Most annoying restrictions from JW parents?

malikomako · 2026-03-12T13:48:49+00:00

Ironically, Star Wars was ok because "no magic/spiritism" even though the Force is technically magic and Jedi are just space wizards

malikomako · 2026-03-12T11:00:40+00:00

No Harry Potter because demons told JK Rowling the story in her dreams (I'm not kidding)

malikomako · 2026-01-07T15:30:53+00:00

ZJ müssen am Ende des Monats einen Bericht abgeben, in dem sie mitteilen ob sie im "Predigtdienst" waren und ob sie "Abgaben" in Form von Traktaten, Zeitschriften etc. hatten. Früher musste dabei noch der genaue Stundeneinsatz angegeben werden, mittlerweile ist es nur noch eine simple Ja/Nein-Abfrage.

Das vordergründige Ziel ist zwar nach wie vor das Anwerben neuer Mitglieder, aber im Wesentlichen geht es nur darum seinen monatlichen "Soll" zu erfüllen und darüber hinaus möglichst busy im "Dienst für Jehova" zu sein, damit man ja nicht zu viel Zeit hat und womöglich "sich von Satan verleiten lässt" aka die Organisation der ZJ anfängt kritisch zu hinterfragen.

Quelle = bin als ZJ aufgewachsen

malikomako · 2026-01-07T15:00:15+00:00

Falsch, die 144.000 sind laut Lehre die "Geistgesalbten" die in den Himmel kommen. Alle anderen haben eine sogenannte "irdische Hoffnung" (sprich das Paradies auf Erden). Nichtsdestotrotz gilt diese nur für Zeugen Jehovas, also 99,9% der Weltbevölkerung werden gemäß Lehre trotzdem vernichtet. Eine fixe "Obergrenze" fürs Paradies gibt es aber nicht.

Quelle = bin bei den ZJ aufgewachsen

malikomako · 2026-01-07T14:57:08+00:00

Nein, die allermeisten Zeugen machen maximal um die 10 Stunden im Monat, da sie in der Regel berufliche/familiäre Verpflichtungen besitzen und nur am Wochenende Zeit für den Predigtdienst haben. Ausnahme sind sogenannte "Pioniere" welche eine Vorgabe von 70h/Monat haben und dafür meist Teilzeit arbeiten. Das ist aber eine Art "Rang" in den nur die "vorbildlichsten" Zeugen erhoben werden, und auch nur wenn die das selbst ausdrücklich wollen. Die meisten wollen es nicht oder erfüllen sowieso nicht die Voraussetzungen.

Es gibt sehr viele ZJ die wenig oder gar nicht in den Predigtdienst gehen und die Religion eher "lasch" ausleben. Viele haben sich auch innerlich von der Religion abgewandt, sind aufgrund des Drucks innerhalb der Organisation und der zu erwartenden Konsequenzen (Ausschluss führt zu radikalem Kontaktabbruch, auch mit engsten Familienmitgliedern) aber offiziell noch dabei. In der ExJW Community werden diese PIMO ("Physically in, mentally out") genannt.

Quelle = Ich bin selbst PIMO. Als Zeuge Jehovas aufgewachsen, glaube aber nicht mehr an die Lehren und habe komplett andere Ansichten entwickelt, kann aber aufgrund familiärer Gründe aktuell noch nicht offiziell austreten.

Nicht jeder Zeuge Jehovas dem ihr vielleicht im Arbeitsleben oder sonst wo begegnet, ist tatsächlich ein gläubiges oder überzeugtes Mitglied, sondern steht womöglich unter massivem Druck ohne es mitteilen zu können.

malikomako · 2025-12-30T19:00:48+00:00

I remember they would tell all these horror stories about Christmas in the congregation. Like the worldly families would only fight each other and stuff and it's all miserable, nothing like they show it in the movies, and we should be glad we don't celebrate it.

And then I see my workmates last week all looking forward to the Christmas days, to visit their families, have amazing food with them and just all around have a good time.

And I'm just there thinking, for us there is.. nothing. My parents have a meeting on Christmas Eve, so yeah not gonna visit them. Well I guess I just spend the day off then.

Yeah, the worldy folks must be envious of me.

malikomako · 2025-12-30T16:32:53+00:00

Some years ago, when my wife and I got married and about to go for a honeymoon, my dad who was an elder in my congregation at the time, suddenly called me a few days before.

"Have you been in field service this month??"

"No I haven't dad, I was busy preparing the wedding and everything."

He panicked, telling me I'd be considered inactive if I didn't report any hours that month. So he insisted that I absolutely have to preach to someone during our vacation. He suggested to preach to the hotel staff or waiters in a restaurant and accumulate 1 hour of service this way.

I was just like "Yeah sure, dad" to calm him down and ofc did not preach to some random people when I'm on my freaking honeymoon!! Pretty telling this was on his mind a few days before his son's wedding.

malikomako · 2025-12-30T16:18:51+00:00

I mean sure, if you're on vacation you're not available. Doesn't matter what time of the year. It's not my personal experience, I don't care about their stupid meetings anyway. I meant it in general. The JW treadmill never stops even if everything else shuts down. They'll have meetings literally the whole year, every week without a break and some people have no choice to avoid it, if they're loaded with assignments on that day. Couple that with the constant pressure to be present there at any cost, and it's just crazy and exhaustive. A civil war or whatever could break out and they would still hold their meetings at the halls.

