by battman 9 Replies latest social current
Does anyone know the mortality situation on this attack with
regard to any Bros/Sis that may have perished at the WTC
site on 9/11??
Curious minds want to know as I have seen a "story" circulating
among JW's about a Bros. who's life was spared cuz he turned
down a "great job" with a company in the WTC so he could go to
some Theo. School. UUGGGHHHH!!!
Thanks for any input.
cheers.\,
battman
The last I heard was 13 Witnesses, and one disfellowshiped woman. It was announced at my Hall, dunno if it was ever in print. It might be in a letter to the congregation.
Oh no, not that Dub Urban Legend again. It is very sad that ANYBODY died in the WTC, Dub or not.
I haven't a clue about the numbers. But what I found annoying (yet so typical) was when my JW mom started talking about the WTS situation, she made it sound like the "brothers" at bethel single-handedly saved people fleeing from the disaster. I asked her whether any "brothers" were known to be in the WTC and perhaps died (which is what *I'd* be concerned with). She acted like she didn't want to even talk about it. "I'm sure there were some," she said. "But they fed and took care of so many people fleeing." Good god, like THEY were the only flipping heroes in the event. LIke their behavior was such a witness for JAH.
No one else, of course, acted so bravely during the tragedy...
"But they fed and took care of so many people fleeing." Good god, like THEY were the only flipping heroes in the event. LIke their behavior was such a witness for JAH.
Truth be told, those people were all JWs, who happened to be on tour at the Bethel Compound. They were allowed to have dinner with the Bethelites, and were given a place to stay since it was too dangerous to go back to their hotels.
In an email posted to the WitnessesOnline board that day, a Bethelite stated that shortly after the Towers collapsed, Bethel went into lockdown mode so that "no worldly people would wander into Bethel seeking help." Not exactly heroic.
Thanks for the clarification, Redhorse Woman. THAT actually sounds more like it. My dear mother has an uncanny way of making the WTS quite undeservedly sound like heroic saints and downplaying virtually any other info on acts of heroism that come her way. I remember as a child seeing a plane wreck on the the news, and reports of how certain passengers gave their lives to save others. My mother was sure those brave selfless people must have been JW's. Ughhh!!!!! Whatever.
J.R.Brown's exact statement was: "We (Watchtower Society) provided equipment, water...AS REQUESTED."
Now think 'Theocratic Warfare Strategy' and read that statement AGAIN. AS REQUESTED means just that: if it wasn't ASKED FOR, it wasn't provided.
As far as I know, a few JW's on a Bethel tour were trapped inside and stayed the night. They were sent home the next morning.
My understanding was that quite a few JW's provided assistance to many people trapped inside the city. But they did so ON THEIR OWN. Plus I've had no independant verification of that. But I can believe it, because I have seen many JW's commit random acts of kindness when they thought no one on 'elder patrol' was looking. 9/11/01 was after all the perfect chance to try being a 'real human being' for once, to do something good becasue it was desired to do so. Whoever they were, God bless.
In an email posted to the WitnessesOnline board that day, a Bethelite stated that shortly after the Towers collapsed, Bethel went into lockdown mode so that "no worldly people would wander into Bethel seeking help." Not exactly heroic.
This is incredibly disgusting to me. My mind still reels when I think back to the events of September 11, 2001 and to hear something like this makes me sick. I remember for weeks after the attack my Mother continued telling me how much the brothers and sisters at Bethel had done for the people of New York. It's nice to have access to information like this so that I can put it all into perspective. Thanks for the insight Redhorse Woman!
Brian
Dung,
I heard that, too. My good friend has family in Manhatten and Brooklyn, all JW, but he said they were doing what they could there, and I believe them.
I heard some face-to-face accounts of people who were in the first tower when the plane hit(JW). One was an old friend. Of course he thinks it's God who saved him, but being through something as traumatic as that, I won't debate him.
I think that if Witnesses spin WTC for propoganda, it's awful, but I know there were kind deeds done by die-hard JWs....not all are heartless. I forget that sometimes with all that's happened to me with the bunch of animals who live near me.
Those living near me were cheerful on Sept. 11th.
"The end is here!!!"
How nice.
ashi
Just to clarify, I've known some witnesses who were indeed kind, decent people. And I have no doubt that they would go out of their way as individuals to help people in need. The fact that they were JWs was, IMO, beside the point. I have no doubt there were people who acted kindly, even heroically, who may have been JWs. My main beef with my mother's comments and no doubt others' of her kind, is her attempt to show that the JW's as an organization demonstrated incredible generosity and heroic efforts BECAUSE THEY ARE JWs. They are somehow better than the rank and file human, more loving, more giving, more, whatever. I don't believe that for a minute. But they wouldn't hesitate to embellish events to try to show that they were.
