From: smith_w@apollo.hp.com (Walter Smith)
Subject: Re: JWs Child Custody booklet, and why a judge might have felt it promoted "untrue" testimony under oath
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 18:56:36 GMT

In this section of the booklet, the Jehovahs' Witnesses list some
questions that may be asked of JW children, with 'sample' answers
for each of them.  After each question & answer will be excerpts
from JW literature dealing with the question/answer.
                     
[Disclaimer:  this is NOT designed to encourage flame wars between the
JWs and those they attack.  It is meant to give an accurate portrayal
of the JWs view of other religions, in contrast to the "advised answers"
they give in their booklet]

1) (Q) Have you been exposed to different religious views since 
       youth?  How has this affected you?
   (A) Learned to be tolerant and appreciate divergence of
       opinions; while personally choosings teachings of
       Jehovah's Witnesses, have learned to respect others'
       right of choice.

So, do the Jehovah's Witnesses encourage appreciation or respect of 
other people's religions and opinions?  

"With this kind of guidance and example, it is not suprising that
the moral climate among church members is no better, if not
actually worse, than that among the population as a whole."
(Awake, 1/8/84, p.10)
"The bumper crop of moral decay around the world is a reflection
of the spiritual condition of the religious 'trees' of the
world - diseased and dying".
(ibid)
"We have examined the fruits produced by the world's religions in
just 2 areas - morals and war - and what we have seen is nothing less
than shocking and disgusting.  They have fallen way short of what
should be expected.  The same ugly kind of fruitage can be seen
in many other areas - racial prejudice, involvement in politics,
dishonest commercial dealings, enslaving superstition, and so forth.
Yes, religion has indeed filled the earth with rotton fruitage, all
to the hurt of mankind."
(ibid, p.11)
"As a result, the suicide rate of both adults and teenagers in Utah
is also above the national average, and consumpsion of tranquilizers
and pep pills, among other drugs, by Mormons far exceeds that by
the population at large...this paradox is the product of Mormonism's
unique and bizzare concept of the nature of God and man."
(Awake, 12/22/82, p.25)

To JWs, ALL other religions are tools of Satan; all who are in those
religions are making themselves enemies of God.  Now, what sort of
view of the non-custodial parent will a child who is raised by the
JW spouse develop?  How will the child be taught to view the non-JW
parent, how will the child be taught to react if the non-JW parent
tries to take him to church, and how will the views indoctrinated
into the child affect the child's current and future relationship
with the non-JW spouse?   When the subject is "what is best for
the child", these are issues that must be taken into consideration.

The view painted by the JWs of everyone outside the group is best
put in their book, "Revelation, its Grand Climax at Hand", p.234:
"It is the satanic 'air' breathed by the world today, the spirit,
or general mental inclination, that charachterizes his whole
wicked system of things, the satanic thinking that permeates every
aspect of life outside Jehovah's organization."

This is how JW children are taught to be "tolerant and appreciative
of divergence of opinions"?  This is how they are taught to respect
the views of others?  Hardly.  They just don't want to come across
this way to the court, because such an outlook could be considered
detrimental to the emotional well-being of children, and if one
spouse is a non-JW, teaching such a view to the children is
teaching them to view that non_JW spouse in that manner, which the
court would NOT look well upon.   Can you imagine the result to
the child's relationship with the non-JW parent?  What does it
do to a kid's head to be taught his father's "mental inclinations"
are wicked, and controlled by Satan?

2) (Q) How has your association with Jehovah's Witnesses affected your life?
   (A) Comment on positive value of truth; have a purpose in life; take
       an interest in other people; good morals; obey the law, etc.

Much of this is true; JW children _are_ taught to have good morals
and obey the law, as are most children.  As for taking an interest
in other people, JWs, children especially, are taught not to associate
with non-JWs; their interest with "outsiders" is to convert them into
JWs; which leads into their "purpose in life", which ( as was shown in
the last post) is to get whatever kind of job will allow them to
spend most of their time as "pioneers", going door-to-door full time.
And the advice given in the booklet shows how valued "truth" really is.

3) (Q) Do you go from house-to-house?  Describe your reaction.
   (A) Educational value of social contact; learn how to meet people,
       strike up a conversation and reason on a variety of topics.  At
       an early date learned about the many different views people have.
       Meeting people at doors overcame shyness and lack of confidence.
       Ease of dealing with people is valuable now in business as well
       as religious and social activities.

4) (Q) Is it not depressing when you are rejected at a door?
   (A) No.  We have something good to share with those who want to
       listen.  Each individual has the right to his opinion.  If
       rejected, we can leave and find someone who does want to talk
       a few doors away.

JWs are taught that it is thru their door-to-door work that God is
seperating the world into "sheep" (to be saved) and "goats" (to be
destroyed).  Those who accept the message at the door and become
JWs are "sheep".  So each person may be entitled to "his opinion",
but they "know" that those who don't accept are "wrong", and God
will destroy them for it.  Is that a healthy thing to teach a child?

5) (Q) Are not 3 religious meetings a week boring?
   (A) No. Meetings are interesting.  Participate in Theocratic Ministry
       School and learn how to talk to people.  Associate with other
       young people at meetings.  Make social and recreational arrangements.

6) (Q) What do you do for recreation, social activities, family activities?
   (A) Describe a balanced range of activity.

7) (Q) How did you do in school?   Did you have any problems?  Did you get
       along with other students?  Did your association with Jehovah's
       Witnesses hinder your education?
   (A) Not at all; kept me out of trouble with the drug scene, immorality,
       illegitimate children, shoplifting, etc.  Helped me take a mature
       view of the need for an education so I could do something useful
       and interesting with my life.

This touches on some of the same things as the last post; JWs see a use
for children to go to high school, but college is seen as a waste; the
"useful and interesting" thing they are supposed to do with their life
is to pioneer, or volunteer to work at the JW's HQ:

"Remember, sentiment can cause even those who love you to give poor
advice...some parents or friends may discourage you from a self-sacrificing
course.  Because of ill-advised sentiment, they may hesitate to encourage
you to take an assignment in the full-time pioneer ministry, to serve as
a missionary, or to do volunteer work at a branch office of Jehovah's
Witnesses.  They may say, 'Why not, rather, get married and settle down
close to us?'."
(WT, 8/15/87, p.12)

Walter Smith
smith_w@apollo.hp.com