Big heart in a cruel world.
Letter From Whitney's Mother
by breakfast of champions 45 Replies latest jw friends
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breakfast of champions
Okay.
So I initially did not express my thoughts about this letter in my original post because I felt I needed to give myself some time to kind of sort it all out. The comments thus far have been pretty much positive, and a testament to the humanity, open-mindedness, and frankly, love that I personally see on this board ( yes despite the infighting, banned posters, etc.)
I feel for this mother and the rest of the family. I can't even imagine. Having a hope is essential no matter what faith you are, or even if you have no faith.
I can even understand how her mom wants to use this opportunity to "let her light shine," and turn probably the most horrific incident anyone could ever experience into something at least mildly positive.
What is disturbing to me, though, is the emotional bluntness of this statement, which in the end, is a product of years of Watchtower indoctrination:
"Because of the experiences I have recently witnessed or someone has shared, this ordeal has greatly impacted the minds and hearts of really good, compassionate and loving people. I promise you that if Jehovah told me that he would end this cruel system immediately so that I could hold Whitney safe and warm in my arms, see those shining eyes and her radiant smile tomorrow, I promise you… that I would beg him to wait so that we would have the time to reach out to those people. We could not rescue Whitney but we can rescue them. Jehovah knows what he is doing."
I honestly can't even attribute these words to the mother. This is how her worldview has been programmed by a end-times cult/corporation.
Read what this is saying. . .
1) There are a lot of good, compassionate, loving people out there.
2) In order to see my daughter again, god will first have to kill all of those good, compassionate, loving people.
3) I would beg god to give these people time to become Jehovah's Witnesses even if it meant not seeing my daughter a little bit longer.
4) My daughters death is temporary. These good, compassionate, loving people will be destroyed forever by god.
I think it really takes someone who was raised in a "divided household" to parse out a statement like this.
I lived this.
My "worldly" dad, who I was far closer to than my JW mother, was/is good, compassionate, and loving. On the other hand, my JW mother was abusive, manipulative and controlling. Yet she was on the "good side." She was on the side where you might just survive this homicidal god's bloodlust.
I spent most of my life trying to "rescue" my dad because I wasn't so sure that 'Jehovah knew what he was doing.'
Okay. I'm done. I'm crying again. Not good.
I HATE THIS FUCKING CULT!
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Satanus
"My "worldly" dad, who I was far closer to than my JW mother, was/is good, compassionate, and loving. On the other hand, my JW mother was abusive, manipulative and controlling. Yet she was on the "good side.""
That's a mindfucker, alright. My sympathy to YOU.
S
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nuthouse escapee
BoC, good observation. I wonder how many from the community will show up for the funeral talk. I think it does more harm than good when the funeral is basically just another talk. I know my mom's worldly family were not impressed by my mom's funeral. Leslie
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exwhyzee
I'm glad she has something to get her throught this immediate loss but I fear as time wears on and a decade or two passes to a time when she is facing old age and death herself, she will see the loss of her daughter and their lost years together much diffrently. Her rationalization that the longer the newsystem is delayed the more there are that will be saved may not hold up. If she were thinking clearly she'd realize that the longer the delay, the more individuals who will never accept thier truth are being born by the hour.
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AudeSapere
nuthouse escapee wrote: I think it does more harm than good when the funeral is basically just another talk.
I have a feeling that there won't be a talk - or that it will not be the usual talk. They have set up a 3- or 4-hour 'Open House' for the non-JW community. This is definitely not going to be the same run-of-the-mill infomercial that we have seen in the past.
The actual funeral talk seems to be for invited family and friends only. Strange.
When my JW friend disappeared, her body was found 19months later. The memorial service that we had after finding her body was held at the Circuit Assembly Hall. It was held there to accomodate all who wanted to attend. It was not the usual JW talk. Well, it was much of the same, but more personal.
It's nice when some JWs break out and do something a little different. Almost ANY different is good. With all the community rallying around them (even raising money for the family) the family *had* to do something in response. I'm glad the local BOE allowed the Open House. Then again, it would have been a very bad witness if they did not.
-Aude.
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jwfacts
I am surprised by the positive comments, because this letter disgusts me, and shows the total delusion the Watchtower creates in its mindless sheep.
The response of a normal person would be of gratitude for all the prayers and kindness of other, of the hope of the resurrection, and that Jehovah is sustaining her in this difficult time.
However, in this letter the mother says, "a tremendous opportunity has opened up because people in communities around the earth have opened their hearts wide to learning more about us as a people and the God whose name we carry." Are you kidding me? A psycho JW sodomises and murders another JW, and that is supposed to be considered a positive Witness for Jehovah's name.
Also, "I promise you that if Jehovah told me that he would end this cruel system immediately so that I could hold Whitney safe and warm in my arms, see those shining eyes and her radiant smile tomorrow, I promise you… that I would beg him to wait so that we would have the time to reach out to those people. We could not rescue Whitney but we can rescue them."
She has noted the love shown by worldly people, and saying how she wants time for them to become JWs, so Jehovah does not need to murder them at Armageddon. That amounts to a thin veil of compassion cloaking a heartless, brutal doctrine.
"Jehovah knows what he is doing" - Yes, nothing whilst Whitney was suffering unimaginable horror.
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james_woods
Only one word for this: Delusional.
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fiddler
I read that letter last night and also read through the comments and it seems that the vast majority of non-JW commenters just do not hear what she actually was saying. A few ex-JW's have made some negative comments throughout the various news stories (out of sheer frustration) and the JW responses are often mind numbingly stupid name calling sophmoric rants and yet the people continue to defend them!
This has been a frustrating lesson in human psychology and frankly; quite depressing. I do think that as the weeks and months pass the reality of the loss of Whitney will hit her mom HARD. Also, I think that as the society continues to churn out their Pharisaichal rules and interpretations, one of them is going to hit home and if it puts Whitney in any kind of a bad light then she may start to open her eyes. Or it could be in the form of gossip and we all know how they do like to gossip! But, over the years it has also been my observation that even then die hard witnesses stay blind and take the 'blame' for being 'weak'.
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AudeSapere
About the letter itself... I'm still trying to process my thoughts. And I'm really trying not to say negative and critical things when someone is trying to grieve - in whatever lame way that may be.
Initial thought was 'dyed-in-the-wool' witness. And while the mother may very well love her daughter, she still views her as an object or possession. When it comes to protecting our children, most people say 'the hell with everyone else. My kid's welfare comes first.' This mother clearly is so fully indoctinated in the JW disdain for 'this' life and fueled by the wave of encouragement from JWs around the world that her words sound cold toward her daughter and the attack.
Denial of the real facts and implications seems evident.
I'm really having a tough time with my thoughts. I agree with JWFacts alot. But I think many of us - myself included - are holding back our real thoughts out of respect for what we believe is a family having trouble finding a way to really grieve now.
-Aude.