One Monday in 2009 I received an email from a woman who lives in the city that I grew up in requesting help for her daughter. This woman's 18 year old daughter had become involved with a young man who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, the mother did not know that her daughter would be studying to become a Jehovah's Witness herself. The mother thought that the family looked like a nice family, the boy seemed nice and clean cut. Little did this mother know that the parents of this young man would use deceptive recruiting methods to indoctrinate this young girl into Watchtower beliefs.
There is an old country song that says, “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys, make ‘em doctors and lawyers and such”; however, we could re-write the words to, “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cult members” instead.
These parents thought their 18 year old daughter was on the fast track to wonderful things. She has been great student at her school, she had all kinds of plans to further her education by going to college and perhaps going to law school to become a lawyer some day. Then she met up with a boy who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and together with his family has used deceptive recruiting methods to indoctrinate their lovely daughter, causing her to turn against them. She is their only child.
The daughter moved out a few nights ago, with this Jehovah’s Witness family. Their daughter still depends on the parents for support because is still in high school. But the mother of this Jehovah’s Witness boy keeps telling this young girl that since she is 18, she should do what she wants to do, including disrespecting her parents because they are “wrong” and are standing in the way of her becoming part of “the truth” as they call it. Jehovah’s Witnesses have convinced their daughter that this religious organization, the Watchtower is “God’s channel of communication on Earth” and that one cannot understand the Bible without reading their books.
They are beside themselves with grief, as this religious organization, called the Watchtower, has alienated their daughter from them. They don’t know what to do except pray for her and hope that she comes home soon.
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As I looked back on this post from 2009, I realized that I hadn't updated the happy ending to the story, because the daughter did leave the Watchtower somewhat shortly after she was baptized. After a new recruit is finally baptized, then the high control begins. The Watchtower control's every aspect of their followers lives, from what they wear to their medical decisions. The young lady I am speaking of seemed to violate some unspoken rules (which there are many in the Watchtower) and promptly got herself in trouble with the congregation's elders. We don't know exactly what happened, but after the incident, she seemed to be angry with them and little by little did not attend meetings. She had just gotten baptized in April 2010.
By early 2011, the romance with the Jehovah's Witness boyfriend was completely over. The daughter was tired of the Watchtower's controlling ways. We don't know exactly when she quit the Watchtower all together in 2011, but by the holidays, she was celebrating and participating with her family. For her parents, it was a very long two and a half years.
As of 2013, after several stops and starts with her education, she is months away from getting her degree in a nursing program to become an R.N. The Watchtower world is far behind her and she has a new (non-Jehovah's Witness) boyfriend. She often makes comments such as, "I'm never going to let anyone control me ever again." Thankfully, she has walked away from the Watchtower pretty much unscathed. Her parents are thankful to have their daughter back again and are very happy this Watchtower nightmare is over with. One day we hope to find out the entire story. But until then, we continue to pray for her and that one day she will become a believer in the true Jesus Christ.
yup, a sad story heard too many times, repeated too much.
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