[Gyrl7]

I normally will not discuss religion with anyone for various reasons, however, this post intriqued me and made me want to reply.

When I was born my mother was studying to become a Jehova's Witness. So basically, that is what we were coming up. I personally hated it. I know that you shouldn't hate any religion, but remember I was a child at that time. Not receiving Christmas gifts as a child, having to have to stand in the front of the class with the teacher because I was not allowed to say the pledge of allegiance (simply because of the phrase "one nation under God") because of "my mothers" religion was not acceptable to me, no matter how well she explained it to me. I always wanted to go to church where the people sang, clapped real loud and had a good time. At that time it seemed to range from Baptist to Penticostal. I made a vow that whenever I grew up, I would NOT be a Jehova's Witness. It wasn't just because we didn't celebrate Christmas, but it didn't sit right with me. Some of the things my mother did as a Jehova's Witness, I was kind of shocked at. I recall actually getting a beating for going to my Grandmothers Church which was Penticostal. My mother and Grandfather never did get along after a heated discussion about me going to their church, he didn't see why I had to get beat for going and was OUTRAGED. I was happy as can be, I had a good time at my Grandmother's Church (Bible Way), but I paid dearly for going.

1. Like my mother had her gall bladder removed in 76, but she had to do it without blood. Now if she needed an emergency blood tranfusion she was pretty much screwed.

2. When the Witnesses would have gatherings, alcohol was always permitted. My mother will always say the drunkest she has ever been in her life was as a Jehova's Witness.

3. Once you are dis-fellowishipped, you are pretty much shunned from all of the other JW's. Now what if you want to come back to the fold. My mother can on one hand exclulding the thumb, how many of the JW's still speak to her now that she has left.

4. No prayers could be in the name of Jesus.

The above are just to name a few.

Anyhow, my mother started reading the King James Bible and the Jehova's Witness Bible. She started finding a lot of contridictions (please do not ask me to explain the contridictions, just remember at that time I was only 10). In late 81 early 82, she started watching Fred KC Price of Ever Increasing Faith Ministries on television. Every Sunday at 8am, BET was no where to be found back then, shoot Bobby Jones probably just got saved himself. Not to long after that Jimmy Swaggart started coming on, then Oral Roberts, alas, GOD heard my silent cry. My Mom's went for major surgery in June of 1982. She had already decided that she wanted to become born again, so she did the "sinners prayer" with my Aunt who was an Evangelist and my Aunts Pastor. I was just relieved to come from my summer vacation with my Grandmother knowing we would be going to church on Sunday.

I don't know who was the most happy her, because she was now a Born Again Christian or me because we were no longer Jehova's Witnesses.

I am by no means saying one religion is better than the other, just sharing my experiences coming up.