I have been a Web surfer for many years and am surprised at the literally hundreds of sites out there about Jehovah's Witnesses.  I must say most if not all of them are negative.  Many are full of horror stories about someone's life as, or someone's encounter with, our faith or individuals in it.  Like every group of people on earth, there might be a few people who don't represent our faith as positively as they should and I'm sorry for that.  However, just as one cannot lump an entire group, race, or belief system together and judge its character and merits just by how a few people afiliated with it conduct themselves, one cannot simply lump all JW's together and assume, we are all the same.

 

I want to offer a positive word about us, our faith and our organization, one which I grew up in, still believe in, and yes, dearly love.  However, this is my own personal experience and my own personal view.  I cannot speak for everyone in my faith nor do I speak for all JWs.  Anyone who wants to know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, who we are, how we operate, why we engage in the public ministry or why we act the way we do should go to three sources.  WWW.Watchtower.org is the official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses.  On it, you will find tabs relating to our beliefs, our practices, how our work is funded, and the like.  WWW.JW-media.org, is the public relations website for the Society, which also has a great deal of information about us.  WWW.JW.org, offers downloads of our literature.

 

One cannot start with misinformation, or disinformation, and hope to learn and know about someone, or a group of people.  My advice to anyone who wants to know why we are the way we are needs to go to the source.  Look up the information on these websites.  If a particular topic interests you, you can print the article or download the publication and read it at your own pace without the pressure to accept a bible study or attend a meeting.  You can also ask the next Witness you see at work, at school, or at your door.  They will be happy to set aside whatever they want to talk about, to discuss your concerns.  And, no question is a stupid question.

 

Personally, doctrinal differences (the nature of God, the fate of the world, the condition of the dead, etc.) have never been as interesting to me as has been discussions about JW's as a people, as a culture.  Loving history as much as I do, I gues the study of peoples and cultures, and how they evolve and grow throughout their history, intrigues me.  I am not offended by people asking me whether, as a child, I felt deprived because I could not celebrate holidays.  Whether I felt singled out or picked on at school, etc. 

 

Short answers to the above: No, because our family did other things throughout the year that we looked forward to doing.  I can remember many occasions receiving gifts that had nothing to do with holidays.  We took trips, we had family reunions, etc.  All of these were fun and exciting times.  And, I got more flak about being blind and being a nerd than I ever did about being a JW when I was in school.

 

So, all I can say is, before you reach conclusion about the Jehovah's Witnesses, inform yourself.  And, if you've had a negative experience with a Jehovah's Witness, why not give the organization and the people in it a second chance.  Whether you attend a meeting or accept a bible study is up to you.  All I'm saying is to give the next JW you run across a fair opportunity to present him or herself, as themselves, with their faith and beliefs as only one facet of the picture.

 

We are everywhere.  Many are doctors and lawyers, teachers and computer programmers, construction personal, cooks, etc.  Some own their own businesses or are employed.  Many are well educated.  They can be neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, friends, or even relatives.  They aren't just at your door, they are in every walk of life.  If you've had a negative experience or have read something negative about JW's, talk to them and at least get the other side of the story.