Do jw's get more paranoid as they get older ?

by man in black 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  man in black

  My dad has been a jw since the mid 1970's and he has had his ups and downs with this religion during this time.

  But the one constant thing has been how terrible conditions are in the world and that God will soon usher in the paradise..

  My Mom died several years ago, and he has grabbed onto the religion with new energy, I can understand that he needs something to focus

  on, and it brings him some comfort. So I just leave him alone in this area.

  A month ago I went down to visit him, ( he lives 1500 miles away) just to spend some time. Well his main focus during that time was how soon the world was going to be ending, just look at the news !

  And the wonderful friends we have in this org. I just bit my tongue and let him go on and on. I noticed that his house will soon be needing a paint job soon, and I mentioned that his two Grandsons and myself could come down, spend a week and get the job done. This would have a twofold purpose,

  1) get the house cleaned up,

  2) he could spend time with the boys and get to know them better.

  Well, his reply was always " no, I dont need that, the friends down here will take care of this for me". He is not rich, so buying the paint, and hiring several of the "friends" is out of the question. No matter what I said, he had his mind made up,,,, the friends come first.

  Well he has been on facebook, and various members of the family are able to talk with him, and share stories and pictures,,,, this has been a good thing.

  Last week I got an email from him stating that he was going to delete his facebook account, One of the "friends" sent him a message about how easy it is to hack into someones identity, and you can even find out when and where photographs were taken ! He said that this the reason why he is deleting his account, besides worldly people send emails and cause trouble.

  It seems that paranoa, and a focus on the small group of witnesses in his area are becoming the main focus of his life.

  I am a DA'ed person so I bet that is a part of his decision making process also. But dont you think that since he is alone, all of the family (no jws) are at least 1000 miles away that he might have an interest in maintaining some form of contact as he ages ?

  I watched the Robert Denero movie Everones Fine last week and there were many points that reflect the situation, but unlike Roberts character my Dad does not see any value in connecting with family or old friends . Being the only son ( three younger sisters) I feel that I am responsible for what happens here.The saying You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make his drink, comes to mind an awful lot lately.
• 

  Vidiot

  The older some people get, and the faster the world changes around them as they get older, the more alienated they often feel from that changing world.

  In the case of authoritarian personalities, that's a virtual guarantee of increasing paranoia.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  It may partly be due to age and being an older JW, but it is also the tone of the Witnesses in general to be paranoid, negative, and distrusting of anything and everything outside the cult (and dangerously conversely to be OVERLY trusting and positive about anything and everything INside).

  It's how cults are. It is sad to see people isolate themselves so. They think because they have a couple dozen "friends" at the Hall that they're not isolationist, but their doctrines and behavior say otherwise.

  When you won't associate with 999 out of every 1000 people on earth, you're missing out on A LOT.

  If you really want to paint his house, just show up and do it. He's programmed to think "the friends" will help him. They haven't painted it yet and no paint is imminent. "The friends" painting his house is like waiting for Armageddon. It's soon but it's never going to happen. Show him that blood is thicker than "No Blood."
• 

  jamiebowers

  Your type of story is why I'm partially relieved that my jw mom totally shuns me. If I were you, I'd call on at least a monthly basis to ask if the "friends" have painted his house yet.
• 

  thetrueone

  A direct and simple answer to that is most definitely, particularly the ones that posthumously thought they wouldn't get old and need

  to save for their retirement. Trust me when I say that there is an enormous amount of people who are JWS that are getting into their late 60's

  and early 70's who are now ever more realizing they haven't prepared themselves properly for retirement.

  On the other hand the GB members are not really concerned because they are financially supported by the WTS.,

  in terms of food and logging, health and dental care and if they are healthy enough fly to distant lands

  to give a talk and get treated as an enamored glorious individual.

  With that kind of support no wonder GB members live so well and long, they get treated by the orgaization wtih speacil care and attesion.

  When people wonder why and how this organization has lasted this long its worthy to take note of this, there are a lot of people being fed

  by this organization literally ($)
• 

  Snoozy

  I agree Jamie, he is assuming they will help him. Them actually doing it is a different story.

  Sometimes in a really small town they may help more but I doubt it.

  I'm like Jamie, just keep in touch and check up on him regularly..

  You sound like an amazing and caring son/father. I would be proud to call you my son if he isn't..

  Snoozy