All things Jehovah’s Witnessy

Published November 21, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hi guys,

Long time listener here from the UK. Been following you guys since Westworld season 1.

I thought I’d drop you a mail following the latest episode of Watchmen.

As a former Jehovah’s Witness (around 85 – 93) this episode really resonated with me, it reminded me of the opening scenes of The Leftovers season 3 episode 1 which shows a end of days Christian sect preparing for the rapture. The preacher/pastor in that episode has variously numerology “evidence” to provide the day on which this will occur. As the event fail happen he reworks the dates and calculations to arrive a new date which also fails and his church diminishes in numbers as his predictions prove wrong time and time again.

This numerology as well as “signs of the times” are and were very prevalent with JWs especially in the 80s where the Cold War loomed large. The basic premise was that “nation would rise against nation” was a direct precursor to Armageddon. JWs of this era genuinely believed (and probably still believe) that the end was very imminent). In the world of Watchmen with it’s alternative history timeline it seems nuclear war was really about to breakout. To a JW living in this world it really would seem the end was near and groups of them out and about preaching the “Good News” would definitely be happening.

As a young JW of that era I can safely say that Wade’s experience of women would be as bad as the show points out. It’s not just that it is against his religion to have sex before marriage but he also would have no friends at all who are not JWs. The only young women he would know would be fellow JW women who are as uptight as he is. I can see how a “worldy” woman as the one who leads him astray would be difficult for him to turn down as his naivety allows him to fall for what clearly to us is a piss take.

When he loses all his clothes and then the Squid kills everyone he would have been very freaked out. To him he has sinned just at the point God has started Armageddon. He’s basically screwed up royally.

Anyway those are a few of my very basic thoughts looking at this through my exJW eyes.

Loving the podcasts

Keep up the great work!

Mike

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