by Hoffnung 36 Replies latest jw experiences
one of my uncles said: "I never thought I would come that close to my retirement in this old system of things".
Yes, there is a reason you never thought that. You were acting on unreliable advice from people who claim God gives them the facts!
I retired this year.
I remember telling a hardnosed JW I wanted to go to college back in 1965 and he snorted, "What for? Armageddon's the only test you need to pass."
He's dead and I'm retired 46 years later.
My turn to snort!
HOFFNUNG: This is such a terrible tragedy and anybody who followed this insane advice is sorely regretting it now. I am a single woman who knew I had to look after myself and plan for the future. I am sorry I didn't do more but certainly don't regret the modest amount I did put away. MOSHE, I don't blame you for rubbing it in this guy's face. I am sure they made many remarks about you (materialistic, etc.). I heard stupid remarks like this. Let these wiseasses go eat cake. OR, better yet, go ask the religion for money if they are starving. After all, that's who they were slaving away for!
Following the JW religion is the same as buying faulty goods and the saying " buyer beware " equally applies. Unfortunately for a lot of people it has proven to be a very expensive purchase in more ways than one it could even be said following the Governing Body could cost you your life.
So newbies beware.
Does anyone remember this scripture?
From memory, Paul said something like "if we have hoped only in this system of things, we are most to be pitied."
If my memory serves me right then it is a most fiting scripture for those still left in.
This is all new to me on this site. My daughter thought i might look at it. My wife and I were JW's for 48yrs and like some of the commints the end was always just around the corner. Well i took that hook line and sinker and did nothing toward my retirement. We were told we should not go to college and dont send your kids to college.. Oh my kids are making a fairly good liveing but it could have been better with college. I found out through the yrs that most of the elders WERE sending there kids to college and it shocked me. I was following the rules and they were not. I could have put a money into my company I worked for 35 yrs. but it made bombs so i was discouraged in doing that and I didnt.. Later with what little I had in retirement. My wife fell sick with cancer and drained most of the money and now I am just living on SS with my daughter.
If I had invested in the stocks with the company I worked for I would have had $100s of thousands of dollors. In the six figures. And would not have to rely on my kids and to give me a place to live. Otherwise I would be out in the streets. Other things with the witnesses through the days got me to wondering what a fool I had been. When my wife died just this last yr. I thought we would be supprted, not finantually, but spritually. We did have to change cong. but i thought it was a brotherhood and our spritualality would be looked after when we could not go to the Kingdom Hall. Only hooked up by phone. No service at all in the last 3 yrs of our lives. My wife and I was completly abandoned. I begged and begged for literature, a book study, but got just nothing at all from them..Oh once in a great while a friend of our would bring them over but none of the elders or elder in your book study. They would come by once in a while only if they happen to be in the area and would ask me if I wanted to go out in the service and I told them I dont leave my sick wife with cancer along so I would not..They took offense. I told them no one ever volunteered to even sit while I did and still got no help..If you are not seen at the kingdom hall or seen going in the service you are dropped entirely. I begged and begged for some help spritually ,cried and cried to the elders and got absolutely nothing. I decided not to cry anymore and told them i would not . All they could say was " Oh i am sorry that happend, when can u come to the Hall?"
Since i moved in with my daughter and my good faithful wife is dead. Only a few have come by the house, of course when they are in the service, and when I really opened up and i told them all whats going on. All they would say well here are some mags. and we encourage u to come to the hall..I got fed up with it and told then that I was hurt so bad as to what they did to me and especially to my wife, I might not be able to come for a long time, that the hurting they did was to deep and did not know when I could get over it. Even the hall near us knew about my wife dying in the last 2 wks and only one person came from the hall, but i have not seen her since, some dear friends we had for over 35 yrs, came by. I was apalled at that..Even after she died no one, absolutely no one came and even encouraged me at all from the Hall near us. 6 months later I saw some Witnesses going down the street and went out to talk to them. 5 young women and one silver headed lady.. I let it all out and told them everything. And was crying in front of them. The older lady finally said oh I remember you now , "Do you want some literature now" . I said no. I needed it 2 yrs ago... They left and an hr. later 2 elders came to the door and it was one of the elder in fact the overseer that I had told 2 wks before she died of our situation. All he could say was " Oh i thought you had moved and thats why we did not come by" I said where did u ever get that idea, I never said that..He just said oh we are sorry, here is some literature and why dont u come to the hall sunday.. Oh that would get me back real fast , oh yea. None of them even offered a hug or anything.The one thing I was appaled at was when the Elder said ,"Well you know what your wife would have wanted you to do" Oh i got really mad then and really said that all that was doing is to try to give me a guilt trip to come back dont ever say that to me. I have not seen them since and it has been about 3 months..I know they have branded me as one haveing a bad attitude and a complainer or even being an apostate.. Ha i even had grown a short beard so that really said something for me didnt it. Well i just had to get this all out. I was appalled and really discusted on the way mostely my wife was treated, and she pioneerd off an on..I have found out that now I am a free man, but it is hard to be one of them for so long. I have communication probems with people outside of being a witness and I am working hard to get better with that..All those yrs of being told all are bad outside the organization. Oh I did get a lot of support of relaives of my wife that were non witnesses. That was fantastic, for my wife at least. Oh and all because of Face Book. Who would have thought.Thanks for listening . Hope its not to long..
Welcome Busterrb
I hope you find this website useful and supportive. I'm sorry to hear of your treatment by the elders but unfortunately it's not an isolated incident. The Christian love they claim they have is a joke.
I too was told I would never get to high school in this system. Well I finished high school 37 years ago! And all those JWs who would never grow old in this system are dying just like every one else in the world. It is so disgusting and evil really how many of us were duped by the WTS's lies and now we have woken up to the truth about the truth are left to pick up the pieces of our lives and get things in place for our retirement while there is still time.
Busterrb - welcome to JWN and I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your dear wife and the way you were both treated.
Hopscotch
I was told as a teenager in the 60's not to worry about an education the big A was coming. When we had kids in the 70's and early 80's we were told not to worry they will never go to school let alone finish school. Now with grand children I hear some say they will never finish school. Bull ----! My wife and I are in our late 50's starting a new life from the cult and career. We have some savings for retirement but the so called great recession hurt us alot. In many ways we are starting over. Also Welcome Busterrb to the board. My wife and I have a very similar experience you had with a dear friend we took cared of for many years. One of these days my wife will tell the story to all of you. Yes the love was overwhelming. Not. Totally ADD
Buterrb - thanks for your first post.
Welcome to the group.
I have 20 years left to save like crazy and invest wisely. Not too late, but too many years wasted.
Hopscotch: PM for you
