My dad is 65 and collecting social security, although he thinks the end is near and the big A can hit any minute now. I'm happy to know that he worked hard for his money, paid off his house, owns a business and has a solid health. You see, although my dad is a hardcore Jdub and believes in 1914... He always understood that no man can say when the end will actually come. The down side to this scenario, is that my parents will not give up the elder status and seniority they enjoy within the org.
The elders of the 1980s are now in their 60s and 70s
by truthseeker 41 Replies latest jw friends
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The Searcher
Active J.W.'s are in two camps IMO;
1) The end is so near you can almost smell the paradise
2) Just live life each day - if the end comes, it comes. If not, I have the resurrection hope.
The latter group are not convinced they are going to live to see the end, because of the Org's failed predictions.
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vinman
I think of this all the time. All your comments are spot on. A lot does have to do with age. Being forty five, I realised I had to act swiftly and not ignore reality. I still have a lot if energy. It is sooo depressing to contemplate this subject. -
John Aquila
We had the convention this weekend and many former elders I served had talks in the convention. Most of them are already bald except one elder I grew up with from youth and his hair is all white. He is close to 70 and said in his talk, "Friends, I know we are getting old, but don't despair, very soon we are going to be laughing and the rest of the world is going to be crying in despair when Armageddon finally arrives and everyone will know we had the truth."
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DesirousOfChange
Just live life each day - if the end comes, it comes. If not, I have the resurrection hope.
The new line of several of the older JW crowd is that they will enter the Paradise New World "via the underground". Yes, they expect to die and they no longer hope to live on right into the (falsely) promised reward.
Doc
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ToesUp
"Friends, I know we are getting old, but don't despair, very soon we are going to be laughing and the rest of the world is going to be crying in despair when Armageddon finally arrives and everyone will know we had the truth."
I always found these type of statements disturbing. Sometimes I think of 9/11 when all those innocent people lost their lives. Their families lost their loved ones. Then I think of statements like the one made above. Can you imagine someone watching those buildings collapse having those same thoughts as stated above? Very sick indeed!
It seems these very sick individuals enjoy watching others suffer and die. Enjoying other peoples trials and unfortunate circumstances is disturbing.
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John Aquila
It seems these very sick individuals enjoy watching others suffer and die. Enjoying other peoples trials and unfortunate circumstances is disturbing.
They are sick, they're in a cult.
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done4good
ToesUp - I always found these type of statements disturbing. Sometimes I think of 9/11 when all those innocent people lost their lives. Their families lost their loved ones. Then I think of statements like the one made above. Can you imagine someone watching those buildings collapse having those same thoughts as stated above? Very sick indeed!
I heard many shortsighted and cold comments from JWs concerning 9/11 almost immediately after it happened, and for the next several months. I think this played a big part in helping me wake up then.
d4g
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ToesUp
d4g
" my friend had asked him one day if he still believed. His answer was actually quite honest. His father said that "Since I had believed this long, and lived this life this long, what else can I do?". Deep down he recognized it was probably all for naught, however at 70+ years old, could not face that reality. Very sad, and very typical of those in this age group."
We have family that we believe has this same mind set. They are so ingrained in this cult they don't know where else to go. They do not have "worldly jobs, worldly friends, etc." If they left today they would have NOTHING. They also have no savings. They thought the end would be here so blew through all their money.
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DesirousOfChange
The elder back home that was my nemesis as a teenager just lost his wife to cancer. I went to the funeral and I wondered if their old age and her death would result in some awakening for him. Absolutely not. All he could say to me was "how close" The End(TM) obviously is! But then at his age and in his condition, what other hope does he have?
Doc