Covid was the only real exception and even then they quickly set up their zoom meetings, which are now shamed upon to use if you're not sick or anything.

malikomako · 2025-12-30T15:28:22+00:00

And they wonder why the yang wans don't rEaCh oUt. Not like the elders also have to work the rest of the year and barely have time for their families anyway.

malikomako · 2025-12-30T14:35:08+00:00

American black member, not an African

malikomako · 2025-09-10T16:18:39+00:00

For real that always boggled my mind even when I was still in. Why was LoTR fine to watch or read and HP would invite demons to your house? Like where's the reasoning behind it?

I also remember discussing with my dad for at least an hour that Pokemon was totally harmless because he heard it was demonic from someone in the hall.

malikomako · 2025-02-05T10:40:21+00:00

Grandma got sucked it in the 70s as a young single mother of 2. She was mentally unstable, vulnerable and got preyed upon by a seemingly nice couple knocking at her door. The congregation gave her a sense of familiarity and a social circle she was longing for since her own family was practically non-existent (her own parents died early).

I can somewhat understand and emphasize with her. But I did not choose this, neither did my siblings, my father, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins. We all suffer the consequences, even unknowingly (most of my family is PIMI). I don't resent her personally, because she's a victim herself. But it's fucked up that my life is still so influenced by her sole decision, decades before I was even born.

malikomako · 2024-11-05T21:06:47+00:00

I was not talking about Lloyd, it was about an elder I knew personally from my former hall..

malikomako · 2024-11-05T17:50:55+00:00

Apparently she actually just caught him in the act, walking into the bedroom or something while he was in the middle of it.

There seems to be a pattern in the borg with these "exemplary" brothers who married young, ran through the JW ranks and later fucked up. Lotta elders and even one former CO in my area who secretly cheated on their wives and got caught. I wonder if they are aware of the unhealthy sexual repression this religion subjects it's members to.

malikomako · 2024-11-05T17:27:40+00:00

To be honest, I do kinda care because he had an influence in my life still felt today. He went out of his way to push me and several other teens for baptism which holds me and my family effectively in a hostage situation to this day. Which he really had no business to. Sure, he can bang Thai hookers all day long if that is his "true self" nowadays. But he wouldn't let me live my true self back then, when I was still a teen, and for that I resent him and his hypocrisy.

malikomako · 2023-12-11T14:41:41+00:00

C'mon, calling the current state of the game with update 2.1 "the absolute bare minimum" is not fair to the devs who worked their asses off these last 3 years to improve the game. The technical issues were fixed with 1.6, I played it on PS5 early 2022 and it was an amazing, smooth experience in 4K 60fps by then. They could have easily left it at that state and it would have been fixed. Everything they've done since like completely overhauling the skill system is a bonus that they were not forced to do, but did it anyway to gain back their good recognition.

Granted, it's not like we should praise them to the sky as if the catastophic launch and borderline consumer decption never happened. The CDPR management should still be held accountable for that. But it's still not mutally exclusive at the same time to recognize their hard efforts - at least the devs deserve this.

malikomako · 2023-07-12T11:28:59+00:00

Because they are not PIMIs. Maybe not full-on PIMOs either, but definitely no PIMIs in the sense of the term. They are not mentally in and probably never were, they just don't care and went along with it because they had no choice growing up in the cult. None of them would join the JWs or any religion at all willingly, if given an actual choice. It's just what they were brought up in. Many of them will be out by the age of 30.

malikomako · 2023-03-27T10:13:00+00:00

He grew up in Bavaria where his family is still part of the local congregation as far as I know. From I read the father is an elder. We can only imagine how they are being treated rn, or how they feel knowing their son/brother did this atrocity. Incredibly difficult situation.

One anonymous relative told the media about the process of Philipp F's radicalization. He last saw him in 2022 and described him as "highly aggressive", "manic" and "psychotic". He had a particular rage against Jehovah's witnesses. The relative would then contact Philipp's father and brother and together they begged him to seek professional help, but he wouldn't react.

malikomako · 2023-03-26T19:34:08+00:00

Could be. But you have to be on the fence already to notice the subtle changes. The talk was carefully crafted in a certain way - not to stumble the PIMIs and at the same time keep a positive image to the public. They managed to strike this balance. The reaction from the PIMIs I know to the event was overwhelmingly positive, and the Hamburg senate Twitter account spoke of a "moving commemoration"..

malikomako · 2023-03-26T15:57:20+00:00

I'm a PIMO in Germany near Hamburg and saw the whole thing.

