I'm doing the Comments for Blondie this week as I believe she and her hubby are on the road. This week's study article is a typical run of the mill article that we've been reading all our lives. Pretty basic and utterly useless, IMO. This article could be used for insomnia and would probably work better than sleeping pills. The WT article is in black and my comments are in blue.
MAINTAIN JOY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
'All those taking refuge in Jehovah will rejoice; to time indefinite they will cry out joyfully."-Ps. 5:11.
Q 1, 2. (a) What are some things that cause much distress today? (b) Besides the calamities common to all, what must true Christians endure?
1. Jehovah's Witnesses are not immune to the calamities that befall mankind in general. Many of God's people have been victims of crime, war, and other injustices. Natural disasters, poverty, sickness, and death cause much distress. The apostle Paul aptly wrote: "We know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now." (Rom. 8:22) We are also victims of our own imperfection. Like King David of old, we may say: "My own errors have passed over my head; like a heavy load they are too heavy for me."-Ps. 38:4.
2. Besides the calamities common to all humans, true Christians carry the figurative torture stake. (Luke 14:27) Yes, like Jesus, his disciples are hated and persecuted. (Matt. 10:22, 23; John 15:20; 16:2) Hence, following the Christ requires vigorous exertion and endurance while we await the blessings of the new world.-Matt. 7:13, 14; Luke 13:24.
No, Jehovah's Witnesses are not ‘immune' from natural disasters or from crime or war, anymore than anyone else is. Neither are they the only group that has faced persecution. Countless groups of Christians have been persecuted in the last 2,000 years. Catholics, Protestants and Anabaptists are just a few who have been persecuted, yet this fact is never acknowledged in the pages of the Watchtower. Of if it is, it claims that these people were merely "professed Christians."
Q 3. How do we know that Christians need not experience a life of suffering to please God?
3. Does this mean that true Christians pursue a life devoid of joy and happiness? Should our lives be marked only by sadness and grief until the end comes? Clearly, Jehovah wants us to be happy as we await the fulfillment of his promises. Time and again, the Bible describes true worshippers as happy people. (Read Isaiah 65:13,14.) "All those taking refuge in [JehovahJ will rejoice; to time indefinite they will cry out joyfully," says Psalm 5:11. Yes, it is possible to experience considerable joy, peace of mind, and contentment even in the midst of calamities. Let us review how the Bible can help us to face our trials and still be joyful.
It's one thing to claim that we can ‘pursue happiness' when so many things are generally forbidden to Witnesses. Higher education, marrying someone outside of the religion, and making something of yourself are all pretty much forbidden. Their ridiculous rules on everything from shunning family members to oral sex between husband and wife have all caused irreparable damage to countless Witnesses over the years. This is not to suggest that every Witness is miserable---they're not. There's a number of Dubs who are more than content with going to meetings, out in field serve-us every Saturday morning, and letting a handful of senile old men tell them what they can and can't believe. However as we know all too well, for those who are not content to let someone else tell them how to run their lives or what they can and can't believe, it's pretty difficult to be happified when you come to the realization that this may not be "the Truth" afterall.
Jehovah -"The Happy God"
Q 4. How does God feel when his will is ignored?
4. Consider Jehovah, for example. As God Almighty, he has the entire universe under his authority. He lacks nothing and needs no one. Despite his unsurpassed power, however, Jehovah must have felt some disappointment when one of his spirit sons rebelled and became Satan. God must have been affected later when some other angels joined in the rebellion. Think, too, of the pain felt by God when Adam and Eve, the masterpieces of his physical creation, turned their backs on him. Since then, billions of their descendants have rejected Jehovah's authority.-Rom.3:23.
Perhaps I'm just speaking from a human point of view, but if I were the omnipotent God that Jehovah is supposed to be, I think I would have simply zapped Satan out of existence when he first ‘rebelled'. Had he done that, just think of all the misery and suffering that could have been avoided, end of story. Instead of dealing with the one who is responsible for the mess we're all in today (Satan), he has instead decided to punish his creation (man) where we suffer and then die, while Satan goes on his merry way. His only punishment in all this time is that he got his ass kicked out of heaven. Oh my. B-O-O H-O-O. I may be wrong, but this would be like capturing Adolf Hitler in 1945, wave your finger at him and tell him how naughty he's been and how "disappointed" you are in him, release him on house arrest and then go and punish everyone else but him.
Q 5. What has especially distressed Jehovah?
