yes...i was down this road a couple o times...long ago. Ironically enough it would be those worldly people that ultimately came to my resuce when it was the witnesses who sent me down the path of insanity..lol. Talk about poetic irony...
-Z-
The Great Taboo Discussion---Suicides among former Jehovah's Witnesses
by The wanderer 84 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Bonnie_Clyde
I know four active witnesses who committed suicide over the years. One was the wife of a former circuit overseer who couldn't cope with life's problems. One guy went out in the woods with a gun and pulled the trigger. A teenaged girl started the car in a closed garage and ended her life. Another was an elder who had been taking depression medication and became addicted. After trying unsuccessfully to get off, he took his shotgun out into his shed and ended his life. BTW, he had pioneered that month.
-
sass_my_frass
Yeah I came pretty close to the edge a while back. I haven't been depressed since leaving though.
-
-
jgnat
I believe the man who spoke on the Dateline show, a whistleblower, took his own life. I think he was transitioning between anti-depressants. Just now the medical profession is catching on that there is an increased risk of suicide when transitioning on to these drugs.
I've heard from a couple of articulate and sensitive posters on this board who brushed with suicide. I'd had no idea they were so close. The fellow who lost his daughter and ex-wife in a fire got VERY CLOSE. His ex-wife set the fire. The ex-wife and in-laws were all JW's. The in-laws cruelly took advantage of his devastation and obtained custody of the remaining daughter, who is being raised JW. I am very proud of Bebu, Hubert, and others, that pulled him back from the brink.
I don't think that former members are in a continuous depressive state. There's a natural dip shortly after leaving. After all, it's a rude shock to discover so much of your life was wasted on an organization's ambitions. The person has to rebuild himself after such an intense involvement. What are his interests and dreams? What does he really believe? What makes life worth living? Can there be life after the society? Is it ever too late to start over? There can be a lot of anger over what has been done to him. Anger turned inward can lead to suicidal thoughts. Anger inappropriately turned outward, well, vandalism is not the answer. Picket or write a letter to the editor.
I believe a large percentage of JW's are in a constant state of low-grade depression. I get depressed when there is a disconnect between my internal worldview and reality. EVERY JW is disconnected from reality. Good is bad. Black is white. Worldlings are no good. Charity is a waste. Comfort can only be found in the magazines. What kind of sad life is that?
-
Jerohobobonadad
A sad subject, but one I have pondered over. I have never considered suicide myself, so this may be a biased view point.
I knew 4 people - 2 personally quite well. Ages 17, 21, mid-late 30s, early 40s. One was an ex-missionary. One was a pioneer. One was a beautiful, popular young girl.
The official JW position as I know it is that these ones get no resurection. My, obviously not expert, view is that there must be a mental health element to all suicides. It cannot be a truly rational decision to end one's life. I think this is under-estimated by the org. It must be crushing for a believing witness family to have a suicide within the family and have the belief that God has cut this one off for eternity.
The following applies if you believe the JW teachings by my reckoning. Mental illness is still an illness. People cannot help and generally do not choose to be depressed, it just happens to some people to varying degrees. Therefore, would a suicide mean no resurrection? If a smoker becomes a witness then finds out they have a cancer caused by smoking and dies, will this one be excluded from a resurection? The smoking definately caused their death, it was just unintentional as opposed to intentional (meaning suicide). The wages sin pays is death. Since were were, according to doctrine, born into sin (so will die) through no personal fault of our own, God made a bargain with the ransom to "buy back" our lives - if you die before the big A you get a resurrection, if you are around at the big A then faith in the ransom gets you through. Dying before the big A fulfils a humans part of the bargain. God would be duty bound to give you a resurrection.
Does that make sense?
-
chiddy
Knew 2 bros who were in our cong who did it, first guy mid 20's lovely guy was in love with a teen age girl in the cong. The other guy did through the split up of his marriage MS excellent speaker mid 40's.
Came close myself through the split up of the my marriage summer of 94, and guess what ? my worldly mates got me through it. Love amongst Jehoobahs people? Screw them.
-
Bonnie_Clyde
It seems like the WT lightened up on their stance that people who commit suicide get no resurrection. Don't have time to do any research now, but the everyone I've talked to regarding the elder I just mentioned feel that he is going to return in the resurection. The family couldn't have his funeral at the KH but an elder gave the discourse at the funeral home, and lots of witnesses attended.
-
Pistoff
In my life:
A bright woman who could not overcome the shame laid on her for an affair in the congregation; hung herself.
A sensitive man, husband to a good woman, who left the car running in the garage. The elders were reported to know he had depression issues. He was a perfectionist.
A young sister, with a young child; alcoholic, before it was "recognized" as a disease by the rocket scientists in Brooklyn. Handgun.
A sister, a perfectionist and insecure, used her husband's shotgun. She had gotten her time in, and was in a much better mood, according to the brain trust around her in the pioneer clique.
And the attempts, by others I know.
Of all the people I know, in or out of the WT, the ratio seems very high for the few witnesses I know in comparison to the non-witnesses I know.
Most I know who have left, truly left and not just inactive, their mental health improves greatly.
Including mine. -
Pistoff
"The family couldn't have his funeral at the KH but an elder gave the discourse at the funeral home, and lots of witnesses attended."
WHY???? I know of course, but that fact gives the lie to the idea that they have softened their stance.
And he will be in the resurrection only because we are not living in a time of judgement, according the latest flash of bullshot, I mean, light, from Brooklyn.