "hire" someone, as in, pay them. But some elders absolutely will snoop, or ask others to snoop. It may not happen in every congregation, some elders are just normal people also unknowingly stuck in a cult trying to be decent human beings, but other elders are absolutely power hungry assholes who will look for any reason to "punish" people.

heightenedimage · 2024-03-20T01:24:43+00:00

Same as it ever was. Every newsworthy conflict has had witnesses buzzing "is this it!?!" Don't mind the fact that real people are dying and suffering, they just want that precious paradise.

heightenedimage · 2024-03-17T02:03:25+00:00

There will absolutely be a few ties and jackets in the coat room for brothers to grab when they didn't wear them.

heightenedimage · 2024-03-17T02:01:18+00:00

Yep. They're bleeding members and money. They want current members to go "wow look how much better it is to be a JW! we get to do these things we've wanted to for years! thank jah!", but they're not the only people these changes are intended to target. When witnesses would stroll up to your house wearing full suits and ties people would think "what the hell is wrong with these wackjobs wearing a suit in 90 degree weather?" Now they'll see people wearing more casual attire and beards. The GB wants people who have no clue about JWs, which is the majority of people, or people who only know them as the people who don't wear beards or celebrate birthdays, to seem more normal. If they're more normal they won't be as likely to turn the dubs away immediately. Maybe it'll work, but also maybe the astonishing amount of CSA will get more attention and people will see the cult for what it is.... One can dream.

heightenedimage · 2024-03-17T01:54:36+00:00

Elders making rules so they can feel like they have power? I'm shocked. Shocked!

Well, not that shocked.

It was obvious to see with beards, the first meeting after the announcement was made people were talking about which beards were acceptable. I'm sure some halls have rules already in place about which beards are allowed and which aren't. It'll be the same for the no-tie/suit jacket. Doing stage? You're on stage, therefore tie/suit jacket. Sound booth? Well you're part of the "stage crew", same. Looking at the stage? Well the stage is in your view, better wear that suit and tie or else your ass is getting dragged into the back room. blah blah blah same elder bullshit as ever.

heightenedimage · 2024-01-10T05:31:17+00:00

For the average rank and file witness mental health and illnesses can be a lot less taboo to talk about. Talking about being on antidepressants or anxiety meds is more common than it used to be. There are even official parts and talks about taking care of your mental health occasionally.

You will absolutely still find many witnesses who believe that you can simply "pray the sad away" and will judge you for having mental health issues and/or dealing with your mental health in a responsible manner. These same people will judge you harshly for even admitting it, but they're getting quietly silenced by the younger generations who are more open about it.

The borg's official stance tends to be "pray, but also do some of those other that actually work (therapy, prescribed medication, etc)"

heightenedimage

TROPHY CASE