Soooo…. I have been thinking and I will start by talking about what I have knowledge the most engraved in me…I think… So I figured out I would pros and cons list about being a Jehovah’s Witness! I know… rubbish idea for a first post… but we all know that the first post is the hardest!
So…. (using the same words again… maybe I should have stayed in bed today)
Let’s start with cons… (in no particular order of importance):
1. You become very judgmental of others. You think because you ‘have the truth’ you are better than ‘worldly people’ and are quick to judge everyone but yourself [I even have heard stories of people in the ministry - after person was unpleasant to them in the ministry (and I wonder why wouldn't they be... how would YOU feel... woken up by knocking at 9 o'clock in the morning... on a Sunday!) - 'We will see who will be laughing when the Armageddon comes' or 'I might have his house after armageddon'].
2.Lack of free-thinking. You are not allowed to go beyond the food prepared by ‘the faithful and discreet slave’ (Watchtower publishing). If you do… you are at high risk of becoming an apostate (because you might discover some things that watchtower society might have done in the past even though they don’t admit to it… every time a religious organisation says ‘Don’t look into our history! Focus on what we are doing now!’ that should sound the alarm bells in peoples heads…).
3.Not being able to have relationships with non – JW relatives. Fortunately my parents were a bit .. relaxed when it came to that (my aunt has dissociated herself and my sister has been disfellowshipped and we still had contact with them), but there is plenty of stories of kids being kicked out of houses, families being torn apart due to the shunning that Jehovahs witnesses practice (that doctrine has been introduced in the 1950 I think).
4.A lot of pressure is being put on a young one to become baptized from the elders and rest of the congregation. They want you committed as soon as possible… it always kind of made me slightly feel awkward when kids as young as 12 were in the opinions of themselves and elders ‘ready’ to commit themselves to something… potentially for the rest of their lives only to be disfellowshipped few years later (the majority not all of them). Also once you are baptized there is the pressure of moving up the ladder in the congregation (becoming a ministerial servant and then an elder etc).
5.The amount of time you have to spend distributing literature. Again my parents were a bit more relaxed when it came to that. Ministry whenever we felt like it 
but you are ‘encouraged’ to spend as much time as possible in the ‘live saving work’ distributing magazines about Jehovah’s Witnesses believes etc. with the aim to convert them through starting a bible study.
6.You develop almost… unhealthy fear for demons and Satan. Satan is everywhere…! In the music you listen! In the Christmas food! Demons might posses you if you play that video games!… That always pissed me off!
7.View of life. You are being taught from the start that this life doesn’t count as much. We just have to spend it preaching to people, so in the after life (everlasting life on earth) you get to be happy and do what you want (well almost… then ‘new scrolls’ are going to be open for us, which… well no one knows what it means. Which means… high education is frowned upon… career is frowned upon on… working long hours is frowned upon on.
8. Some people have problems in later live if they are born in Jehovahs Witnesses due to the fact that kids are strongly discouraged from parttaking in any activities with ‘worldly’(non JW) kids. Also they sometimes really play sports due to the competetive nature of them… so pretty much kinda screws you up in school and quite quickly you are labeled an outcast.
9. Living in suspence… We are living in the last days… Armageddon could happen tomorrow… etc.
10. Again pressure from the elders in the congregation when you have intrest in getting to now a person from the opposite sex. Then elders feel like they have a right to really pray into your life. Asking loads of awkward questions that you don’t even face from your parents… That was the closest I ever got to punching one of them Plus also you are only allowed to date if it is with the view of getting married… so because teenagers are horny you get load of people getting married young and regretting it very quickly or they get a divorce (and only grounds for divorce in this religion is adultery ).
11.Living in fear. Do not have sex with anybody or you will die. Or if you are not repentat your family won’t talk to you till you are not disfellowshipped anymore.
12.Lack of free will!… Watch only disney movies… Consult bible when it comes to choosing a movie to go the cinema… do not go out with friends because watchtower says that and not the other… and moving onto 13…
13.Consult magazines and publications when it comes to everything! From sex life to what to listen to. I remember once looking at doing an online course and a mother asked my why… I said I am bored with my job … to which she replied that I should read more magazines…
And… there is so much more but that is all I could think of right now… but there is also the other side of the medal… All things considered there are some good things about being a JW!
Pros
1.Global organisation. You are welcomed into any congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses with open arms… no matter if you are Asian, white or black.
2.Something that has been mentioned before… A lot of ex JW s turn to be salesmen…. Due to the skills they develop during their ministry (trying to talk people into taking a magazine or starting a bible study).
3.Theocratic Ministry School (I think it is still called that) which you are encouraged to join from an early age, helps you with developing public speaking skills. There is a whole programme in the school which involves different lessons such as gestures while speaking or keeping an eye contact with the audience. And also… I know it was a pain in the arse to join and partake but it did give me a boost of confidence once I stepped up on the platform.
4.Jehovah’s Witnesses doctrine followed thoroughly keeps you away from things such as drugs, alcohol abuse and other health damaging things (also you are discouraged from partaking in the extreme sports such as skateboarding etc).
5.As a Jehovah’s Witness you develop a lot of self discipline due to the amount of ‘homework’ you have to do to prepare for meeting, ministry … and also everyone is encouraged to have a personal bible study! And there is so little time!… They even published a couple of articles in the magazine Awake about making timetables and fully organising your week so your spiritual self can be satisfied.
6.Study and using the bible. As a Jehovah’s Witness u develop a lot of skill when it comes to using the scriptures. You can gain knowledge to the simplest of the bible ‘truths’ (omitting the biased parts served by the ‘faithful and discreet slave’), and you become quite skilled and looking up scriptures quickly. Also in the religion you are strongly encouraged to memorize at least a few verses and read the whole bible in a year.
7.Not celebrating Christmas…. Saves a lot of money every year!
Till next time!
