JW deaths ONLY due to blood issue? Think again.

BabaYaga

This is sort-of a re-post, in my reply to TheWanderer's thread, heading: "When you started to arrive on your decision about leaving." It just occurred to me that this might be a good place to have others sharing experiences where the WTBTS dictates were not only unloving, but actually deadly.

For over 15 years I excused the organization and the horribly wrong and sometimes death-dealing advice or decrees of the elders. I have lost many dear loved ones in death because of this organization. Do you think they only kill people with the blood issue? Think again.

* I have had a beloved one die because she was told to go back to an abusive husband (the elders read scriptures telling her how to be a better wife, well, now she is dead.)
* I have had a loved one die because he seriously needed psychiatric care and medication which was a big no-no and he took his own life.
* Then there was the one who, after pioneering for decades, found herself in such great physical pain due to several bone surgeries, she slipped into drinking too much in addition to the prescribed meds... she was disfellowshipped and she died with no friends or family... of course she had no friends, she wasn't allowed to have friends all of those years of being such a faithful slave. Her beloved only son refused to speak to her. Yes. This is the love of the WTBTS.

I hate the cliche of WWJD ("what would Jesus do?") but I guarantee you that Jesus would NOT have done anything to destroy families and lives such as this deadly organization does every day.

So... how many of you feel that the WTBTS was at least in part contributory to the death of a loved one? What were the circumstances?

Rabbit

Many people know my Mom was the victim of the WTS blood policy. (I will repeat this forever for any newbies here!)

I know personally of 3 (real) friends over the 35 years I was a JW that committed suicide after being DF'd.

I know of at least 10 who attempted suicide after being marked, accused, threatened or shunned as "bad association." Many times their "sin" was being "inactive." I had questions and doubts which got me labeled as "spiritually dangerous," my family eventually fell apart and I was shunned.

One of my children attempted suicide while DF'd for smoking, but, after 'jumping thru all the WT flaming hoops' they were reinstated. Now, the addiction has returned...and the WT axe is hanging over their head again. The guilt trip of "not doing enough" and "not being a good JW" will surely take their life long before the tobbacco will !

Rabbit

Bonnie_Clyde

I just posted on Wanderer's thread that I knew 4 JW's who committed suicide. None of them were DF'd. One was an active elder who had just finished a month of pioneering. The family was, of course, devastated. They explained that it was caused by an addiction to some medication that the doctor had given him for depression, he tried unsuccessfully to get off the medicine, and ended his life because he thought he was going crazy. Strange, I talked to him 3 nights before the event happened and he sounded OK. I wonder why he was so depressed that he had to go on the medicine in the first place. But I know that there is a tremendous number of active witnesses who are on anti-depressants. It's part of having to live a double life.

BabaYaga

Dear Rabbit... sorry to hear about your son or daughter... you know I think I'm sorrier that he/she has been reinstated than about the smoking again. You're right, it's much more dangerous. I hope they soon see TRUE light instead of NEW light.

Bonnie_Clyde, thanks for sharing. It's horrid that you spoke to your friend just three days before and everything seems fine. Somehow there is always a feeling that we could have/should have known and/or done more. It eats at the survivors for years to come. Thank you for telling your story.

Rabbit

Yes, I wish they hadn't been reinstated, too. That just keeps all my JW kids very unstable. The guilt trips and the worthless feelings they have are very strong, I know from experience that being an active JW is a never-ending series of depressive events. They will never "do enough" and whatever 'good jw' stuff they do will never count towards any 'credit' with the elders later.

There have been 2 more attempts since reinstatement.

Ya' know, "Jehovah's people are the happiest people in the world."

Rabbit

stevenyc

As far as the new testament is concerned the only reason to allow yourself to die was blasphemy.

Taking blood is allowed in Jewish / old testament law only if it preserved your life.

I don't think I need to write any more.

steve

fyerstar

Just another sad statistic. I knew a beautiful and talented young girl who ended her life in despair. She was a talented poetess, honor student who was in love with a worldly man. She ended her life at 22. She tried all of the panacea's available (encouraged) by the control-freaks -- pioneer, keep busy, find a good brother (hah!), assiste at a deaf congregation, etc. But it couldn't help the frustration of being denied your God-given talents and dreams. And of course, she suffered from the guilt of being attracted to "an enemy of Jehovah" and whatever else they could find to guilt you into submission. I found out about her death through my ex-JW elder husband. She and I had been friends, but once I was axed of course our relationship ended. What really makes me sad/infuriated is that the tact the body took was that Satan's system was too much for the poor girl to handle. The fact is that all their loving, smothering, controlling, guilt trips drove her to it. So, I agree, more JWs die from things other than the refusal of blood. The blood guilt they should suffer for destroyed lives is enormous.

BTW, she was the 2nd eldest in a family of 8 -- she left a poem about how sad she was and how unworthy she was of Jehovah, but encouraged her siblings to be stronger than she was and never leave the path to life. Poor misguided child.

BabaYaga

My gods, what a horrifying story, Fyerstar...

...but WELCOME, welcome to the forums... we are so happy to have you here. I'm sure you have much to contribute.

This is the safe haven where we can talk about such things.

Rabbit

bttt

JW deaths ONLY due to blood issue? Think again.

Share this