I had a friend who was a sister that commited suicide. She left behind two children. It was really sad.
Do u know any JW"s that have suicided?
by Rick Aust 66 Replies latest jw friends
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Gordy
I attempted suicide in 1996, suffering from acute clinical depression,due partly personal problems, and partly due to being a JW (of 25 years at the time and a MS). The feeling of that you had not only let your family down, but more importantly Jehovah and His organisation.
What finally made me leave the JW's was the total lack of help, support and love. To them it would have been better if I had succeeded. I was an embarrassment to them.
Their answer was to separate me from my wife and family.
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cruzanheart
I think I will vote for this being the best thread. While it does not discuss doctrine or failed dates, which are also important in deciding to leave the Witnesses, the raw emotion and sheer numbers of people we know -- or those of us -- who have attempted or committed suicide is like a kick in the face, like seeing the Vietnam Memorial or the Holocaust Museum for the first time.
It is very powerful, at least to me.
Nina
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woodland
My father committed suicide when I was 13 yrs. He was a JW all his life. I don?t blame the religion because I believe to commit suicide (not just an attempt, which is a cry for help), indicates mental illness.
But, for us, his family, it was awful. We were not allowed to hold his funeral at a Kingdom Hall, although over 200 people turned up at the crematorium. The Brother giving the talk was not allowed to mention the resurrection hope, and we were made aware that suicide in the eyes of God was a sin. Subsequently, the Org changed their tone in the mid-90?s when loads of Brothers and Sisters were suffering with depression.
Many people wouldn?t mention Dad to us (my sisters and I), and some wouldn?t let their children sit with us at assembles/meetings anymore or come to our house to play. Some adults told their children that they were not to associate with us anymore.
Dad being ill and killing himself made me an immediate BAD ASSOCIATION!
I?m not bitter, just disappointed from a humanist point of view that people could be so crawl to children under such difficult circumstances.
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Sassy
ahhh {{{{{{{woodland}}}}}}} I feel so bad for you. That is even worse than what my friend went through and their mom took her life. Grieving is a hard enough situation under the best circumstances but this made it even worse. I'm sorry for your loss and the love you were not shown when you should have been.
oh an Nina:
I think I will vote for this being the best thread.
I agree, this has been a pretty powerful thread.
~~Sassy~~
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cruzanheart
(((((Woodland))))) I'm so sorry for what you went through.
Nina
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FlyingHighNow
"Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger." Is it me or did this make Jehovah sound more like Satan?
In the Winder, Ga. congregation there was a pioneer sister and her husband. They both grew weary and ended up disfellowshipped. She decided to leave to be with another man. The husband was distraught over this. He invited the sister over to "talk". He shot and killed her then he turned the gun on himself. They were the parents of young children. This took place in the 1980s.
There were two scriptures. One was about Jesus' yoke being light. The other was about Jehovah adding no pain with it when you serve him. The fact is that this world can be difficult and painful to live in without being a JW. Become a JW and allow them to gradually take over your life, even your remotest thoughts and actions. Attend five meetings a week, study & dress for them. Go in service as much as you can; feel guilty because you can't do more. Save your worldy coworkers, friends and relatives: get their blood off of your hands.Read the mags. Do the text. Conduct a family study. Daily Bible reading. Have a spotless house, yard, car. Have a flawless reputation. Save and shop for one big convention and two little ones a year. Spend your family vacations at a convention. Your children are calling cards for the org. Fret each time you need to discipline your child because there is nothing you can take away from him/her to teach them a lesson. Your children already have no freedom and no life. Watch your children's eyes when they tell you they are lonely because they have no friends at school or the neighborhood and the kids at the hall treat them as if they have some dread disease. Fret over how they behave when not in your presence. Oh no JR. made a construction paper pumpkin and it is mid October. What will people think? Was that a harvest pumpkin? Will people think it's for halloween or Thanksgiving? Will Jr. make Jah's evil list for this?Will I lose him forever? Worry everyday that no matter what you are doing for the org. it is still not going to be good enough for Jehovah.
Jesus' load may be light but the load the GB places on you is so heavy it causes a lot of depression. Some break down and collapse. Some kill themselves. Some have killed their children. Life can be very sad and difficult. Being a JW can make it unbearable.
Heather