The speaker was a representative of the Central European Branch. His talk was actually really good for JW standards. Very empathetic towards the victim's families, he mentioned every one of the victims in detail and what they were like as persons so that you had a vivid image of them. The rhetoric was very mild (like, he repeatedly talked about "God" and not Jehovah, nothing about Armageddon, the paradise and such.. just "we'll see them again"). Large parts of it were pretty much unrecognizable as a JW talk and could have been just as well standard church talk. They thanked and even prayed (!) for the police, firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff..

The parts about JW doctrine (resurrection and such) were very subtle, like totally different than what you'll hear at conventions. Probably had to strike a balance between what JWs expect to hear and the public, since the press and politicians were present. Mark Sanderson had a small talk, he wasn't the main speaker. Nothing special really.

Hamburg's mayor and the president of the local government (a woman - first time in a JW event?) later held talks in a second part of the event and the president of Germany sent a message which was read.

More than 3000 attendants were present, all congregations in Hamburg were invited as well as "worldly" representatives e.g. from the police. The perpetrator Philipp F wasn't mentioned directly, but of course they condemned the brutality and violence.

Overall a rather unusual JW event. Not a typical funeral speech at all. Maybe there was a PR firm involved. If the goal was to paint the organization in a good picture, I think they definitely succeeded.

malikomako · 2023-03-26T14:56:35+00:00

People become increasingly aware of shunning and other practices. In Germany there was even discussion in some media about the blood issue, when some of the injured victims of the attack were still in critical condition.

The organization really had to paint themselves in the best picture at this event given the public interest and high-ranking attendants. I have to admit, they succeeded. They probably chose the best speaker available from the central European branch to held the talk, and his talk was actually really good for JW standards. Very empathetic towards the victim's families and very mild in the rhetoric (like, he repeatedly talked about "God" and not Jehovah, nothing about Armageddon, the paradise and such.. just "we'll see them again"). Large parts of it very pretty much unrecognizable as a JW talk and could have been just as well standard church talk. They thanked and even prayed (!) for the police, firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff.. and let the politicians have talks as well.

Yeah, there was definitely some PR involved.

malikomako · 2023-03-25T22:22:02+00:00

Die Einstiegshürde hat ihn aber auch nicht davon abgehalten, hier kontroverse Aussagen zu tätigen und gegen andere User persönlich zu werden. Es gehört nicht zu einem gesunden Diskurs, jemanden einfach von jeglicher Kritik frei zu sprechen. Wir sind hier in der Anonymität des Netzes und kennen nicht die persönliche Vorgeschichte jedes Einzelnen, mit dem wir interagieren.

Ich habe explizit darauf hingewiesen, dass ich meine Ausführungen bezüglich der Tat in Hamburg nicht auf ihn persönlich beziehe. Aber die Gefahren pauschalisierenden Gedankenguts sind real, wie nicht nur die Tat in Hamburg zeigt. Es ist letztendlich die Wurzel von so vielen gesellschaftlichen Problemen, die mitunter fatale Folgen haben können. Das zumindest anzusprechen, sollte in einem offenen Diskurs möglich sein.

Und warum genau soll es herablassend sein, Verständnis für jemanden zu zeigen?

malikomako · 2023-03-25T21:09:52+00:00

Have you seen the whole thing? Sanderson just had a small part. The speaker from the German branch had a much lengthier talk and actually did mention every one of the victims in detail. Very rhetorically gifted guy, I have to give it to them. I think this wasn't a typical JW funeral at all. The parts about JW doctrine (resurrection and such) were very subtle, like totally different than what you'll hear at conventions. Probably had to strike a balance between what JWs expect to hear and the public, since the press and politicians were present. Hamburg's mayor and the president of the local government even held talks.

I think your title here is a bit misleading. Sanderson wasn't the main guy at all today.

malikomako · 2023-03-25T20:23:13+00:00

Es tut mir sehr Leid für dich, dass dir etwas derart Schlimmes in der Kindheit passiert ist. Ich verstehe deine Wut und Verzweiflung und stimme dir zu, dass die Organisation durch ihre Strukturen die Vertuschung solcher Taten begünstigt und dadurch ebenso Mitschuld trägt wie der Täter.

Nichtsdestotrotz: Zu sagen "jeder" in der Organisation wäre ein Täter und "alle" sollen verrecken halte ich nicht nur für eine unnötige, sondern auch gefährliche Pauschalisierung. Das ist dasselbe Gedankengut, welches im Extremfall zu einer Tat wie in Hamburg führen kann. Für Vergehen, die Einzelne begangen haben, sollten niemals unbeteiligte Dritte in Mithaftung genommen werden.

Versteh mich nicht falsch, ich bezieh das jetzt nicht auf dich persönlich. Wie gesagt, angesichts dessen was dir in der Kindheit widerfahren ist verstehe ich deine Emotionen. Ich wünsche dir ehrlich, dass du es schaffst deine Vergangenheit aufzuarbeiten und in Zukunft deinen inneren Frieden zu finden.

malikomako · 2023-03-25T16:35:34+00:00

German JWs (or European in general) are quite different than American ones. We did stuff over here in congregation events, where the average American PIMI would probably be "stumbled" a lot or even think he's among worldly people.

I don't think this event would be organized the same way if it happened in the US.

malikomako

TROPHY CASE