"You will die in this system."
That is the one thing I have wanted to say to my family, to shock them, to wake them up. I don't think it would have the desired effect. I think they would stare at me like I'm crazy. At least they still talk with me. Whenever my mom says anything JW related, I just clam up. She's happy with the fairy tale, that's all I can say. They have no clue how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Dave
I don't want to Die in this system!!
by Save My Soul 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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PrimateDave
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garybuss
I talked to an elderly Witness recently and I asked the Witness what was the best thing about their life and the Witness said: "The best thing was when I met the Witnesses". When I asked how are you doing? The Witness said "I just want to live through Armageddon".
Maybe that's just their way of saying I don't want to die, or of saying I'm afraid of death. -
Atpeaceatlast
Sorry, it's going to happen eventually. When I left, I came to terms that I will die, my personal "Armageddeon(sp?)" will come; there is no stopping it, so I learned to embrace my destruction, and started to live my life my way.
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Save My Soul
Prior to my Dear Father's death, he said, "This is the end". "The end of what dad", I mumbled, holding back the tears. "The end of this system". Those were his last audible words, prior to a 21 day coma.
I assume many feel this way as they approach death.
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Marcel
i have to honestly admit that ive never learned to cope with death. im 26 and start thinking about death for REAL. im not afraid of it. no. i was dead already. from beginning of time until my birth. it didnt hurt. its fine to be dead.
BUT! its not easy to see that all your relatives and friends who died along the way *MAY* dont come back. the hope of resurrection is like a fluffy pillow what helps you to cope with OTHERS death. they arent gone forever, you'll see'em again. so the possibility that there *may* be NOTHING more is not easy to cope with if you learned it otherwise from you're earliest childhood on.
it makes almost cry when i recall the glimpse of joy in my grandpas eyes when he spoke about it. *sighs* so much hope... maybe for nothing... -
Save My Soul
i have to honestly admit that ive never learned to cope with death. im 26 and start thinking about death for REAL. im not afraid of it. no. i was dead already. from beginning of time until my birth. it didnt hurt. its fine to be dead.
BUT! its not easy to see that all your relatives and friends who died along the way *MAY* dont come back. the hope of resurrection is like a fluffy pillow what helps you to cope with OTHERS death. they arent gone forever, you'll see'em again. so the possibility that there *may* be NOTHING more is not easy to cope with if you learned it otherwise from you're earliest childhood on.
it makes almost cry when i recall the glimpse of joy in my grandpas eyes when he spoke about it. *sighs* so much hope... maybe for nothing...When my wife found out the Truth about the Truff, she felt the same way. The possibility of never seeing her dead sister again. I recall a scene from a movie where the actress said, "There has too be something more to this life than just death, or God is playing a cruel trick on us all"
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greendawn
Most people don't have such an issue they either believe in life after death or they believe in the resurrection and once you are dead time becomes irrelevent being dead for years or millenia before the resurrection is the same thing.
I don't know why the dubs are so concerned with the idea of death when they know that there will be a resurrection. Perhaps the erroneous idea that if they don't obey the WTS they will not be resurrected plays on their minds. The Christ said all the dead will come back to life.
Until then death is a fact of human existence but fortunately a temporary one.
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Seeker4
Greendawn - I think you're stuck on the same myths the Witnesses are - you are all kidding yourselves by denying that we will all die and go out of existence.
I really struggled with the idea of dying. I think my leaving the Witnesses came out of my hitting my 40s and realizing that, unlike what had been drummed into me for 3 decades, I was in fact going to grow old and die! I have been told by several JWs that the reason they stay in the org is that, while it may be wrong in lots of areas, they can't face life, or death, without the hope of a resurrection. And it is pretty damn comforting when you're grieving over someone you loved, to be told that you'll see them again.
In the 1980s, I gave a talk at several circuit assemblies on the idea of being discouraged by growing old and facing death in this system. Many of the gungho brothers and sisters of my youth were by that time facing death. The district overseer for the assemblies was Dennis Raftopoulis. I privately had a talk with him about growing old and dying, and in an unguarded moment, he told me how discouraging it was for him and others his age, who thought the New System would have been here long ago. Dennis is now dead.
Last week my ex-wife went to Maine to the funeral of Kurt Weimann, an old time elder here in New England and Florida. Kurt was in his early 80s. My mom is 83, and still a JW, and we talk about her dying. My ex in-laws, JWs, are in their 70s and in poor health.
Yep, the one thing we can be certain of is that we will die someday. Growing old is a nice possibility as well!
S4
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jgnat
As an outsider, I think the Witnesses are terrified of dying. Yes, I've seen my husband try and carefully preserve his youth through diet and dyes. I've seen the sweet silver-haired gentleman surrpetitiously read a miracle diet book at the convention. They've been romancing the paradise pictures, hanging on for how many years? I think the anxiety over death and ageing also comes from their endless striving to try and earn a gift that is freely given (Romans 6:3-9).
Lately, I've been telling my husband that our little garden is the closest thing to paradise here on earth. My granddaughter's burbling giggle adds to the delight of our little place. Her latest project is to learn the violin. Visiting music teachers at her day care told her she had talent. She's saved up two allowances, given up ice-cream, and sold lemonade for a full scorching Saturday in order to save for her coveted violin. Yesterday her parents obtained a rental, as we were advised. Naomi has some growing to do, and she will graduate through several violins before she grows up. As Naomi and her friend frolicked outside in my water sprinkler, my daughter sat in her basement, tuning the violin using a supplied video. She then brought it outside. We all gave it a try.
NOW THIS got the attention of my Witness husband. He came out to watch us all play, and told us he would wait until paradise, as he would get a renewed mind and all the time he needed to become a talented musician. He declined our offer to give it a try. Always, deferred hope. I told him I was content to start now.
Those lovely parklike pictures must have had quite an impact on him. Those children playing violin in the park. Can he not see, he has paradise now?
To her horror, the instructional video advised my daughter that the violin is to be tuned daily. We have interesting days ahead.
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blondie
for at least 87 years the WTS has said that millions now living will never die; that the OS can look forward to being unique among humans, having never died.
Those in my parents generation are seeing contemporaries die, and are wondering if they will personally realize that promise. In the minds of those who made that promise, they have not lied if only one person surivives w/o dying. Where are the millions, only baptized jws. The WTS conditions their statments by saying "as a group" these will survive. No guarantees for individuals. What about those who put off marriage and/or children "for the sake of the good news"?
Blondie