Comments on: Jehovah’s Witnesses Encouraging Women to Stay With Violent, Abusive Husbands

By: According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, I Don’t Just Have Gangrene, I Am Gangrene | JWVICTIMS.ORG

Fri, 03 Jul 2015 13:58:38 +0000

[…] That term aside, it’s the words “gangrenous” and “empty” that I find particularly noteworthy. I don’t mind saying that websites like mine are anything but empty; on this site I try to concentrate on the most horrific of practices and policies as well as behavior that is part of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I see nothing “empty” about pointing out how they put pedophiles in positions of authority (this post), shun rape victims for “fornication” based on their own vague “discernment” of her claim of rape (this post and this post), and encourage women to stay with violent, abusive husbands (this post). […]

By: notmyrealnamestillscared

notmyrealnamestillscared — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 20:10:51 +0000

We escaped an emotionally and physiologically abusive home, fortunately..but unfortunately he did not hit (I say unfortunately..because many laws do not protect a woman if she is NOT physically abused THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED) he struck terror into myself and kids. Yes, I was the problem, I was the one who needed to ‘change’ “You are a pioneer, and to keep this status as a pioneer, you must endure”. Even sadder, at time the Society, Elders, Brothers; will help the abusive husband seek an un-scriptural divorce.
I was not always a JW, so I had solace in that regard. Other religions do use Jehovah’s name and recognize that name solely to the Creator.
I am free from the abuser and those who enabled him.

By: alexjamesisnotmyrealname

alexjamesisnotmyrealname — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:01:02 +0000

Thank you for sharing your story and I’m glad you had the courage to get out. As for Jehovah’s Witnesses having the truth about the bible, I would encourage you to visit JWfacts.com and note the many questionable doctrines they teach, including the use of the name Jehovah. Remember too that they teach from their own bible, which is a questionable translation at best. It seems odd that they would translate their own bible and then quote their own translation when needing to verify their doctrine. Note also that many other religions also preach worldwide, including Catholics. JWs will often claim they are the only ones to preach, but this is yet another outright untruth from them. Thanks again.

By: september mark

september mark — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 16:52:57 +0000

I am one of jehovahs witnesses and I too was married to an abusive man and was told I had to stay with him. He also abused drugs and alcohol. I do believe Jehovahs witnesses have the truth about God…its the only religion that even uses His name Jehovah, and does the preaching work for a better world here on earth which is a direct command in the bible which gives us a better hope. However it does bother me immensely how they do encourage women to stay in abusive relationships. I experienced them doing it to me myself and it happened to my grandmother too as to why she was married to an abusive man for 35 years and the elders told her she couldn’t leave. I was told the same so I lived with it for two years. We also had a child. I finally left him giving him an ultamatim that either he had to stop and get help or he will not see us again till he did…his son too. He refused…so I just stayed true to my marriage vow and left him but continued waiting for him to get help, or I knew hed cheat on me. He picked the latter so I divorced him. At leaste I could look in the mirror knowing I tried making my marrage work if he got help thus sticking to my vow….but in a safe way protecting myself and my son. I also educated myself profusely on this kinda thing…there is so much out there. Now I realize how actually staying with an abusive mate is actually the worse thing to do. Its enabling the behaviour…giving him his cake and eating it too…why should he change? People don’t change when they are comfortable. They need a reason to change to be placed in front of them. Get help or lose me. Which one? A marrage certificate does not suddenly give the guy a right to hit or be abusive of any kind. And we as women are not dirt. We have rights. Also children are affected as well as their futures..its not our rite even to take away a good positive future for them and we are if we stay with an abusive mate. Children have rights and its our job as a parent to stick up for their rights and its not to be raised in an abusive home. It takes away their self dignity and self respect. Plus teaches them abuse is ok. I could go on and on. No offense but any Jehovahs witness that stays with an abusive mate is foolish. They are asking for disaster. For themselves and children. They must break the cycle. I am so sorry for those stuck in this now or have been through it. I don’t know why jehovahs witnesses put this in their magazines. I have met also two other Jehovahs witnesses who have stayed with their abusive mates because of what we are taught. I will never do this again nor put up with it from others, Jehovahs witnesses or not. I will report it to the police and social services if any abuse in any home…EVEN a jehovahs witness home.

