u/Extreme_Influence977

I was just reflecting on my time as a JW and how they viewed women’s bodies. I feel like you really experienced the negative effects of this if you are a curvy woman. I remember one time I wore a turtle neck that showed my shoulders to meeting. The next day, an elders wife invited me to her house and was offering me a bunch of cardigans. I already knew it was because of the shirt I wore, which was not inappropriate at all. She acted like she was just being nice and offering me free cardigans, but I know it was in response to the shirt I wore. I used to hate how they would say, “We don’t want to tempt or stumble the men.” How the hell are my shoulders a stumbling block?!!!?

I feel like for a lot of us the organization held us back from doing things we really wanted to do while in it. I really wanted to go to college straight out of high school, but I was strongly discouraged not to. Since leaving, I have gone to college and it is something I am very proud of. What about you guys? What have you done since leaving the organization?

Growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I remember hearing the story of Timothy used over and over again in Watchtowers, talks, assemblies, conventions, and Bible discussions. The way I remember it, Timothy had a Greek father who apparently had a different religious outlook, while his Jewish mother and grandmother were believers. Timothy supposedly had the opportunity to pursue higher education and a worldly career, perhaps with his father, but instead chose to stay focused on spiritual things and serving Jehovah. I genuinely believed this was a story that was actually in the Bible. But recently I went back and read the account for myself, and I was shocked to discover that the Bible does not actually say any of that. Acts tells us that Timothy had a Jewish mother who was a believer and a Greek father. We’re told that his mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from childhood. We’re also told that Timothy eventually became a coworker of Paul.

But there is no account of Timothy being offered higher education. Nothing says his father wanted him to pursue a career or go to school. Nothing says Timothy had to choose between his father’s plans and serving God. And nothing says he chose his mother’s spiritual path over higher education. Those details appear to have been added as an interpretation/application in Watchtower literature. I’ve even found Watchtower material saying Timothy’s father “may have” urged him to pursue higher education and a worldly career. That “may have” is obviously different from saying the Bible actually tells us this happened. But when you hear the story repeatedly for years in publications, talks, assemblies, conventions, etc. it becomes incredibly easy to associate the whole narrative with the Bible itself.

And that's what has really shocked me. I’m not even sure why this never stood out to me while I was a Witness. I was so certain that this was part of Timothy’s actual Bible story that I never thought to question where those details came from.

Did anyone else have the same experience? Did you grow up believing that Timothy had the opportunity to pursue higher education/worldly success but chose spiritual goals instead, and only later discover that the Bible itself never actually says this? I’d really like to know if this was a common experience among other ex-JWs, or if this was just something I somehow internalized over the years.

Growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I remember hearing the story of Timothy used over and over again in Watchtowers, talks, assemblies, conventions, and Bible discussions. The way I remember it, Timothy had a Greek father who apparently had a different religious outlook, while his Jewish mother and grandmother were believers. Timothy supposedly had the opportunity to pursue higher education and a worldly career, perhaps with his father, but instead chose to stay focused on spiritual things and serving Jehovah. I genuinely believed this was a story that was actually in the Bible. But recently I went back and read the account for myself, and I was shocked to discover that the Bible does not actually say any of that. Acts tells us that Timothy had a Jewish mother who was a believer and a Greek father. We’re told that his mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from childhood. We’re also told that Timothy eventually became a coworker of Paul.

But there is no account of Timothy being offered higher education. Nothing says his father wanted him to pursue a career or go to school. Nothing says Timothy had to choose between his father’s plans and serving God. And nothing says he chose his mother’s spiritual path over higher education. Those details appear to have been added as an interpretation/application in Watchtower literature. I’ve even found Watchtower material saying Timothy’s father “may have” urged him to pursue higher education and a worldly career. That “may have” is obviously different from saying the Bible actually tells us this happened. But when you hear the story repeatedly for years in publications, talks, assemblies, conventions, etc. it becomes incredibly easy to associate the whole narrative with the Bible itself.

And that's what has really shocked me. I’m not even sure why this never stood out to me while I was a Witness. I was so certain that this was part of Timothy’s actual Bible story that I never thought to question where those details came from.

Did anyone else have the same experience? Did you grow up believing that Timothy had the opportunity to pursue higher education/worldly success but chose spiritual goals instead, and only later discover that the Bible itself never actually says this? I’d really like to know if this was a common experience among other ex-JWs, or if this was just something I somehow internalized over the years.