JW,s contribution to the human race, zip, nothing, not anything.

by jam 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  jam

  I was thinking about this at a close friend memorial

  service the other day. I was thinking, my 66 years here

  have I made an impact or made some type of contribution.

  My I share with you why I was so down after his memorial.

  I would like to blame the borg, maybe part of it.

  After high school our paths with in different directions. He

  in the 60;s movement me off to Vietnam, but just before I

  left to go to Nam he invited me to a party he was giving.

  We ( friends) arrived and there were only males. I ask where

  are the women? The party was gathering for the movement.

  Now fast forward some thirty years later. We meet up at a bar.

  I,am no longer a JW, we talk. I tell him about my stay in Belize,

  served in Olk , my 20 years as a JW. So I ask him what he has been

  doing for last 20- 30 years. He tell me he just came back from Africa.

  I ask, doing what? He, just doing a few things. Very modest.

  Well this is what he have been doing.Gradute cum laude from CSPC,

  B.A. in Political Science and minor in Economics. He earned a M.A. in

  Political Science and a PhD in Political Science with emphasis in South

  African Politics from USC. Professor at Indiana University. He held research

  fellowships at the USC and at South African Research Program at

  Yale University. His paper on "From Liberation to Citizenship" was voted

  the best paper presented in 1994 to the Caucus for a New Political

  Science of the American Political Science Association. He was chosen as

  one of only 74 United Nations observers to monitor the historic 1994

  election in South Africa that ushered in Nelson Mandela as President.

  He became ill two weeks ago while returning from a speaking

  engagement from Ethiopia.

  I,m not saying I could have accomplished the things my friend accomplished

  in his 65 years here, but I do wonder what would have been if not

  for the borg.
• 

  baltar447

  They teach us patience to tolerate bullsh!t?
• 

  jam

  baltar 447: Yes, also how to become teachers of BS.

  What a waste. You young ones coming out today, be

  thankful. You have a opportunity to make a difference.

  It,s a hell of a feeling to look back on your life and realize,

  I passed thru this life without moving a grain of sand.
• 

  PaintedToeNail

  jam-Sorry about your friend, he sounds like an intelligent, caring and involved man. Sorry also that you feel you life was meaningless. You loved someone probably, that meant something to them. You aren't dead yet, there are still things you can accomplish to make a difference. What about going to a hospital and holding abandoned babies, born to addict mothers. Or a nursing home to read to those who can no longer read, or just listen to their fascinating stories, that will bring meaning to them. It is probably best not to compare yourself to other people, it can only bring one of you dissatisfaction.

  I hope you get over being depressed. If you were nearby, I'd invite you for coffee and we could laugh about crazy things that happened in the borg.
• 

  jam

  Painted: Thank you, that was really nice. I,m not so much depressed

  but mad at the borg. I get so much joy out of helping the new ones

  here, reading their stories, enrolling in college, and hearing they are moving on. And it,s

  true, I do have love ones that bring me joy.
• 

  ÁrbolesdeArabia

  "The Baby your about to abort might be the child who will develop the cure for cancer" Think about it!

  "The Child You Allow to become a Watchtower Witness might have been the one who develops a cure for cancer, don't let them join!"

  "Janitors don't build bridges or win Nobel Prizes" "Why be a doctor when you can wash his windows?"

  "My Other Maid Is A Full-Time Pioneer!" "Don't Hire A Merry Maid, Hire A Miserable Pioneer!"
• 

  HarryMac

  It is depressing to contemplate. I try to stop myself from thinking about what could have been but still do it. But, yeah, always compare yourself to yourself. That goes for everything... comparing myself to others is a recipe for depression.

  His list of accomplishments puts him in a top percentile... did he have children? (I'm only asking as it relates to time).
• 

  HarryMac

  Actually, and I never got this, JW's are so proud of their accomplishments in the Supreme Courts of various lands to tolerate their craziness.

  It's Satan's system you dicks! Why are you so proud of that?

  Secondly, it's not a feather in your cap that you are such a test of a free society to make it's government ask itself ... 'Are we really willing to let freedom for citizens mean being this dumb? I guess we have to.'
• 

  Penelope1

  Hello Jam! In my book, to love and inspire others is the greatest gift one can impart in this life. Afterall, the political issues in South Africa are not the real sources of human suffering in the world; its all the hate, greed, narcissism, stupidity, intolerance, etc. that make life seem like a scene from Water World at times. And the really cool thing is, you don't need a Bachelor's degree to help your fellow man, nor a PHD to inspire a child in some way --big or small. In fact, there are plenty of men and women who have made their marks on the world in various ways, yet had little to no formal education to speak of. Take Fredrick Douglass for example. He was not an educated man- not formally educated at least- and yet he improved the lives of many with little more than a passion to alleviate human suffering. And although he's been dead for over 100 years now, his positive influence lives on. Over the last five years of my life, I have been to Hell and back and yet through it all, hung in there and pressed forward because of something he once said:"Without struggle, there is no progress". Imagine that! Six basic words inspired me to not give up, to not throw in the towel. One brief sentence reminded me daily that accomplishing my goals requires hard work and strong determination. So as you can see, qualities such as love and compassion can go a LONG way, and truly inspire and help others. Teaching a valuable skill, making someone laugh til their face hurts :-), helping a depressed soul feel valued, needed and wanted, and reading a book with a little kid are all small ways that you too can make a mark on the world. Sure, college degrees are useful but they really don't mean a whole lot beyond a bigger paycheck. As time wears on, your friend will be remembered, not for his PhD and research fellowship at USC, but rather, for his "passion for the greater good" and for his accomplishments in behalf of his fellowman. (who wants to remembered for a damn college degree anyway?? Not me...lol)

  You seem like a thoughtful, caring person so I think you have a lot more going for you than you give yourself credit for! Please hang in there Jam and try to start looking ahead and stop looking back because even though, like me, you are no longer a JW, we still have a great future that awaits us! Take care my friend
• 

  wha happened?

  They contribute to the world, just like a virus contributes to it's host. They do absolutely nothing for their fellow man, hell they hardly help their own. And yet, they draw on the system as they are more likely to be on government assitance. Working as a self employed individual, they set up no retirement and don't contribute to the SS system.

  All this because the world is passing away and so is it's desire....

  Defeatists is what they are. Refusing to lift a finger to prevent things like world hunger, disease control, care for widows and orphans. All because the world is "broken", and needs to be destroyed