WHEN BECOMING A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO . . .

• Accept a blood transfusion
• Associate on a regular basis with former members
• Associate on a regular basis with non-Jehovah’s Witnesses, including neighbors
• Associate with or even talk to disfellowshiped former members
• Assume that you have Christian freedom or that you may abide by your own conscience if it conflicts with Watchtower Society policy
• Attend a church school
• Attend Alcoholics Anonymous
• Attend another church (To do so is considered "spiritual fornication")
• Attend class reunions (To do so is considered "worldly" association)
• Attend college (This is allowable but you will likely be judged by the elders as spiritually immature.)
• Attend social functions organized at your place of employment
• Become a cheerleader
• Become a police officer
• Buy a raffle ticket
• Buy Girl Scout cookies
• Buy lottery tickets
• Campaign for a political candidate
• Celebrate birthdays
• Celebrate Canada Day or any other national holiday
• Celebrate Christmas
• Celebrate Easter
• Celebrate Flag Day
• Celebrate Hanukkah
• Celebrate Independence Day (Fourth of July in the U.S.A.)
• Celebrate Mother's Day, Father's Day, or Grandparent's Day
• Celebrate New Year's Eve or Day
• Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
• Celebrate Thanksgiving
• Celebrate Valentine's Day
• Contribute to the Presidential Campaign Fund on your tax return
• Create holiday artwork in school
• Date without supervision, whether you are young or old
• Deliberately miss attending any of the several weekly congregation meetings (or you may be criticized and even disciplined)
• Discuss politics
• Do repairs or other work on a non-Witness church building as a regular thing
• Donate blood
• Donate to relief organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or other charities
• Eat Lucky Charms Cereal (Both "lucky" and "charms" suggest engaging in magic)
• Eat turkey on Thanksgiving
• Engage in any risky acts such as sky diving, bungee jumping and hang gliding
• Engage in anything that gives the appearance of superstition
• Fail to attend the conventions held several times each year (or you may be criticized and even disciplined)
• Fail to be in full submission to the teachings and lead of the elders
• Fail to be in full submission to your husband, if you are a married woman
• Fail to dress according to the rules at the Kingdom Hall, in field service and at conventions
• Fail to engage in regular "field service" to recruit new members (or you will most certainly be criticized)
• Fail to fully accept the Watchtower Society's authority and rules without exception (or you will likely be disfellowshipped)
• Fail to have a home study with members of your household if you are the family head 
• Fail to prepare for each meeting, if it is possible
• Fail to present assigned talks at the meetings, whether you are young or old, male or female (or you may be criticized and even disciplined)
• Fail to read and study literature from the Watchtower Society
• Fail to report on fellow members, including your family, if they've been caught doing something against the Society's rules
• Fail to sing at the meetings, even if you have a bad voice (Your failure will be frowned upon.)
• Fail to turn in a written report of your "field service" activity each month (or you may be criticized and even disciplined)
• Fail to voluntarily participate in the meetings of the congregation
• Gamble
• Get baptized in any other religion
• Get divorced unless one partner is guilty of adultery or fornication
• Go to nightclubs
• Go to the school prom
• Have a funeral in another church or attend a funeral in another church
• Have any job such as security guard or watchman that requires a gun
• Have any tattoos
• Have wind charms (because they represent a pagan symbol for scaring away demons)
• Hold a position of responsibility in the congregation if you are a woman
• Join any organization that has ties to any other church
• Join sororities or fraternities
• Join the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
• Join the military or participate in warfare
• Join the YMCA or YWCA
• Learn karate
• Look to Jesus as your Mediator if you are in the majority "other sheep" class
• Marry a nonbeliever (If you do, you are judged severely by the congregation.)
• Marry in another church or attend a wedding in another church
• Obtain needed medicines from another country if they are illegal in your own country
• Own a gun or have one in your home or car
• Own a religious picture or statue
• Own a Smurf doll
• Partake of bread or wine at the Memorial of Christ’s death unless you are in the extreme minority "remnant" class
• Participate in a workers' strike against a business company
• Participate in Halloween activities
• Participate in holiday parties at school
• Participate in prayer by a nonbeliever, including the bowing of your head
• Participate in union affairs, though it is permissible to join a union
• Pierce your ears if male, or other body parts if female
• Play Bingo or Chess
• Play professional sports (Unless you're world famous like the Williams sisters)
• Play school sports (No competition allowed)
• Posing a challenging question on anything concerning the Watchtower organization
• Practice Yoga
• Pray aloud in the presence of men, without a head covering, if you are a woman
• Read negative information of any kind about the Watchtower Society
• Read or study religious articles not from the Watchtower Society
• Read philosophy, sociology, or psychology publications (Though allowed, this is highly discouraged due to its "non-spiritual" nature.)
• Remarry if you are divorced until your former partner remarries or commits fornication
• Run for any public office
• Run for class president
• Salute the flag
• Say "Bless you!" or "Gesundheit" when someone sneezes
• Say "Good luck!," "Wish me Luck," "I was Lucky," or "You were Lucky"
• Say "It was fate" or suggest something happened due to fate
• Say curse words
• Seek help from psychiatrists, psycho-therapists and psychologists (Allowed but highly discouraged due to being "worldly" advice.)
• Sell cigarettes, pipes or cigars
• Send birthday, Christmas or any other holiday greeting cards
• Shop at any store that has ties to a church or religious group
• Shop at church garage sales
• Shop at the Salvation Army or at church-run thrift stores
• Sing any carols, hymns or holiday songs
• Sing a national anthem
• Smoke cigarettes, pipes or cigars
• Stand at public events while others are standing to salute the flag
• Store your own blood in case blood is needed during an operation
• Sue another one of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Surf frequently on the Internet
• Tell ghost stories
• Tell the truth to a non-Witness if it will embarrass the reputation of the Watchtower organization (This is called "Theocratic war strategy.")
• Throw a penny into a wishing well
• Throw rice at a wedding ("pagan origin")
• Toast drinks ("pagan origin")
• Volunteer for the Salvation Army
• Vote (This is now a "conscience matter" to please governments, but you can expect to be criticized and even ostracized if you do it.)
• Watch R-rated movies
• Watch TV shows like "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," "Touched by an Angel," or "Bewitched"
• Wear a beard in some Kingdom Halls and areas (Expect to be judged severely.)
• Wear blue jeans or casual clothes to the Kingdom Hall
• Wear clothing related to warfare; e.g. combats or army tops
• Wear long hair if you are a man
• Wear or own a cross
• Wear pants to the Kingdom Hall if you are a female
• Wear skirts or dresses that might inch above the knee at any time
  
  
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