I understand how you feel. It affected me particularly badly after I gave birth to my first child. I couldn't bear to watch the news for a long time as I felt really worried that I had given birth to a child in a depressing world. At this time I had nothing to do with the witnesses, this came much later.
Having moved on (25 years later) and been attending meetings a little over six years I realize that JWs seem to concentrate on the bad things going on in the world. However, there are a lot of caring, giving people who do a lot to help others less fortunate. They are so busy doing it that they do not have time to stand on a platform telling everyone how much they are doing or have done.
I agree with the others who have posted here the world is no worse than it ever was, it is just better news reporting that we hear about it more these days.
The witnesses are keen to talk about the wicked world but they do nothing to help which has always amazed me, the fact that they are aware and alive to what is going on but do nothing. They say things like "wait on Jehovah" which is a cop out. How do you think he feels seeing that they talk about it and do nothing?
When you look at, for example, The Salvation Army, they don't just preach it they get out there and do something about it. Actions speak louder than words.
It seems to me that the JWs use the bad things going on in the world as a way of catching people's attention to their organisation. Next time they call and they use this as an introduction I think I will ask what THEY are doing about it.
There is a programme on TV in the UK called "The Secret Millionnaire" it is about people from ordinary usually poor backgrounds who through their own efforts and hard work have become millionnaires. They go back to their roots posing as a volunteer worker to help with various charities saying that they are making a programme about the unemployed in that area to explain away the camera crew.
However, they actually use it as a way of seeing where they can make generous donations where the money will really be used for something that will change people's lives as well as physically giving up their time and working with the charities.
These millionaires are sometimes people who may have had a drug or drink problem themselves, overcome it and worked hard and become wealthy. They really understand problems.
This programme always makes me realise that there are people out there doing lots to help others.
LI
