by Confucious 22 Replies latest jw friends
Great point, Blondie,
Actually the fact that this guy actually calls on me is kind of a joke.
I'm "inactive" now, so he counts time on me.
There has been one brother who I feel is a true brother and Christian. He's an elder and he's not a pioneer and has given me a shepharding call on his day off in his shorts and baseball cap.
But this guy gets dropped off from the car group. I'm not stupid. I remember the days pioneering when you needed a good call in an air conditioned room.
Interesting post.
Just wondering if anyone has ever been healed by an elder, shephard, whatever they call themsleves.
Cathy
My first visit in many years was 2 months ago. It was for a memorial service for my nephew that had suicided a week before. The funeral service was at the crematorium and was attended mainly by close friends and family. The service at the KH was for the clan, and the many other relatives. I come from a VERY big JW family. Anyhow* at the KH the only ones that talked to me were ones I'd known from when I was in, over 20 years ago. Even though I was part of the immediate family, sitting in the 2nd row, had been at my brothers house daily for 5 days I and my family were not approached by any of the cong. Not even the guy giving the service!
Steve
When my best friend comitted suicide, I was lambasted for crying because "after all, he DID commit Self Murder."
That screwed up my mind more than anything I could think of at the time, because I was a good dub at the time and I thought I was sinning for crying.
I never really had a chance to mourn. Even up to 3 years later when the elder that "counciled me on crying" found out that I put flowers on his grave (on the aniversary of his death), I was given the "WHAT? YOU DID WHAT???"
confucious
What that elder did and said to you after your friend committed suicide..
THAT'S HORRIBLE!!!
THAT'S A FORM OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE
He counseled you not to CRY and then jabbed you after you put flowers on the grave.
That elder is "sick in the head".
Your emotions and feelings were right on, ..
SPECIAL K
I never really had a chance to mourn. Even up to 3 years later when the elder that "counciled me on crying" found out that I put flowers on his grave (on the aniversary of his death), I was given the "WHAT? YOU DID WHAT???"
Jeez. I remember those faces. That contorted look of horror that you just couldn't understand.
That kind of apathy towards a person's emotions is just inhuman.
ash
Special K and Ash,
My wife was witness to this. It really did happen.
I walked into the emergency room. By that time, everyone had already gathered there.
I was counseled for crying because I was grieving for someone who committed self murder.
Then about three years later, it was found out that I put flowers on the grave.
At the time, I was really scared, because I thought about losing privileges - thinking either... A) That they would think that I was thinking that the dead was NOT unconscience and that I was "worshiping the dead" or something.
Or.. B) That it was wrong that I would honor a dead man that killed himself.
I wish I could tell you how much this affected me as a person. As a human being.
To this day, I'm still on Paxil. My spirituality is really soaring now, but this whole experience has really screwed me up.
I did not grow up in the "Truth" TM , but I became one when I was 21.
The Organization keeps preaching that the "Truth" TM is all about having a personal relationship with Jehovah.
IT IS NOT!!!!
It's about having a relationship with God VIA an Organization.
So, when that Organization tells you that you are not in God's Good Graces, then YOU ARE NOT.
"I am the way, and the Truth."
Best put. The Truth is a person, not an organization.
Confucious,
I'm so sorry for your awful experience. Grief is a normal human emotion. Normal human emotions are denied in so many ways in the organization. Many times I remember being told not to grieve when someone I cared about died....after all they would be back after armageddon. To me, this a callous view of life. You can never replace the years lost. I said once, to a jw that I really missed my parents. They died in the late 70s, still fairly young. The jw said I shouldn't feel that way. That I would see them one day. I was stunned. I said that you can't replace those lost years. I have 2 children who never knew their grandparents. They would have made really great grandparents too. They never saw their grandchilden grow up. My children never had the honor of knowing them. That my dad died due to a watchtower policy that has since changed didn't help the matter either.
Coffee
Coffee,
That's the mentality of the borg.
Once, I was talking to someone about the blood issue and how, PERHAPS that it's a big deal that a parent loses a child unnessarily.
The response was, "Well, then they will just get a resserection (sorry spelling).
G'day Confucious,
Interesting observation you make:
2) It's pretty sad how much the "F and D Slave" is actually worshiped. It seemed that every other Watchtower comment was geared toward praising, "Jehovah's FAITHFUL slave., etc." Also how great and wonderful these brothers are.
I think this is the way many others have found it. See the latest Weekend Poll:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/55772/1.ashx
Cheers, Ozzie
