The Impact of Jehovah's Witnesses on a Family: A Personal Account

I never imagined that joining a religious group would have such a profound and negative impact on my family.

Background

My oldest sister joined the Jehovah's Witnesses 40 years ago, at the age of 20. This decision drastically changed the dynamics of our Catholic family, shoving my sister away from the rest of us for many long years.

There are five daughters in our family, and I was still a young girl when my sister's rejection of us first took place. Many nights, I would hear my mother in her bedroom sobbing as she dealt with the heartbreak. Our grandmother favored my oldest sister, and the grief surrounding her decision led to her passing away a few weeks later. This event further strained our family, as my father found a stack of Christmas presents and returned letters from my sister in his mother's closet. The discovery caused a rupture, and my father, a 6 feet 2 inches, 300-pound Native American Indian with a heavy build, began struggling with alcoholism as a response. His emotional breakdown marked the first time I had ever seen him cry.

The family split was a direct result of my sister's decision. My father passed away two years later, and as a child, I felt abandoned during a time when I needed her the most. The absence of my oldest sister had a significant emotional toll on both my mother and father, as well as our grandmother, who passed away as well.

Numerous years went by, with my sister eventually calling my mother to inform her she had left the Jehovah's Witnesses. My sister was in a state of suicidal despair for a period and deeply regretted her actions, particularly not being present for my grandmother's passing. While my sister's sudden return was bittersweet, my focus at the time was on the emotional pain we all endured.

The Verdict

Some Jehovah's Witnesses argue that my sister's shunning of our family was not due to our Catholic faith, suggesting that she would not have acted the way she did if we had remained members of the Catholic Church. However, those arguments ring hollow to me in light of the emotional damage done to my family.

I firmly believe that the shunning of Jehovah's Witnesses can have severe and long-lasting consequences for innocent individuals, causing immense emotional distress and, in some cases, mental health issues. My experience with my sister's decision serves as a cautionary tale about the impact of joining a cult-like organization like the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Moreover, I strongly believe that my sister's membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses was a result of her being deceived by a false prophet, and the damage caused by this deception is difficult to quantify. The emotional turmoil and pain caused by her absence have left deep scars that have not healed entirely, despite her eventual return.

Conclusion

While the Jehovah's Witnesses may have provided my sister with a sense of direction, the road to spiritual enlightenment came at the cost of harming my family and leaving a lasting impact on both my parents and grandmother. My personal account highlights the destructive nature of the shunning practice within this religious group, and it serves as a warning to others considering joining such organizations.

Ultimately, I am left to wonder why we did not seek strength in our own Catholic faith during this difficult period. While I do not believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are guilty of harm on a broad scale, I do strongly feel that they have caused significant damage to countless families through their practices of shunning and deception.

As a personal account, my story underscores the need for critical thinking and cautious consideration before joining any religious group, especially one known for its strict and isolating practices.