Older JW: not happy

by Gorbatchov 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Gorbatchov

  This week I visited my sick father in law.

  Then an old elder from my far away congregation came in for coffee. Did not see him in 15 years.

  Nice chat. Had a lot to say, is alone, his sick wife disabled and away from home.

  He told me: "living alone is so hard. Eating alone, sleeping alone, grosery alone, meeting alone, preaching alone. Life has no meaning for me anymore."

  He came just from fieldservice and looked like his last moment has arived.

  My father in law the same situation.

  The JW elderly here are not happy. A big disapointment struck them.

  Like my mother said recent "our rewards do not come".

  My father concluded "our grandparents turn in their grave".

  Do you notice the same??

  G.
• 

  freddo

  I do notice the same. In our hall, in less than 18 months five in the over 70 age group have died. That's five out of 70 publishers. I just counted up that there are 15 more in the 70 plus age range still attending or listening on the phone link up.

  With 3 exceptions - an 80 year old woman who DID go to college before becoming a JW and who is "up-together" and cheerful and a couple in their late 70's who seem healthy and "jolly" - they are all miserable, ill or depressed.

  They know in their hearts that the 50 to 60 years some of them have been JW's has put them no nearer to the new system they were so convinced of walking into.
• 

  Crazyguy

  A sister I know in her late 80s got sick was in the hospital and remarked that she regretted answering the door.
• 

  JW GoneBad

  Do you notice the same??

  With 118,000+ congregations worldwide and each congregation with its share of adult/senior JWs...I'm sure there are tons and tons of rank and file in their 60's and 70's doing their share of belly-aching... some secretively...others openly! Going forward 5 to 10 years there will be a whole lot more bitching that WT will have to deal with.

  ...and, yes, I do notice the same!
• 

  Beth Sarim

  It is such a blessing that the internet and the information age is here. To help put a curb to these Bronze Age Religions(groups) which vaporize your dreams, potential and confidence. The internet and the information age will much help younger generations from experiencing similar mental and physical trauma.
• 

  LoisLane looking for Superman

  If you were brought over in a slave ship from Africa where you were forced to leave all of your known surroundings, religion and loved ones, (support system) and were bought by a slave Master in America to work his plantation for his profit and financial growth and gain, never yours, how would you feel to find out now in your old age, that the Government had given you your freedom in the Civil War that ended back in 1865 and from henseforth, you could have been a freeman?

  But your Master because he was so greedy, never allowed outsiders to come onto his land and you never knew until your life was almost over that your freedom was there for the taking. How do you feel?

  It is so ridiculous that the Governing Body call themselves "The Slave". Question from Elders interrogating you: Do you Believe The Slave is the true and only Voice from God??? WE are the slaves! Not them! Pompous you know what's!

  It is hard to come to the realization, that one has been duped, swindled ON PURPOSE!!! so the GB can live in one of their tax-free haven's, their cushy life supported off the sweat of others!

  Shameful!!!

  My heart goes out to everyone of us who has had their life stolen by these deceitful evil Slave Masters!!!
• 

  Beth Sarim

  Older JW not happy.

  You see, this is the problem these Bronze Age movements have caused. They take away pretty much all of your time and ambition to serve the movements, instead of the most important thing, you and your family.

  Let us not forget that those now in their 60s and 70s have been in since 1975. That is now 43 years on now. I think many in that age group realize that now(perhaps they are duped) and there is nothing they can do about it. They just have too much emotionally invested to throw it away now. It would be just to much of a traumatic emotional shock.

  But as I mentioned, Thank God for the internet, information Age.!! To help impede such movements from robbing future generations and young lives of their true potential, desires and dreams!!!!!
  
• 

  Magnum

  I don't notice it because I'm not around JWs anymore, but this is one of the main things I've been wondering about lately - what are the older JWs thinking? What is the mindset of the old-timers who were around in the more exciting days when Watchtower publications were deeper and JW conversation centered on prophecy and the imminence of the end?

  JWdom is just so lame and boring now. These older folks have to realize that the "new system" was supposed to have been here for a number of years by now. They have to sense that things just aren't like they used to be in the org.

  Thanks for posting this, Gorby; I hope others will provide more anecdotes.
  
• 

  Phoebe

  Well said, LoisLane

  you and I are two of many who didn't just have their lives stolen but suffered at the hands of JWs! I am mid 60s and yes, it is a traumatic shock to find out it's a lie. I don't think I'll ever recover from it.
• 

  sir82

  By my rough back-of-the-envelope calculations, there are about 1 million JWs in the world who were JWs in the years leading up to 1975, were aware of what 1975 was supposed to bring, and are still in now.

  The youngest of those are in their mid-50's now, with most in their 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond.

  ALL of them were supposed to waltz into paradise with nary a wrinkle or gray hair.

  Most did not plan to "grow old in this system of things" and so did little if any planning for life as a senior citizen.

  Now, they are old, sick, dying, poor, depressed, lonely....

  And what do their lives consist of? Drudgery, boredom, dull meetings, meaningless busy-work, prying busybodies, gossipy elders & wives, poverty, declining health....while watching the 50 or 60 Bethel fat-cats who live in (moderate) luxury off their donations show their pudgy faces on JW broadcasting month after month....

  If you really buy / bought into the JW vision, yeah, of course you're depressed....