A Long Post About MY SISTER. Shows up after 5 Yrs just to SHUN some more?

by lisaBObeesa 33 Replies latest jw friends

  • Steve Lowry
    Steve Lowry

    I don't normally post here, but I'll make an exception in this case.

    This is the kinda crap (M's unacceptable behavior) that quite simply, should not be tolerated. The only way to deal with one who shun's, is to shun them in return. I don’t buy into the whole, "Oh lets love them through it", thing. She’s an adult who has made her choices. Treat her as one. Sorry, I know that may sound cold, but the only way to fight some fires, is with fire itself.

    My JW sister wrote me the "You've displeased Jehovah letter" some twenty-five years ago, about two years after I left the group. (In those days they quickly DF'd you for stating you were leaving. They didn't need any other excuses.) Now granted, my sister and I were never really very close, but I loved very very much my two nephews and niece (the boys were like 8 and 9 and my niece was 5). I decided (at great personal loss to me) to give her what she wanted, and I left her (and her family) alone. Fifteen years later when I had a little girl of my own (and all of her kids grown), she decides she wants to play Auntie to my little girl. Oh, she sent presents and a card that said, "Hug the baby for aunt D". I was appalled at this level of hypocrisy! I threw most of what she sent away, my wife insisted on keeping a few things that she liked. I never acknowledged D.'s gifts and she got the message. When my JW mother wanted to drive up from Florida to visit the newborn baby, my sister happily volunteered to drive her. When my mother told me this, I told her however she got here was her business, but D. would not be allowed in my house. Mom came up by way of Greyhound.

    I wouldn’t piss on my sister now if she were on fire. She has made herself dead to me, and dead she will remain. I have no regrets. She wanted to shun me so longs as it fit HER agenda. But when she saw something SHE wanted, it was like all of a sudden the past fifteen years of shunning me and the loss of me being be being able to see and enjoy my nephews and niece grow up meant not a damn thing to her. She wanted to gloss over it like it never happened. Bitch! My daughter is ten now. And while its sad to me that she won't get to know her aunt, it is the best course. One, I don't want my kid influenced by that kinda nut, and two its payback to my sis'. Life is an investment, and this is her reward. Yea, I’m a sonofabitch. It works for me. I treat in kind as I’m treated.

    Why did your sister visit? Don't know all the answers. Prolly kinda complicated if I had to guess. Maybe she saw something SHE needed, ya know? Look, there’s a kind of self righteous indignation and martyr syndrome people like this like to play out in their head. They feel in their twisted logic, that their "self sacrifice" earns them points with God. It’s sick, and self-delusional, but this kinda crap has been going on since the beginning of time. The JW experience is just a variation on a theme. So, she eats at your DF’d mom’s house but won’t eat with her? Here’s how she sees it, she’s showing Jehovah that SHE is being loving and encouraging to your mom, just by being there. But eating with her? Oh well, now, that’s just not right. Punish-reward kinda thing. This kind of "treatment" doesn’t acknowledge the anguish it creates for the intended. It’s not love, its animal training.

    I’m also sure your sister is feeling lonely and wishes you guys would accept her totally while she is admonishing your mom. Well, this is my advice. Give your sister what she wants. She wants to please Jehovah? Fine. But let her know that it will be expensive. I would let her know, and in no uncertain terms that when SHE changes her attitude toward your mom and asks for your mom’s forgiveness for treating her so badly, then you as a family would embrace her totally again. But, until that time, she would not be invited to any family functions. Period. And if she shows up uninvited, the first order of business is to make amends with mom, or kindly be asked to leave. This way, the shunner learns what it’s like to be shunned. It’s equitable. Doesn’t mean she will accept the terms, but at least this way she knows the rules.

    Families want to hold on to what they got, even when it’s dysfunctional. And it’s really hard to cut someone off a loved one who is behaving negatively and destructively. But think a moment about the turmoil and heartache your sister generated with her visit. Was it worth seeing your sister, knowing the misery she caused your mother? It wouldn’t be for me, no matter how much I loved my sibling. You have lost your sister to a mind controlled cultic group where very few once captured can escape. You can’t love her out of it, or scare her out or mistreat or threaten her out. You can only protect the rest of the family from her negative and destructive influence. It’s a choice that you must make. Remember that no choice is still a choice.

    I realize this post is not a warm and fuzzy kind of response. I apologize for being so blunt, but this is kinda like someone having to give you bad news. Better to get it out in the open and then discuss options.

    Steve

  • vitty
    vitty

    I would write her a letter or E-mail, telling her how disgusting her behaviour was. Ask her why she came.

    I would say what a bad witness it was to the rest of the family ( they really hate that ) and how if she looked into the scriptures she would see that Jesus never shunned anyone EVER, not even Satan LOL

    They really do try to gain brownie points by doing these things, " making a stand, giving a witness", if they only knew how terrible it all really is but they dont unfortunately.

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost
    In the end, M. had came over to Mom’s house twice and didn’t really speak to her. She showed her no pictures, told her no personal info, nothing. She flew out to Texas to shun Mom in person. My mother is torn to pieces.

