Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 71
keep their necessary relationships with outsiders on superficial levels, yet are expected to
always keep an eye out for an opportunity to “bear witness” to try to convert outsiders.
The freedom to choose one‟s mate is also restricted. Awake! magazine is very clear about
who is not to be chosen: “It would displease God for one of his servants to get romantically
involved with someone who has not dedicated his or her life to Jehovah” (“Young People
Ask: What If,” 1994, p. 19). In a discussion about romances with unbelievers, WTS states
that “such a relationship is not only displeasing to God but also a serious threat to one‟s
happiness and well-being” (“Young People Ask: How Can I Stop,” 1994, p. 17). One former
member wrote in her survey response that she resented “the restrictions on friends and
dating” that she experienced during her membership. Another said, “Having children was
strongly discouraged as Armageddon was coming. Because my husband was not --a
Witness, I was doubly looked down upon for having children.” This woman also poignantly
stated her fears “that because my husband wasn‟t a Witness, God was going to kill him,
that I would fail and God would kill my children.”
Professionalism Discouraged in Favor of Group Activities
An example of how the group discourages professional careers is found in the following
excerpt from The Watchtower:
Peter „realized that it would not be wrong for him to study with a view to becoming
a neurosurgeon. But what was most important to him? It was his activity in the
Christian ministry, considering the urgency of this work‟. Peter decided to specialize
in radiology and to do ultrasound scans. Some might consider this a less
prestigious position, but it would allow him more time to devote to spiritual
pursuits. (“Seize This Unique,” 1996, p. 22)
Many times former members have expressed their anger and disappointment over the fact
that they gave up career opportunities while in WTS. “I feel like those years are wasted,
now I have to start all over with a career and I feel like it‟s too late,” one former member
stated. One woman wrote that she had difficulty working while a Witness because she was
“afraid [my] job would take me away from God.” The Watchtower discourages career
advancement by providing examples such as the following:
[He] continued to follow the popular course --striving to get rich and get ahead
[which] led to his going out on drinking sprees [which] soon led to a stroke. [Later
he] put on the Christian personality and adjust[ed] his view of material
possessions. As a result his values changed, and his health improved. (“Principle or
Popularity,” 1993, p. 28)
One former Witness woman wrote that “females weren‟t allowed to have responsibility.”
Women do work outside the home, but as a married member of a group for ex-Jehovah‟s
Witnesses stated in a counseling session, “Getting a job was something I had to do out of
necessity when we caught up financially, I felt pressured to quit my job so I could spend
more time in service (preaching). People considered it strange that I would actually want to
continue to work, when my husband could support us both.” Another survey respondent
wrote that she “was encouraged to not work while a single parent --[but to] pioneer
[preach full-time] instead.” Because WTS women are not as active in the workforce as are
the men, women tend to perform the lion‟s share of door-to-door preaching activities. A
married woman who chooses to work when her husband can support her financially is often
seen as taking time away from God‟s work and perhaps even lacking in faith.
Higher education has traditionally been discouraged for Jehovah‟s Witnesses. Statements
such as that found in the Awake! are typical: “So by guiding their children away from so-
called „higher‟ education of today, these parents spare their children exposure to an
keep their necessary relationships with outsiders on superficial levels, yet are expected to
always keep an eye out for an opportunity to “bear witness” to try to convert outsiders.
The freedom to choose one‟s mate is also restricted. Awake! magazine is very clear about
who is not to be chosen: “It would displease God for one of his servants to get romantically
involved with someone who has not dedicated his or her life to Jehovah” (“Young People
Ask: What If,” 1994, p. 19). In a discussion about romances with unbelievers, WTS states
that “such a relationship is not only displeasing to God but also a serious threat to one‟s
happiness and well-being” (“Young People Ask: How Can I Stop,” 1994, p. 17). One former
member wrote in her survey response that she resented “the restrictions on friends and
dating” that she experienced during her membership. Another said, “Having children was
strongly discouraged as Armageddon was coming. Because my husband was not --a
Witness, I was doubly looked down upon for having children.” This woman also poignantly
stated her fears “that because my husband wasn‟t a Witness, God was going to kill him,
that I would fail and God would kill my children.”
Professionalism Discouraged in Favor of Group Activities
An example of how the group discourages professional careers is found in the following
excerpt from The Watchtower:
Peter „realized that it would not be wrong for him to study with a view to becoming
a neurosurgeon. But what was most important to him? It was his activity in the
Christian ministry, considering the urgency of this work‟. Peter decided to specialize
in radiology and to do ultrasound scans. Some might consider this a less
prestigious position, but it would allow him more time to devote to spiritual
pursuits. (“Seize This Unique,” 1996, p. 22)
Many times former members have expressed their anger and disappointment over the fact
that they gave up career opportunities while in WTS. “I feel like those years are wasted,
now I have to start all over with a career and I feel like it‟s too late,” one former member
stated. One woman wrote that she had difficulty working while a Witness because she was
“afraid [my] job would take me away from God.” The Watchtower discourages career
advancement by providing examples such as the following:
[He] continued to follow the popular course --striving to get rich and get ahead
[which] led to his going out on drinking sprees [which] soon led to a stroke. [Later
he] put on the Christian personality and adjust[ed] his view of material
possessions. As a result his values changed, and his health improved. (“Principle or
Popularity,” 1993, p. 28)
One former Witness woman wrote that “females weren‟t allowed to have responsibility.”
Women do work outside the home, but as a married member of a group for ex-Jehovah‟s
Witnesses stated in a counseling session, “Getting a job was something I had to do out of
necessity when we caught up financially, I felt pressured to quit my job so I could spend
more time in service (preaching). People considered it strange that I would actually want to
continue to work, when my husband could support us both.” Another survey respondent
wrote that she “was encouraged to not work while a single parent --[but to] pioneer
[preach full-time] instead.” Because WTS women are not as active in the workforce as are
the men, women tend to perform the lion‟s share of door-to-door preaching activities. A
married woman who chooses to work when her husband can support her financially is often
seen as taking time away from God‟s work and perhaps even lacking in faith.
Higher education has traditionally been discouraged for Jehovah‟s Witnesses. Statements
such as that found in the Awake! are typical: “So by guiding their children away from so-
called „higher‟ education of today, these parents spare their children exposure to an