5. Satan's revolt is still going strong. For some 6,000 years, Jehovah has observed acts of idolatry, violence, murder, and sexual perversion. (Gen. 6:5, 6, 11, 12) Furthermore, he has heard despicable lies and blasphemies. Even God's own true worshippers have on occasion hurt his feelings. The Bible describes one such situation with the words: "How often they would rebel against him in the wilderness, they would make him feel hurt in the desert! And again and again they would put God to the test, and they pained even the Holy One of Israel." (Ps. 78:40, 41) The pain that Jehovah feels when his people reject him is certainly great. (Jer. 3:110) Clearly, bad things happen, and Jehovah feels deeply distressed when they do. -Read Isaiah 63:9, 10.
Once again I ask: if he feels so distressed and hurt, then why doesn't He do something about it? If it hurts him to see idolatry, violence, murder and sexual perversion, why does He sit there and do nothing??!! That crap about it being about ‘God's Sovereignty' is bullshit. Is there anyone on here that would allow billions of people over thousands of years, to live terrible lives and die horrible deaths because you felt that your reputation as the Supreme Being was more important?? I just don't get it.
6. Yet, Jehovah is not paralyzed by hurt and disappointment. When complications have arisen, Jehovah has promptly taken steps to minimize the bad consequences of what happened. He has also taken long-term measures so that in the end his purpose will be fulfilled. In view of these positive actions, Jehovah joyfully looks forward to the vindication of his sovereignty and to the resulting blessings for his loyal worshippers. (Ps. 104: 31) Yes, despite the reproach that has been heaped on him, Jehovah remains "the happy God."-l Tim.1:11; Ps. 16:11.
What nonsense. Where was God during the Holocaust? Where was God when some poor little kid was being molested by a trusted family member? Where was God when the earthquake hit Haiti? Where was God when the Tsunami of 2004 that killed over 250,000 people? Where is God when some 8 year old girl living in South America is sold as a sex slave to the lowest form of vermin and then murdered because some pig gets his rocks off watching a little kid die like that? Where exactly did He take steps to "minimize the bad consequences"? Oh I forgot-----this happened because two people ate a piece of fruit they were told not to 6,000 years ago. And I guess as long as Jehovah can "remain ‘the happy God', that's the important thing.
Q 7, 8. When things go wrong, how may we imitate Jehovah?
7. Granted, we cannot compare ourselves to Jehovah when it comes to our ability to solve problems. Still, we can imitate Jehovah as we confront our adversities. It is only normal to feel some dejection when things go wrong, but we need not remain in such a state. Because we were created in Jehovah's image, we have thinking ability and practical wisdom, allowing us to analyze our problems and take positive action whenever possible.
8. One important factor that can help us cope with life's problems is to recognize that certain things are simply beyond our control. Agonizing over such matters may lead to added frustration and rob us of the many joys associated with true worship. After taking reasonable measures to resolve a problem it is best to move on and focus on more productive endeavors. The following Bible accounts well illustrate this point.
"Some dejection"? Well, we all deal with ‘some dejection' all the time. You might be dejected because you didn't get that promotion at work, or because you got a speeding ticket racing to the mall, or because you can't afford to send your kids to college. Everyone feels ‘some dejection' in their lives and dealing with these things is what makes us grow and mature in life. However, there are many scenarios that go far beyond where you feel "some dejection"---where you are horrified beyond words at some tragedy that Fate has handed you, where you truly wonder how you can ever go on in life. I remember reading several years ago about one young American who was one of the early casualties of the war in Iraq. His body was flown home and when his mother saw her dead son, she collapsed 2 hours laters and died later on that night.
And I wonder if God has bothered checking in to see how my sister's doing these days. In case He hasn't, I'll give Him an update: God totally ignored the thousands of prayers that went up for her husband, begging Him to save his life, and He did absolutely nothing. My sister now curses God, she's horrified beyond belief, she's drinking far too much every day, she can only sleep at night now with prescription medication when she's never taken any drugs in her life, she has anxiety attacks, she now suffers from severe depression and has mentioned on more than one occasion that she would just like to "lay down and go to sleep." She came over today and just sat here and bawled her eyes out all afternoon. She said "I truly thought I was just going to die from a broken heart last weekend." Oh but I guess the answer is for her to just make sure she's at all the meetings and out in Service every week. Yes, that'll for sure make up for the living nightmare she now lives every single day. Thank you so much Lord, for putting us through this horror once more. 
Reasonableness Is Vital
Q 9. How did Hannah display reasonableness?
