Posted by Cygnus on March 19, 1999 at 09:37:58 {MW00Sv6obr4Jg}:
In Reply to: To Cygnus and ALL posted by RomGabe on March 19, 1999 at 08:25:24:
Honestly, most JWs I knew were pretty humble people. Almost to the point of needing to learn assertiveness. Except when we went out drinking.
I honestly believe most JW kids are screwed up, socially. The "Us vs. Them" mentality that is inherent in JWism influences their character to the extent that at times acceptance of "worldly" people is extremely cautionary. I know I was repeatedly told that my friends at school were not "friends" -- they were "acquaintances." My real friends were supposed to be at the Kingdom Hall, or in the circuit. Well, I enjoyed playing hockey with those guys (because JW kids let out all their aggressions on the rink, and that makes for excellent hockey), but other than that I really only had a couple of close buddies. And after we all got married, even they faded away.
I think more and more JW kids are exercising their freedoms, but there will always exist that "restraint" inherent in primarily
JW-oriented settings. It'll be awhile before JWs accept people into "the fold" even though they have no intention of being "active."