AndersonsInfo

Over a month ago, the Associated Press in Minneapolis reported that counterfeit pills were found at Prince’s home. Some contained powerful opioid fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times stronger than heroin found in dozens of pills. These and other mislabeled drugs were found in luggage belonging to the late music star. Clearly, JWs elders knew about Prince's drug addiction problem, but treated him differently than they did ordinary JWs with addictions because of who he was. However, it's about time all JWs who are struggling with addiction have mercy shown them rather than punishment. Why?

http://watchtowerdocuments.org/why-did-jws-ignore-princes-drug-addictions/

Why Did JWs Ignore Prince’s Drug Addictions?

After Prince’s death, George Cook (an elder at the Kingdom Hall where Prince attended JW meetings) was reported to have said the church does not have a problem with Prince’s reported addiction to prescription drugs because “that’s a personal matter.” “Brother” Cook made this statement after Prince’s death in April, 2016 and before the memorial at the Saint Louis Park JW Kingdom Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Many celebrities were in the audience, including some who were also Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The Guardian (August 21, 2016) reported that many powerful synthetic drugs such as oxycodone, fentanyl, lidocaine and U-4770 (a synthetic drug that is eight times more powerful than morphine*) were found in Prince’s home. The presence and the amounts of those drugs strongly suggested that he was absolutely addicted to drugs.

*[LINK to The Guardian (UK) news article]

This leads us to ask if the JW elders at Prince’s Kingdom Hall suffer any remorse? They clearly sent a message that money and fame talks when they jumped on the publicity train (with the permission of Watchtower’s leaders in New York) by allowing their “Jehovah’s Witness church” to be “heavily involved in the star’s memorial service.” **

**[LINK to Daily Mail (UK) news article]

Please note that these same elders, seemingly without any reservation, participated in and managed Prince’s funeral and memorial, and yet some of them with decades of judicial hearings under their belts, have disfellowshipped many ordinary Jehovah’s Witnesses for using or being addicted to cigarettes or opiate drugs. Their actions have resulted in anguish and despair due to their strictly enforced and hard-hearted “shunning” of those addicted to drugs. Rather than “practice mercy” by offering support and encouragement to find treatment for an addiction, they would rather punish those addicted – ostensibly to keep the “organization (Jehovah’s Witnesses) clean.”

WAIT - THERE'S MORE: READ ON: http://watchtowerdocuments.org/why-did-jws-ignore-princes-drug-addictions/

Simon

Could it be they didn't really care about him? It seems to me that if you really care about someone you don't turn a blind eye to something like that. Although it might be painful, it shows more love and concern to call out the unacceptable behavior.

He was a donation plate and I suspect they were happy to play along and take the money so he could play and being pretend spiritual.

Broken people and failures all around.

Hecce

$$$$$$$$

blondie

Why any elder, BOE, or any authority in the WTS hides alcoholism, drug addiction, child molesters, in the ranks?

1) to protect their image, congregation, circuit, district, all the way to the international top of the WTS.

2) to protect their friends, those with money and fame

I have personally seen so many elders, their children, their friends, their friend's children, protected, not even caring what damage they due to themselves and others.

But then I have been involved in the non-jw aa/rehab community for 35 years, my jw mother was alcoholic (she is dead now) who got no help from the elders, I finally 12th stepped her, confronted her and she went to rehab and was sober for 28 years until she died. The elders were concerned that someone might find out even then that she was a jw. They would rather she die than get help and have it reflect on their precious organization.

I have seen this repeated over and over and have reached out to many jws and non-jws on how to get help.

I have helped jws and ex-jws deal with the hidden pedophiles in the WTS organization.

The WTS is not the only group that hides this......but they are ones that feel that they are above all others in morality.

DATA-DOG

I don't know the WTBTS official policy on prescription drug abuse. That would be hard to prove, if an Ass-hat Elder launched an investigation. I've never know someone to be DF'd for that.

You can't be DF'd for medical MJ either.

DD

Finkelstein

The counterfeit pills were not realized at the time of his funeral, if it was known then it would have brought up some consideration to having the funeral at a KH ........ maybe ?

Lets say he died from a Heroin overdose, well that too would have changed the decision likewise, its just that pills is a nicer way of over dosing that stupid elders don't quite understand yet.

Island Man

"I don't know the WTBTS official policy on prescription drug abuse."

Abuse of drugs is a disfellowshipping offence. It does not matter if the drugs are prescription or illegal. What matters is whether or not abuse of the drugs has harmful effects on the body. It would especially be the case when such abuse is potentially life-threatening as was the case with Prince. This is based on their interpretation of the scripture in Corinthians that talks about avoiding every defilement of flesh and spirit; and their position on showing respect for life.

The elders were clearly not following the rule book in the way they handled Prince. I think its a case of them not wanting to bite the hand that feed$ their congregation and/or Watchtower. It is very clear that in this hypocritical organization, wealthy and famous JWs are treated differently from rank and file JWs.

dubstepped

Lots of people abuse prescription drugs under the excuse of "pain". Someone locally revealed to us that a bunch of dubs living in an area were all addicts and nobody would do anything. Proving that those meds aren't needed or getting into the personal private medical records of individuals is near impossible. I don't think that Prince was special in this way. It's a hard to regulate area.

NVR2L8

Elders are usually the first to be called when a congregation member is hospitalized, which was the case when Prince's plane had to land for an "health" emergency a few weeks prior to his death. If Prince was so close to the congregation how would the elders not know about his condition?

biblexaminer

Prince, (besides the drugs and when they 'learned about it' etc), was already living a life that should have got him DF'd

Screw Watchtower.

"Why Did JWs Ignore Princes Drug Additctions?" by Barbara Anderson