    Lisa,

    It happens, yet so many of the R&F may 'loyally' deny it. Things like that have happened to me - like you say, in my own home! I've even had a S.O. push past me and knock me over - in my own backyard!!

    The truth is, the R&F are taught to hate and that this is somehow righteous!

    Yep, the teachers of that are bastards!

    BTW Glad to know you're 'around' so thanks for checking in.

    Cheers, Ozzie

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    I'm trying to imagine what a person like that looks like inside. I imagine a stiff outer shell that performs all the motions, every action and dictate outlined in the magazines. I imagine a person frozen from natural affection, going through the motions of "ought to". Think a Martha Stewart Jehovah's Witness. But there is a warm heart and real blood beating inside, which is what brought her to the funeral I think. But she's trapped inside and has no idea how to express her pain.

    So she ends up coming off as a JW jerk.

    I bet she's angry and she blames all you guys. After all, she's lived her life perfectly. She should have no problems.

    I don't know what I'd do in a situation like that. Or maybe I do. I had a chance to visit with my brother at my nephew's wedding, the first time in almost twenty years. I was so excited. It turns out he hasn't changed. He's not a JW, just a fool. I tired of him in thirty minutes. I spent the rest of the evening chatting up his ex mother-in-law, a delightful woman. I told my brother to write our mother. If he has trouble getting started, pretend he's texting one of his friends, print it off, and mail it.

  • nilfun
    nilfun

    This is why there exist some JWs who won't shun a disfellowshipped family member -- they don't advertise this fact -- but they are perceptive enough to know that eventually, the shunners get shunned and end up missing out on a whole lifetime of getting to know nephews, nieces, grandkids, etc.

    But isn't it sad to belong to an organization that encourages such alienation of affection in the first place?

    I'm very sorry this "sister" upstaged the funeral with her sick, sad behavior. Your mom deserves so much better (You all do).

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    The reasoning is so warped. She can sit on a chair away from the table in the same room where everybody is eating - and she isn't eating with her Mother????!

    If her reasoning is right then she was insulting all those present by not sitting at the table.

    Let her think she can turn love off and on like a tap. In my opinion love can be killed, and once dead you can only try to make a copy of it afterwards. (WT calls this resurrection)

    HB

  • Why Georgia
    Why Georgia

    Gee, now the JW's are delivering a big helping of shunning just like Domino's Pizza. Lovely.

    I'm so sorry for how your mother was treated. This is completely wrong that this happened.

    This act of shunning is so evil.

    I don't know that I could be friendly with someone who treated my mother with such disrespect.

    WG

  • Jez
    Jez

    Extremely well put by Steve. Exactly how I feel. I was shunned for years by my mother and my brother. I can't tell you how much I needed them, especially her, as we were very close. (I was leaving an abusive marriage of 14 yrs, got remarried, got df'ed). Nothing from either of them.

    Well, now that I am reinstated, I wrote an 8 page letter to my brother explaining the reasons why I do not want anything to do with HIM now. I told him that I got reinstated for the one that did not shun me, not for the ones that did, so did shunning produce the results that he wanted? I told him that B (my mother) is not welcome in our lives, she is fading from my mind because that is what she wanted and worked hard to get. She has not even contacted me since my reinstatement. She is wacked, with or without the religion.

    Just because we share the same mother/father does not make anyone 'family' to me. I'll spend my energy and time with ppl that deserve it.

    Jez

  • colorado5591
    colorado5591
    The only way to deal with one who shun's, is to shun them in return. I don’t buy into the whole, "Oh lets love them through it", thing

    This is an issue where many of us are torn. I don't think it is necessary to shun in return especially the obvious shun. No one is saying you should show shunners copious amounts of love either but You never know when someone will have a change of heart, no matter how hardcore and Dub-alicious they are!

    My oldest brother was an elder and real hardcore shunned me for 7 years! Not even my own mother (and some in the congregation) treated me like that. It was hard and it hurt like hell but I could never bring myself to behave that way towards him.

    A few of you may remember my touching reunion with him (IP_SEC) here on this board.

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/91583/1546665/post.ashx#1546665

    Life may hand those who shun a different card someday and it can be healing to hear them grovel over their appalling behavior. Sure makes it easier to let go......

  • TheListener
    TheListener


    Oh man. There are some powerful stories on this thread. We have all gone through so much. The emotional pain of exiting the dubs cannot be over-emphasized.

    Lisa, Jez, Steve I feel so badly for the treatment you've received and the treatment you've felt necessary to give in order to survive emotionally. All of it brought on by a religion that just can't get enough control over someone's life.

    I fear for the day when I will be shunned. I don't know my reaction at this moment, but it's nice to know I'll have a place to come and cry, hug and generally vent about my emotions and be accepted unconditionally.

    Lisa, I feel like you should write a nice letter to your sister and explain to her how much her actions have hurt everyone. Explain to her that hurting someone doesn't make them want to get closer to the truth but farther from it. When someone hurts you your first instinct is to run away. She should understand how her actions have made everyone feel. Of course, the angry part of me says be tough and hardened and the kind part of me says be understanding. Maybe there is some middle ground that gets your point across without being brutal.

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