How you know that the Jehovah's Witnesses "ain't the truth" ?
Allow me to count the ways that is evident.
As stated in a previous post, my grandfather was involved with the JW-religion for over 54 years and served in a position of authority for over 45 years.
I find that ironic because you would think someone that devoted their entire life to a religion would receive more loving treatment from other members as they lay on their death bed. Watching how my grandfather was treated by the other members of the Jehovah's Witness congregations that he had known for years was enough to convince me this was indeed NOT "the truth"
Case in point. When he was terminal and in hospice care, my mother, sister, and I took turns working to turn him over in bed to avoid bed sores, and also changing his bed pan. It is extremely painful to see someone you love deteriorate to such a condition.
You want to know over the course of that final year that he laid bedridden and dying how many "friends" actually came to see him?
TWO.
Two people in a congregation of over 200. Two people in a circuit of several thousand where he almost knew everyone in some capacity. THERE is your true Christian love.
For you see, he was bedridden, and no longer able to push/sell the magazines. Therefore, to the Watchtower, he was no longer useful.
At his memorial service, this is when I got most angry and began my complete exit from the Jehovah's Witness religion. The entire talk was an advertising/marketing session for the religion, with no honor being given on a personal level to the individual who had just died. You could literally fill in the blank with any individuals name on an outline:
" _________________ holds the opportunity for everlasting life because ___________________ died loyal to Jehovah."
The Kingdom Hall was half-full on the day of his memorial service. Apparently not even half of the usual Sunday attenders felt it necessary to pay homage to my grandfather who had just died. Some of the people he even brought into their horrific organization failed to show up. Talk about love amongst one another! HA! At the repass where some of the elders attended and their wives brought food.. they felt that an appropriate time to counsel me on my meeting attendance!
Want another story? My brother, Jeremy, born into the JW's, got married to a JW woman in March of 1997.
He had and still possesses nothing above a HS education, because the Watchtower discouraged such secular/materialistic/academic pursuits. His wife, 2 years his junior, also possessed nothing beyond a HS education, and now they have 2 children (she is knocked up again and expecting in about 6 months), no job, and plenty of bills.
My father was DA'ed already at the time of the wedding, and to give you evidence that the Watchtower Society enjoys dividing families and causing heartache, they cautioned my mother and my brother that if my father were allowed to attend his own firstborn son's wedding, then they would be liable for revoking of priviledges or punishment because it would be inappropriate.
How INSANELY sick can you get?
My father, honorable man that he is, to avoid confrontation and upsetting my brother and mother (who remain hardcore JW to this day) stepped back and did not attend his own son's wedding. Not because he did not want to, but because he did not want to hurt his wife or his son. Even to this day I can still see the pain in his eyes whenever that issue is brought up.
So a man who served as an elder for decades was just kissed off when he died, a young man is encouraged to marry to avoid fornication and is now in a hopeless financial state, and a father is not allowed to attend his own son's wedding.
Welcome to some of my world within the Jehovah's Witnesses.
When I can stomach it, I will post some experiences of my own which affected me.
Edited by - Reborn2002 on 10 September 2002 22:36:46