My aunt and her family are all Jehovah’s Witnesses. A few years before my grandmother died, my aunt began giving her all sorts of written materials telling her about how when one dies, one “sleeps” in the ground until they’re resurrected by Jehovah. As a Methodist, she was taught that people have spirits and when they die, their spirits go to a spirit realm to await resurrection. This is my belief, too, and I explained to my grandmother why the soul sleeping doctrine was false. But no sooner was my head turned than my aunt would begin sending her more material. It got to where my grandmother didn't know who to believe.
Peter wrote that “knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle [body], even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.” (2 Peter 1:13-14) And Paul wrote: “The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” If God has a spirit and we are the children of God, then doesn’t it make sense that we, too, would have spirits?
My aunt, however, quoted that scripture in Ecclesiastes which they interpreted to mean that when you’re dead, you’re dead. But that book was not an eschatological work, but a philosophical one. Indeed, the author seems to know little about eschatological matters at all, but was cynical in nature. Indeed, Peter speaks of “the gospel being preached also to them that are dead.” (1 Peter 4:6) Also, that Jesus “went and preached to the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient…in the days of Noah. (1 Peter 3:18-20)
Paul writes that “if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain [and] ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” In short, if Jesus was not raised, then they which are asleep in Christ are perished.” But the implication is, if Jesus was raised, then are the dead in Christ not perished! (see 1 Cor. 15:16-19)
The bottom line is that the soul sleeping doctrine of the JWs frightened my grandmother, who didn’t want to (in her mind) return to nothingness.
So my question is this: As JWs approach death, is the soul sleeping doctrine comforting or disturbing in nature?
My father died almost a year ago, and shortly before his death, he smiled and told us he had seen his mother and had spoken to her. That’s when we knew he was near death. And my grandfather on my mother’s side also told us that he had seen and spoken to his parents and others. I’ve studied a number of near death experiences and I’m convinced they’re on the level.
So what are your experiences? Have you ever known of any Jehovah’s Witnesses who have had near death experiences? And for the ones who don’t, do they appear to fear death more than those who feel they have spirits?
As for those of you who have left the JWs, have your views on death changed?