It's funny.....I don't come across witnesses that I have known too much. but the ones I have come across or see out in service, seem to carry themselves as if they are depressed or resigned to live their life in misery.
Card of Encouragement From Long-time JW Reeks of Despair
by Seeker4 38 Replies latest jw friends
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Jankyn
Yep. That would describe all the family I've got in. One of my cousins is about to become a grandmother for the first time, and would you believe it, she actually said that old crap about how "it's not a good time to have a baby, with the end so near"?
They were saying that crap when she was born 50 years ago!
She's spent her whole life waiting instead of living. And now she won't even enjoy her grandchild, because "the end is coming." Watch...twenty years from now, that kid will be df'd for some normal kid thing, and she won't speak to him/her. And it will be part of the trials of "this old system."
ARRRGH!
Jankyn
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confused_101
It is very frustrating, I will talk to my mom about their future finance condition. She doesn't work, my dad quit his job that he had for 8yrs (good benefits, great 401k) and now works here and there with my sister, no benefits, no taxes being with held, and no longevity. They have no money (none) stuck back, a mountain of debt and her attitude is "well this ol' world will be gone soon enough, so we don't have to worry about it." I just wanna smack her. I know one thing is that when they are flat broke and my dad is too old to work, they sure as hell aren't living with me. They wouldn't (or couldn't) any way, me being the spawn of satan now... t-hee
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willyloman
They have no money (none) stuck back, a mountain of debt and her attitude is "well this ol' world will be gone soon enough, so we don't have to worry about it."
But the truth is they ARE worried about it. The last congo I was in (before we faded) was filled with old-timers. More than half of the congo were well into their 70s, even 80s. When you'd chat these folks up, they showed the same bravado about the end solving all their woes, but there was fear in their eyes. I saw it many times. One example:
I asked an 84-year-old couple how they were getting along (expecting a "fine, thank you") and got an earful. They told me they'd been retired for nearly 20 years and "we never dreamed our money would have to last this long." Then he said, "It can't last much longer, can it?" As if I knew.
I'm not sure which pisses me off more -- the fact that they were lied to, or the fact that I was one of the trained liars.
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Mysterious
Oh yes my mother is quite proud that she has no friends and no time for herself. After all between necessary house work, secular work and her spiritual activities there is simply no time left. But that makes her all the more righteous in her own eyes.
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freedom96
I have seen similar thoughts expressed by witnesses. My ex's family was very good at it. They all seemed to have this life sucks, why try attitude towards anything.
So many people pissing their lives away waiting for the "new system." I will take it one step further though. I think many of these people with these kinds of attitudes, would not have done much in life anyways, whether or not they were witnesses. A person with a good attitude, and goals in life is not going to let the prospect of the new system get in there way of living and enjoying life now.
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Apostate Kate
It has been over a decade since I left and thinking in terms of tomorrow lasting was not easy. It took awhile for me to think about being 50 years old EVEN though I no longer believed Armageddon was "around the corner". I seemed to have a problem working hard for a future like my college education. I had obstacles but allowed them to defeat me partly I think due to this odd feeling that I wouldn't be around to enjoy the fruit of the hard work.
~Kate
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Seeker4
"She's spent her whole life waiting instead of living." Boy, Jankyn, did that phrase hit the spot. THAT'S what troubled me so much about some of the Witnesses I knew. Maybe they would have been like that anyway, but the whole Witness mindset lends itself to that mentality.
It certainly wasn't true of all of them, but it's such an easy place to go to as a JW - "Oh, woe is me," ...sigh... "I'll be so glad when this wicked old system is gone."
S4 - Living, and not waiting for anything!