9. Consider the example of Hannah, who eventually became the mother of Samuel the prophet. She was disheartened over the fact that she was unable to bear children. She was mocked and taunted on account of her barrenness. At times, Hannah was so discouraged that she would weep and not eat. (1 Sam. 1:2-7) During one of her visits to Jehovah's sanctuary, Hannah became "bitter of soul, and she began to pray to Jehovah and to weep greatly." (1 Sam. 1:10) After Hannah poured out her feelings to Jehovah, Eli the high priest approached her and said: "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him." (1 Sam. 1:17) At this point, Hannah surely realized that she had done all she could. Her infertility was out of her control. Hannah displayed reasonableness. She then "proceeded to go on her way and to eat, and her face became self-concerned no more." -1 Sam.1:18.
In a situation like Hannah's, she did the right thing, but while infertility could be extremely disheartening to women in biblical times (as well as today), it was not a life and death situation nor have I ever heard of someone dying of a broken heart because they could not conceive a child. In cases where there may be great disappointment in something (but not overwhelming grief), then the advice in par. 9 is reasonable. There's that saying that I'm sure we've all heard: ‘God God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The courage to change the things that I can; And the wisdom to know the difference.'
Q 10. Paul manifested what realistic outlook when faced with a problem he could not solve?
10. The apostle Paul manifested a similar outlook when faced with adversity. He had an affliction that caused him much distress. He called it "a thorn in the flesh." (2 Cor. 12:7) Whatever its nature, Paul did what he could to remove this affliction, praying to Jehovah for relief. How often did Paul entreat Jehovah about the matter? Three times. After the third time, God revealed to Paul that the "thorn in the flesh" would not be removed miraculously. Paul accepted this fact and concentrated on serving Jehovah fully. -Read 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.
Assuming this really happened, the difference between what happened to Paul and what happens to us today is that God (apparently) spoke directly to Paul and told him exactly why He wouldn't remove the "thorn". Today, from what I can tell, God is completely silent and doesn't directly answer any of our prayers or give us any rational explanation as to why He allows such horrible things to go on in the world. Something tells me that if God spent half as much time talking to us as He does remaining silent, more people might actually believe in Him.
Q 11. What role do prayer and supplication play in our coping with calamities?
11. These examples do not mean that we should stop praying to Jehovah about distressing matters. (Ps. 86:7) On the contrary, God's Word entreats us: "Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God." How will Jehovah respond to such supplications and petitions? The Bible adds: "And the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6, 7) Yes, Jehovah may not take away our problem, but he can respond to our prayers by guarding our mental powers. After praying about a matter, we may realize the danger of being consumed by anxieties.
I'm sorry, but in my experience, this just doesn't happen. I'm sure there are many people who will disagree with me, as perhaps they've had their prayers answered, but I sure as hell have never experienced such a thing. I'm not trying to be negative here, but I spent a good number of years praying to God, even after my brother died. And they were heartfelt prayers too, I assure you. You think I didn't want to experience ‘the peace of God that excels all thought'?? Of course I did. But for some reason, God never seemed to answer---He was silent like He always is.
Find Delight in Doing God's Will
Q 12. Why can prolonged periods of discouragement prove harmful?
12. Proverbs 24:10 acknowledges: "Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day of distress? Your power will be scanty." Another proverb says: "Because of the pain of the heart there is a stricken spirit." (Prov. 15: 13) Some Christians have become disheartened to the point of discontinuing their personal Bible reading and their meditation on God's Word. Their prayers have become perfunctory, and they may isolate themselves from fellow worshippers. Clearly, remaining in a state of dejection can be harmful. -Prov. 18:1, 14.
Yes, as we all know, suffering from extreme depression affects a person mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Many on this board suffer from depression as a result of something horrific in their past. It has affected them in every way I've described and many end up on anti-depressants or god knows what else, as a result. Many people are able to go on. They eventually recover, they exercise, they meditate, focus on helping others, and actually somehow, draw closer to God, or continue on with their spiritual quest. Others simply cannot cope and become ragging alcoholics, drug addicts or just end up living on the streets. Is it because they did not "meditate on God's Word"? Maybe. But maybe a single, direct one-sentence suggestion directly from the Creator would have steered them back towards Him, instead of away from him.
Q 13. What are some activities that can help dispel discouragement and give us a measure of joy?
13. On the other hand, a positive perspective will help us to focus on aspects of our lives from which we can derive delight and jay. David wrote: "To do your will, 0 my God, I have delighted." (Ps. 40:8) When matters go wrong in our lives, the last thing we should do is discontinue our healthy routine of worship. In fact, an antidote for sadness is to engage in activities that bring happiness. Jehovah tells us that we can find delight and happiness in reading his Word and in peering into it regularly. (Ps. 1:1, 2; Jas. 1:25) Both from the Holy Scriptures and from Christian meetings, we receive "pleasant sayings" that can buoy us up and make our hearts rejoice. -Prov. 12:25; 16:24.