By: alexjamesisnotmyrealname

alexjamesisnotmyrealname — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:52:02 +0000

I saw so much domestic violence when I was in; it was truly sickening. Of course the women were blamed for “provoking” their husbands by “not being submissive enough.” Yeah, right. One elder came home from work and just started screaming and punching his wife for nothing, and one started screaming when she was outside, nowhere near him. He actually followed her into the bathroom, broke down the door, and hit her when she was hiding by the toilet. Both times they were told it was their fault. Disgusting, sickening, and a bunch of other such words.

By: HappilyDA

HappilyDA — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:45:18 +0000

This article from the WT caused me to disassociate myself this year although I faded out for years before DAing myself. I could not bear to think that an organization encourages boys, my sons to think that it is ok for them to hit women. No thank you.
That article was so disturbing that it shook me to the core. I was abused mentally, verbally and a little bit physically. To this day, my ex is such a narcissistic and believe he had done nothing wrong. The WTS truly is a men club.

By: alexjamesisnotmyrealname

alexjamesisnotmyrealname — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:51:56 +0000

Thank you for your kind words, and I’m sorry that so much of your life was taken away before you got out and got safe. You’re absolutely right, they would have encouraged you to stay with an abusive person, and that cycle of violence would just continue. Please be sure you visit our groups on Facebook as you’re not alone at all in your experiences, and we always love to hear others tell their stories so no one can accuse us of making up things. Keep in touch!

By: Pardon Me While I Puke

Pardon Me While I Puke — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:42:50 +0000

I feel sick to my stomach reading this. I was badly abused as a JW kid, for years, yet it was ME the elders would come to interrogate & threaten, holding my arms down, screaming in my face that if my mother allowed them, they’d ‘discipline’ me themselves. I was constantly told I was ‘disobedient’, ‘rebellious’, that ‘satan’ was in me, and was used as an example by the elders to other JW parents as to what would happen to THEIR kids if they didn’t continue to brainwash them, dragging them to meetings & book studies. Not ONCE did a person in our congregation ask if I was ok. I was made to feel like a horrible, worthless human being who never deserved love, caring or protection. I knew what was being done to me as a child was wrong, even reported it to social workers myself. But my mother, with THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ELDERS, conviced social workers that I was simply a ‘disobedient child’. Even my non-JW family members were convinced of this. So how is this related to spousal abuse?

All of this early abuse, facilitated by the JW elders, led to me getting into several abusive relationships as an adult, two of which nearly ended in my death. And I stayed in those relationships, remembering how many times as a child I was told how rotten I was, believing I somehow deserved being beaten by my partner/s many years later. Not until several years after I was nearly murdered the second time, did I begin to believe I deserved better. That NONE of it was my fault. And I found somebody who truly respects me & loves me. Thankfully, by that time, I had been away from the JWs for quite some time. Had I still been around JWs, they would’ve ‘encouraged’ me to remain with either of my psychotic spouses, leading to my death. And of course, my history as a ‘rebellious’ JW kid would have been brought up again & again.

I truly do feel physically ill reading through some of this JW garbage, especially that which pertains to abuse, however, I wish somebody would’ve started speaking out about the cult mentality of the JWs far earlier, because it would’ve saved many lives. I’m incredibly grateful for what you’re doing here now, though. I plan on handing out some of this info to the JWs standing on the street corners in our neighborhood who need a SERIOUS wake-up call.

And may the ‘governing body’ all suffer from recurring cases of incredibly painful hemorrhoids :-)