Helsinki Times Article: "The End of the World" - Lengthy interview with many former JWs

by AndersonsInfo 12 Replies latest jw friends

  • AndersonsInfo
    AndersonsInfo

    http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/10435-the-end-of-the-world.html

    The End of the World

    Last autumn, Jussi K. began to plan his disassociation from Jehovah's Witnesses. But if he left the apocalyptic movement, he would lose everything: his friends would refuse to meet him, as would probably his parents.

    HE MADE UP his mind last September. He would disassociate from Jehovah's Witnesses. He was 30 years old, had grown up in a devout Jehovah's Witness family, had been baptised as a teenager, and had married a fellow Witness.

    I shall call him Jussi K..

    Jussi K. had devoted his life to serving Jehovah. He had dropped out of school after matriculating and begun going door-to-door, Watchtower and Awake! magazines in his satchel.

    Some of us may have opened our home for him. Some may have listened and, out of countenance, accepted a copy of the Watchtower; or simply shut the door on him.

    Twice a week, Jussi K. would dress up and take part in a meeting in the Kingdom Hall. He had done so since he was a child, and had developed into a popular speaker. As a sign of the trust he had earned, he had been appointed as an elder in his congregation.

    He therefore found out matters not revealed to the average Jehovah's Witness. He had, for example, served in the judicial committee of his congregation, considering the sins of others.

    Outside the Kingdom Hall, he knew virtually no one. Besides exercise, he had no hobbies. Every morning, he would get up at 5 am and go jogging or swimming, alone. He had told no one that he had begun to question the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. No one knew what he was thinking as he sat at the Kingdom Hall, beside his spouse and children, singing Kingdom songs.

    Read more at:

    http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/10435-the-end-of-the-world.html

  • Skinnedsheep
    Skinnedsheep

    Beautiful article. I hope this goes viral.

  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    It's a familiar tale. I can certainly relate.

    Thanks for sharing, Barb!

  • inbetween
    inbetween

    very well written, accurate information, well researched.

    and it all boils down to one issue: the disfellowshipping.

    If JW ever abandon it, nobody would care anymore about some of their weird beliefs, as most religions have weird beliefs.

    However, as the article pointed out, they will not give up shunning, it is their very tool of control. Without it, they would just diminish.

  • JW GoneBad
    JW GoneBad

    Thank you Barbara. I wish Jussi K. well.

    It is estimated that 45,000 to 50,000 get disfellowshipped each year. That means that for each ten years that passes 450,000 to 500,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are disfellowshipped and shunned by JW family and friends. Many simply can't deal with the pain and the humiliation of it and wind up ending their life. Sad Indeed!

    How many disfellowshipped and shunned individuals have echoed the words of Habakkuk 1:2: 'How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, and you do not hear'?...........How Long?

  • HeyThere
    HeyThere

    this is just so heartbreaking for me. i feel so sad for the victims of this scam religion. i really hope that this article reaches the hearts of people so the word can spread about this. smh.

  • InquiryMan
  • DesirousOfChange
    DesirousOfChange

    I do not think it a good idea that Governments meddle in the private affairs of its citizens, including their religion. However, something needs to be done to protect the Civil Rights of its citizens. In the US at least, religions are given a wide berth of protection and shown much favoritism in regard to tax exemption. Religions that violate Civil Rights should no longer be tax exempt. They and their adherents may choose to violate such principles, however there should be a cost. The Govenment and the Community should NOT be required to subsidize them via tax breaks.

    Doc

  • AnnOMaly
    AnnOMaly

    Excellent article; heart-rending stories. I liked how it was shown that the jw.org website says one thing about shunning but talks and WT articles say another. I, too, wish Jussi well.

  • cultBgone
    cultBgone

    One of the best articles published on shunning, really well-done journalism.

    We should all forward this to our hometown newspapers with encouragement to do local follow-ups!

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