Did being JW help you cope with death?

by KDubbz 48 Replies latest jw friends

  • Dixie
    Dixie
    Yeah the JWs view cheapens life and leaves uncertainty. One never knows if they had done enough work for the Gov Body to be approved to make it into the kingdom.

    I think that's the thing that made death difficult for me as a JW. You never really knew if they were going to be resurrected or not. Sure you put on the happy face & say that you'll see them in the new order but there is always that little doubt in the back of your head. I also felt like I couldn't grieve. I had a friend die when I was about 11. I was crying really hard at the funeral and an elder said something about it to my mother. My mother then told me that I was making a spectacle of myself.

    I find death much easier to deal with now as a Christian. When my grandmother (a lifelong Baptist) died, I took a lot of comfort in knowing that she was with the Lord. My church also had grief counselling & support groups which helped me a lot. The people there actually seemed to be concerned with how I was feeling & grieving. Witnesses tend to just read you a scripture & tell you about the hope for the resurrection. You get that feeling that JWs think that by grieving you are showing a lack of faith or something.

  • angel eyes
    angel eyes

    I dont focus on resurrection...its nice to know it will happen and many will come back but the resurrection isnt something i feel comfortable with....the teaching of it is ok, i always say to people we have resurrection "hope", but its not something i like....

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Angel Eyes you have mail

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    I said this earlier

    But then too JW friends are not friends in the real sense of the word. Friendship is conditional. And when any relationship is conditional people just don't fully commit or invest themselves to it. And if you aren't fully committed or invested in the relationship how do you grieve its loss?

    Another thought that goes with this

    As JWs many of us thought about the houses we would own. We taught our children they could play with the lions and tigers.

    But how often do they ever talk about sitting down with Grandma to let her know all the amazing things that happened after she died? Like family members that grew up and now she has 14 more grandchildren since she died. And may even have a few great grandchildren.

    There are no loving images of getting the family all together and sitting down and getting reacquainted. Its like those things are less impossible to believe than the black panther I wanted.

    When you come to think of it they really don't think in terms of family. At least the WTS never seems to discuss it.

    How sad. While lip service is given at funeral talks of getting to see our loved ones again there is no created visual image to go with it. No talk about it. In 22 years as a JW I don't think I ever heard anyone say "I can't wait to get the whole family back together again."

  • jwfacts
    jwfacts

    It is interesting that JWs often comment that they cope better with death than other people because of the resurrection. This is a total fallacy as virtually all religions teach about an afterlife.

    Most religious teachings are more comforting than that of JW's because the dead one is still alive in heaven guiding you, whereas JWs teach the person is non existent, decomposing in the ground, with the resurrection at some unknown future date.

  • darthfader
    darthfader

    JWFacts,

    You are correct, but I was less afraid of death because I thought the end would come before I died. So, it kind of having your cake and eating it too...

    Darth Fader

  • White Dove
    White Dove

    Guess I'm cheating the grieving process by believing in the possibility of reincarnation. For me, it explains a whole lot more than resurrection to a paradise earth ever did. I'm comforted by my almost belief.

  • wantstoleave
    wantstoleave

    KDubbz, yes I think it does help them cope with death. Simply because it is a hope they have. Kind of like other christians who believe in heaven. Same kind of prospect of seeing that loved one again. I know it has helped me when I've had friends/family die. Of course it's still heartbreaking, but you hold onto the hope of the resurrection. Do I believe it now? I don't know. I'm still searching for answers. It's a nice prospect, as is heaven. Having said that, if one of my parents or siblings or children died tomorrow, I don't know what I'd do. Stay a witness or live with the thought I may never see them again. Tough one.

  • isaacaustin
    isaacaustin

    typically dubs like to pounce on people who have suffered a recent loss and jump in with their version of the resurrection hope.

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