Feeling sorry for the old time witnesses...wishing it were the "truth". (page 2)

joelbear69

I do have pity for my parents. They have been witnesses for over 60 years.

They made enormous sacrifices in giving up their dreams and hopes for this
life.

No travelling, no education, no adventure. Just service and meetings.

There lives are basically over now at 82 and 85 they have little energy
left.

Almost all their lifelong friends are dead. My parents no longer talk
about their hope for the new earth or living forever. They just talk
about what they are supposed to be doing.

Witness life for them has boiled down to a number of good friendships
made over many years. Hey,that is certainly of value. But you can
hear it in their voices that they know that they haven't lived a full
life, nor has being a witness brought them solace at the end of their
days.

They no longer try to talk me into being a witness again.

I find it very sad. I love them very much.

uninformed

Joelbear- you wrote:

Witness life for them has boiled down to a number of good friendships
made over many years. Hey,that is certainly of value. But you can
hear it in their voices that they know that they haven't lived a full
life, nor has being a witness brought them solace at the end of their
days.

I hurt with you Joelbear, but don't kid yourself, witness friendships are almost a contradiction in terms. They are sooooo conditional, that I feel they are of no value.

That makes their sad situation even sadder.

Sorry to you and to them.

Brant

R.Crusoe

It is sad and I have to say I have spent many a year wishing it were true for the sakes of those who have sincerely given their lives to a way of life even though I had no hope of any afterlife myself!

The brain drain that dogma put on my psyche and vitality for life was appalling - it sucks the life out of you and sends you nuclear radiations of negative thoughts and feelings so that each explodes several others in never ending fussion. That is what is 'evil' about its influence in spite of it witholding many a sincere individual and also destroying many of their spirits!

It is almost as some say, better to have them live out a dream than suffer an awakening to a wasted life.

Eliveleth

Tula,

I thought about telling him the things I was learning here. Then realized how traumatic it is for so many of you dealing with learning the truth about the truth, and felt maybe it was best to let him have his dream of paradise. I have noticed there are some things he does not seem to go along with as far as what I hear as doctrine here. He is a very kind and non-judgemental person. He never talks about all the people that will be destroyed. His focus is more on the positive aspects...like people he looks forward to seeing again.

I think you are right. What good would it do to dash his dreams at this point in his life when it would be so hard for him. I think this is a loving thing to do.

Love and hugs,

Velta

dawg

I kinda feel like ole Black Sheep on this one... this thread sort of leads to the question of whether they're just stupid or not in my mind. I mean, they the WTBTS built a freaking house in San Deigo for the returning "worthies" and yet many still believe Gods spirit guides them.. Velda will jump me for this, but I have a hard time forgiving them for the freaking mysery that my family has put me through for a bunch of damned fools.

I just can't feel sorry for folks that don't research all the facts... I mean, a bell should have went off in their heads whenever they heard that they can't question men, it goes against the bible in 1 Thess. ANyway. I don't feel sorry for them, I feel bad for all those lives effected by these morons, and I can't feel sorry for anyone that says to their kids, think like me and I'll give you my love, do it not and I'll withdraw association...thats bullshit folks, I don't feel sorry.

SacrificialLoon

I often have similar thoughts, especially about my grandparents. It makes me sad. :(

tula

Dawg said: I just can't feel sorry for folks that don't research all the facts...

Bear in mind that many of the wts followers, and especially from the old days may be somewhat lacking in formal education.

I have heard of many elderly who had to work on the family farm as children and maybe only have 6th grade education.

This is why the magazines originally appealed to those types of people. It was written on a 6th grade reading level.

Many people have trouble reading the King James Bible because the language is archaic.

Many people looked to the clergy for leadership. That is the way our system is laid out and handed down. It's tradition.

Various clergy have fraudently taken their seats as "Bible authorities" and each religion seems to have it's own spin on things.

Some people are being taught that they will sprout wings and fly out of here soon. The rest of the people on earth who do not think like they do will be "left behind" to suffer great torture. Too bad.

All religions are promoting great delusions.

Even people who are university educated attend various churches. Is it because they really believe? Is it for networking purposes to increase business? Are they just book educated and stupid when it comes to reasoning? I don't know. I suppose there are many answers to that question.

Also, bear in mind that these older witnesses were more along the order of "students" searching for answers. The organization is not the same today. Older people are sometimes "stuck in a time warp". They don't readily accept change and may not even realize the new changes for what they are.

proplog2

Very few people come to the end of their days happy with the way their life turned out.

Whether there is a hope or not it is THEIR hope. You no longer share that hope.

If the reason you don't have that hope is that you are an atheist then ALL HOPE is just noise in the machinery.

sass_my_frass

I feel sorry for them, but acknowledge that they're still there partly out of their own dogmatic pride and intellectual failure. Every witness must have had at least one big question about the truth that they've ignored because they just love believing what they believe, and they'll cut out of their lives in a heartbeat anybody who doesn't make them feel good about that, even their own children. I can't pity that, and wouldn't want it to be true that God will murder every man, woman and infant who doesn't agree with them, just because otherwise their life has been a waste. That, mate, was their own choice, and they didn't make it just once, they made it every day.

Hortensia

It's OK to feel sorry for people who have made tragic choices. You can't rescue them from the consequences, but a little compassion doesn't hurt. I remember, when my mother knew she was dying, in the hospital, she talked very longingly about seeing her parents again in the resurrection. I don't believe that for a minute but it was so poignant that I wished for her sake that she would indeed see them again somehow. I don't believe in the resurrection, myself, or paradise earth, or life after death. But I don't see any point in forcing old people who have given their lives to the org. to face the truth. What's the point. It's tragic they have wasted so many opportunities for happiness, all I can do is be glad I got out.

Feeling sorry for the old time witnesses...wishing it were the "truth".

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