A great man has left us. My Father-in-Law died last night. One of the most intelligent men I have ever met, ironically struck down with a brain tumour that eventually robbed him of all cognitive ability. Who says God hasn't got a sense of humour?!
George King, an Elder and PO in the Leicester Forest East Congregation UK for many years, and a CO for a time, was always a fair and reasonable man as far as he could be within the teachings of the WBTS. His fairly liberal interpretations of the society's edicts protected many in the circuit from the more rabid elders. He was fiercely loyal to the Society through thick and thin, but despite that we had some pleasant times together.
In the end we decided that it was best that we didn't discuss religion anymore, for the sake of family unity. But we had some real humdingers. My favourite was when the society abandoned the 1914 'generation' that will live to see the end. I had predicted it years before and I could tell he was rattled, the only time I ever saw him struggle to accept what the organisation said. At the time he refused to accept it, denying outright that there was any change at all. I guess, like most JWs, the fizzling out of a lifetime's belief needed time to acclimatise to.
Anyway, the Organisation has lost one of its staunchest defenders in this neck of the woods, and another capable elder. The newer elders are not of the same calibre and I fear for the congregation. There have already been petty disputes and power struggles during his illness and I think that the brothers and sisters will have to contend with a lot of bloody-minded and stupid regulations from the elder body now.
How this will affect my wife I do not know. She was taught that she would never have to bury her parents, Paradise was coming before that would happen. Now, like many others, she has to face the reality that the only certain thing in life is old age and death for all of us.
For the moment, she needs her faith to see her through these troubling times, and I will not attempt to take that away from her. The death of a parent is a defining moment in a persons life. I remember becoming aware, really aware, of my own mortality when my father died. There was also a realisation that I would have to put my own children through this pain and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I will wait and see what my wife does, but I would imagine that she will embed herself further into the religion in the short term, at least while her mum's alive.
As for me, Ill miss the old bugger.
Edited by - dmouse on 21 July 2002 3:44:13