Hmmm.....the biggest difference I see between how Witnesses handle grief or problems and how most other groups handle problems, is that the JW's have a standard recipe that is supposed to cure all your ills: Go to all the meetings, go out in Service more and pray". When a Witness dies, the family is not supposed to "grieve as the rest do". Why not? "Because of the wonderful hope of the resurrection, a Christian is not overwhelmed with tears and grief. His sorrow is not as great or as deep as that upon those who have no knowledge of the hope the Bible gives."--- May 8, 1975 Awake! p. 23. When my father was out in Service one day several months after my brother died, he tried talking to one of the elders about how depressed he was and how much he missed his son. The elder's reaction? Far from speaking comforting words to my father, he snottily said ‘Well you'll see him in the New System!" and totally changed the subject. He couldn't understand ‘why it was still bothering' my father months after losing his son.
This is not an isolated incident either. In her book Visions of Glory, Barbara Harrison relates a story:
" I knew a young mother who lost two small children in one year-one was run over by a car; the other died of pneumonia. The child who was struck by a car might have been saved by blood transfusions. In her fear and terror, his mother-who had been taught to make use of the world, and who could not make sense of this senseless slaughter-held him dying in her arms while she argued with doctors about blood transfusions. When her daughter died, six months later, she entered an unnatural calm, a false and dreadful stillness. She began to tell fellow Witnesses that she was sure her children were in heaven, that they visited her comfortingly in her dreams. The Witnesses, frightened by her apostasy- she could reasonably expect, according to their dogma, only to see her children resurrected to an earthly life, heaven being reserved for 144,000 older Witnesses- chided her for expressing heretical views. They scolded; they did not comfort. And yet many of them, many of the people who withheld comfort from a woman driven mad by grief, weren't monsters either. They were afraid of her because her grief threatened the security of their belief. She wasn't supposed to abandon herself to grief. So they chose to see her grief as Devil-inspired apostasy."
While there certainly are good Witnesses who can genuinely be there for others when they face tragedy, all too often there are too many that pay lip service to comforting others when they need it the most.
Q 14. What assurance from Jehovah brings us joy now?
14. God gives us many reasons to be joyful. His promise of salvation is indeed a major source of happiness. (Ps. 13:5) We know that regardless of what is happening to us now, in the end God will reward those who earnestly seek him. (Read Ecclesiastes 8:12.) The prophet Habakkuk expressed such conviction beautifully when he wrote: "Although the fig tree itself may not blossom, and there may be no yield on the vines; the work of the olive tree may actually turn out a failure, and the terraces themselves may actually produce no food; the flock may actually be severed from the pen, and there may be no herd in the enclosures; yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah himself; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation."-Hab. 3:17,18.
Is this the same "promise of salvation" that Witnesses have been told is "right around the corner" for 140 years now? It's one thing perhaps to ‘keep this promise' in mind, but when you are basically forced to forego a normal life with the assurance that the Big A is so close you can almost reach out and touch it, it's very hard for many to continue to be "joyful".
"Happy Is the People Whose God Is Jehovah!"
Q 15, 16. Name some of God's gifts that we can enjoy while awaiting future blessings.
15. While we wait for the wonderful future in store for us, Jehovah's will is that we enjoy the good things that he gives us. The Bible says: "I have come to know that there is nothing better for [mankind] than to rejoice and to do good during one's life; and also that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God." (Eccl. 3:12, 13) "To do good" includes performing good deeds in behalf of others. Jesus said that there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving. Acts of kindness toward our mates, children, parents and other relatives bring deep satisfaction. (Psalms 3:27) Being tender, hospitable, and forgiving toward our spiritual brothers and sisters also results in much joy, and it pleases Jehovah. (Gal. 6:10; Col. 3:12-14; 1 Pet. -1:9 And accomplishing our ministry with a self-sacrificing spirit is truly rewarding.
16. The above-quoted words in Ecclesiastes mention simple pleasures of life, such as eating and drinking. Yes, even while undergoing trials, we can find joy in whatever material gifts we have received from Jehovah. Furthermore, a breathtaking sunset, a majestic landscape, the antics of young animals, and other wonders of nature cost nothing, but they can fill us with awe and bring us joy. As we reflect on such things, we grow in our love for Jehovah, for he is the Giver of all good things.
