'She wasn't a Jehovah's Witness anyway...'

by NAVYTOWN 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  Stormcrow

  I would find that difficult to believe HB, were it not for an experience which marked me deeply when I was 13 (1971). At school, I threw an ordinary tennis ball at an ordinary speed towards a classmate who had just thrown the ball to me. She looked away at the last moment and the ball struck her on the temple and knocked her out. This was scary, but she appeared to recover until later on that day she collapsed and was rushed to hospital suffering from a brain haemmorage.

  She survived, but damage had been done to the optical nerves and I was informed that she would be totally blind in a few year's time. I was flattened by the guilt and horror of what I had done, and although I had a parent I could never confide in (due to the fact that she is still the most vicious, violent, mad, obscene, perverse, utterly sick human-being I have ever encountered), I broke down in tears and told her what had happened. An elder was present at the time, decorating our living room, and he nodded sagely as Mother Dearest replied, " She's going to die at Armageddon anyway, what does it matter if she goes blind first?"

  Bloody hell!
• 

  Mikado

  mine was while rushing to the bedside of a friends husband that we believed to be on his dead bed , my mother was more concerned where her food was.....
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  love2Bworldly

  Stormcrow-- so sorry that happened to you! And with no one to talk to about it, it's terrible.

  My non JW brother died at 22 years of age in his sleep when I was in high school. One week later I started crying at school (driver's ed class had shown a movie and showed bodies covered in sheets with toe tags & it set me off), and one of my JW so called friends said very sarcastically, "It's been a whole week, why are you crying?" I couldn't believe the coldness in my JW so called friends just because my brother was not a Jdumb.
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  Pete Zahut

  Navytown, I'm impressed that you picked up on this trait and that it was one of the things that turned you away from going any farther with your study. This say's a lot about you as a person.

  Your post reminds me of a tradgedy that happened in our Congregation. There was a family with 4 very cute little girls and each were each a year or so apart in age and were identical to eachother. They were like stair steps when you stood them next to eachother in order of age.

  The 4girls along with another little girl from the Hall were splashing about at the edge of a small shallow river with as their Mothers looked on. Suddenly without warnig, a wall of water came rushing from upstream and the ensuing surge of water, washed two of the littlest sisters and the 1 other little JW girl, away. Aparrently they had released some water from the Dam upstream and the wall of water created enough of a current that it swept the girls away. They were found days later in another City near the mouth of the river.

  The families and the congregation grieved of course but the Mother of the 4 girls ("M" ) and oldest surviving girl (who had clung onto her little sisters as long as she could) were inconsolable. They grieved for the longest time. One day in a car group out in service, a very sad "M"was at a door and an elders wife (mother of 4 herself ) said to the rest of us in the car " Oh I wish "M"would just get over it....she's needs a good slap....she's showing a complete lack of faith in Jehovah....doesn't she know she'll see the girls again in the New System"

  This tragedy happened over 30 years ago and we still see the "M" and the two remaining girls(now grown and beautiful) from time to time. You can't help but think of the missing sisters and what it would have been like to see them all together. But like you Navytown,the words of that elders Wife, stuck with me and they really reflected the callousness some JW's develop regarding loss of life and the distorted view of what kind of greif is appropriate in situations like this. I saw this time and again over the years with individuals and I beleive it's a direct result of the constant steady diet of Armageddon talks at the meetings and assemblies and the harping on about the nearness of the new system and destruction of the worlds population that one reads in the publications.
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  Island Man

  ". . . a truck crushed her and her unborn baby in the car. I said what had happened.....

  "Do you think the potaoes are ready yet?" END."

  Were they making mashed potatoes? Am just saying maybe they heard you say "crushed" and it reminded them of the potoates that they're going to crush to make mashed potatoes.
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  Stormcrow

  I am reminded that people who have no empathy for others, make excellent psychopaths.
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  joe134cd

  Sadly I have to say all of the above comments have a resounding ring of truth to them. What I'm embarrassed to admit to is a couple of years back these comments would of been justified by me.
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  keyser soze

  I was told essentially the same thing by an elder after 9/11. "It's 3000 people who wouldn't have survived Armageddon anyway."
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  Designer Stubble

  Well, if some of you remember the recent Elders instruction video...the brothers tell this sister who lost her husband that it has been almost a year now and she should get over it. So, although shocking, such loss of natural affection comes straight from "mother". What a sad CULT!

  Thanks for sharing your stories...Wow, just wow
• 

  rjharris

  I am an ex-JW of more than 30 years (disassociated).

  Yes, I have seen this many many times and - to my shame - used to view non-JWs the same way.

  I had a recent encounter with a co-worker who is a JW (and she knows that I am a former JW) and she kept referrring to all of the "worldly people" in the office with disdain.

  I asked her, "What have these people done to you?" Her response was "Nothing. They are just worldly people and they ar going to lose their lives if they do not come into "the truth." She also believes that JWs are supposed to love only each other. I countered her by saying, "Where does Jesus teach this? Did Jesus not say his disciples were to love even their enemies? Did not Jesus ask forgiveness for those who were not his followers - namely those who persecuted and executed him?"

  I asked her whether or not her attitude was a loving one and if Jesus ever referred to people as "worldly people?" This froze her up. But she got the point and could not say anything.

  It is hypocritical to knock on someones door and put on a fake smile just to place a publication and then if the person does not respond favorably he or she is looked upon as persons of no account; as a worldly person.

  I knew a person very very close to me who is a JW who turned off any love and concern for me like a light switch upon hearing that I disassociated myself from the WTBTS. The attitude became borderline hateful. I called this person and asked why the cold attitude? Had I sinned or wronged YOU? She said, "No, but you left Jehovah's organization."

  "Yes, I did. But did I sin against you? You have known me all of my life and you know that if I made such a decision it must have been for a good reason. You did not care to ask why."

  What the person said to me next was shocking. She said, "Honestly, I can't stand being in your presence, I don't want to be in your presence and you are an apostate."

  "Why do you say I am an apostate?" I said.

  "THEY say you are an apostate. She said.

  "Who is they?"

  "The organization, they say that you are an apostate?" She said.

  "Is that your conclusion?"

  "Yes, I want nothing to do with you."

  So she did not reach her own conclusion, it was already made for her. She is the product of "the organization."

  JWs claim they care about people. This is not fully the truth. Only those who accept the teaching and associate with "the organization." Everyone else are labeled as "worldly persons."

  Such a label provides a convenient excuse to place a foul stench upon millions undeserving of such a label.

  This is a real shame because Jesus felt pity upon persons.

  ALL religious organization is a dangerous thing because it creates these "us against them" mentalities in their membership.

  It is an ugly thing to behold and it is not the face and heart of Christ.