I think this paragraph is a case of "the last being first". Witnesses are completely indoctrinated into "accomplishing their ministry" and putting that before anything else in their lives, even if it means quitting a good job that involves shiftwork. I knew of a woman who already had obtained her BSc in Chemistry and was working on her MA when the Witnesses got a hold of her. She quit her studies and (literally) got a part time job cleaning and started pioneering. She came down with cancer, could no longer work and obviously had no benefits to support herself, so her ‘worldly' parents whom she had cut off almost all contact with ended up taking care of her. This was all done with the view of the New System being "imminent". As for "doing good deeds" to others, I think we all know what this means: It means towards other Witnesses. The only time you're encouraged to be charitable to ‘worldly' people is when there's any chance they could become a convert.
Q 17. What will bring us complete relief from adversities, and in the meantime, what gives us comfort?
17. Ultimately, our love for God, obedience to his commandments, and faith in the ransom sacrifice will result in our complete relief from the adversities of imperfect life and lead us to lasting joy. (1 John 5:3) In the meantime, we find comfort in knowing that Jehovah is well-aware of all the things that afflict us. David wrote: "I will be joyful and rejoice in your loving-kindness, in that you have seen my affliction; you have known about the distresses of my soul." (Ps. 31:7) Moved by his love for us, Jehovah will rescue us from calamity.-Ps. 34:19.
It's this sort of useless advise that prevents so many Witnesses from being able to deal with the problems of life, or even growing old. There is no practical advice for those who have no idea how to deal with domestic violence, believing in yourself, or even being able to think for yourself. Why? Because JW's are treated like children: ‘Don't worry about anything. God's going to fix everything soon.' Well, "soon" has been a real long time now with the ‘promise of paradise' nowhere in sight. I don't see God rescuing us from calamity---the world just keeps going on like it always has.
Q 18. Why should joy predominate among God's people?
18. While we wait for the fulfillment of his promises, may we imitate Jehovah, the happy God. May we avoid becoming spiritually paralyzed by negative feelings. When problems arise, may thinking ability and practical wisdom guide us. Jehovah will help us to control our emotions and to take whatever steps may be possible to minimize the bad effects of calamitous events. Let us find delight in the good things that come from him, both physical and spiritual. By staying close to God, we will be able to rejoice because "happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!"-Ps.144:15.
Wow! Is Crooklyn panicking at the idea of more and more brothers and sisters becoming "spiritually paralyzed by negative feelings?" I had lunch with an old friend last week. I was in her wedding party but she's long left the Borg and is remarried now. She told me of another mutual friend we had who's husband recently stepped down as an elder after years of being very much a ‘company man'. Why? For two reasons:
1) Their 18 year old daughter got The Axe last year. Since she no longer lives under their roof, they're not supposed to really be talking to her. This was too much for them emotionally and it has brought about a good deal of resentment on their part that they now have to ‘sneak around' to see their own flesh and blood.
2) They are starting to wonder aloud: Where is Armageddon? Why is it taking so long to get here? They told us decades ago it would absolutely be here before now!"
More and more Witnesses are finding themselves in the same situation and asking the same questions. Their whole lives revolved around preaching because they were promised that the New System would be here soon and all our troubles would be gone. They now feel like they've sacrificed their lives, their careers, possibly their own family, on something that looks less and less like it's anywhere near. Naturally they're going to harbour resentment and perhaps start to question the Borg as a whole.
What Have You Learned?
- When coping with adversities, how can we imitate Jehovah?
- How can reasonableness help us to cope with adversities?
- In times of distress, how can we find delight in doing God's will?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS:
This was a fairly useless study article, not unlike ten thousand other Sunday meetings that bore you to death. It gives no practical advise on anything, and like always, they have a cookie cutter answer to all of life's ills. Their ‘assurance' that God is hurt and upset at all the horrors He sees going on down here does nothing to answer mankind's basic question: If there is a God, why would he purposely let his creation suffer?' No one has ever been able to answer this question, although many have attempted. While I certainly lost my faith in the Borg years ago, I never lost my faith that God existed up until the day my brother in law died. That God (if He exists) would purposely let our family endure yet another tragedy like this was for me, the last straw. I now have serious doubts as to whether there is a god up there at all, or if we're simply on our own. I'd like to believe there is someone up there, but at this moment, I see little evidence of that.
Isaiah 45:7 sums it up pretty well when it says: "...I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." If God in fact 'creates evil', then I guess that might explain why He sits there and does nothing while we suffer down here.