Death

by Txsun 4 Replies latest jw friends

  • Txsun
    Txsun

    I was wondering... What is the view on death? I have a terminally ill parent and she has signed a DNR (do not recesitate order). If we let her die with out trying cpr, or any other life sustaining measures is it a sin? Does that go against JW teachings? Or is it ok to let her go since that is what she wants? The quality of her life is very poor and she is in constant pain and is paralyzed and has great difficulty speaking and swallowing and refuses feeding tubes, oxygen and IV's.

    What does JW teach (and/or beleive) about what happens to you when you die?

  • Txsun
    Txsun

    ...

  • talley
    talley

    I can empathize, Txsun, because my mother too had signed specific medical instructions in the event of terminal illness. From what I can recall, the JWs do not get into end of life matters, except for blood transfusions. My mom had a massive brain bleed type 'stroke' and when I got to the hospital, we went over her medical directives, the Dr. was willing to go along with her wishes and moved her from the ER to a hospital room. Mom appeared completely unresponsive in every way. Very soon a hospital 'Chaplin came in to try to talk me out of this course, and while we were talking I was watching Mom; two or three tears leaked from her closed eyes and trickled down her temples and I thought she was breathing a bit faster than normal. Finally I concentrated on replying to the Chaplin concerning her wishes and that I intended to honor her wishes, just then Mom's breath rate seemed to slow to normal. A while later I explained to Mom that I had to go home for a while to feed the dogs and particularly give medication to the one dog that had terminal cancer, but would be back in an hour or so and that in the meantime no one would 'hook her to anything'. I was astound to see her take a very long and deep breath !! as if she completely understood and was no longer afraid or worried. Mom lasted another 12 hours. One suggestion would be for you to arrange hospice care for your parent, as they are very good about pain management and seeing to it that the person is as comfortable as can be as the end approaches. For myself, I felt more honor bound to comply with Mom's wishes and did not consider that to be a 'sin', but rather a 'good work'. Txsun, feel free to private message me if you need to 'talk' about this some more; I would be more than willing to have a telephone conversation with you. I am so sorry that you find yourself in this difficult situation. talley/Judy

  • hooberus
    hooberus
    What does JW teach (and/or beleive) about what happens to you when you die?

    The watchtower teaches in essence that all that a person consists of is a body (no immortal soul).

    They teach that when you die your body is buried in the cemetery. Logic dictates that if the original person is to be resurrected then, that the body would have to come out of the coffin/grave (for example Lazarus).

    However the WT teaches that the perons body will not be resurrected but will instead remain rotting in the grave forever. Thus, the original person really never is resurrected.*

    The Jehovah's Witness religion is really a hopeless religion (even by their own teachings).

    *The WT "resurrection" doctrine is that Jehovah will find some dirt from somewhere else, and create a new body that looks like the original person (who remains dead forever). This new body is "stamped" with a information in Jehovahs brain so that it believes that it is the original person.

  • hooberus
    hooberus

    Here is a salvation tract that I wrote. You may copy it (cut and paste to a word file) and give it to this person.

    ?For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.? John 3:16

    ?But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.? John 20:31

    ? . . . they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. . . . For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;? Romans 3:9-23

    ?For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.? Romans 6:23

    ?But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.? Romans 5:8

    ?Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.? 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

    ?For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, . . .For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; . . .? 2 Corinthians 1:19- 4:5

    ?That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.? Romans 10:9-13

    You can be saved now (born again). Call upon the Lord Jesus (who is the Lord God) to save you:

    Lord Jesus I am a sinner. I believe that you shed your blood and died on the cross for my sins and that you rose from the dead. I receive you. Save me Lord by forgiving me of my sins and giving me everlasting life.

    ?. . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.? Acts 16:31 (see also Acts 4:12; Acts 10:43; 13:38; Romans 5:15-18; John 3:16; John 14:6; 1Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 9; Hebrews 10)

    There is only one God. The one God exists in the form of three persons. The Lord Jesus is one of those persons, and thus He is Lord and God (John 20:28). Jesus bore our sins in his body (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:24). His body was raised (John 2:19-22; Luke 24:39) and ascended into heaven, where is the God-man at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5).

    ?But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:? John 1:12

    ? If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.? 1 Jn 5:9-13

    The gospel of Christ is centered on Jesus Christ, his death on the cross, his burial, and his resurrection. Many times people confuse our human works with the gospel. These works center on us. These things cannot save us, only Jesus can. The gospel is what Christ did for us, not what we do for him.

    We cannot save our selves by trying to turn from our sins and stop sinning, because before we are saved we are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). That is why Christ dies for us sinners:

    ?But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.? Romans 5:8

    Water baptism does not wash away sins. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is what washes us from our sins (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5). Water baptism is separate from the gospel:

    ?For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . .? Romans 1:16

    ?For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.? 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

    Trying to live a good life cannot save us. In God?s sight there are no ?righteous people?:

    ?As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:? Romans 3:10

    Trying to keep God?s laws and commandments cannot save us. God?s laws show us that we are sinners: ?Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.? Romans 3:20

    Works, such as commitments, trying to serve God, or make him Master over our lives cannot save us:

    ?For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.? Ephesians 2:8-9

    ?The truth of the matter is that salvation is not a ?give? proposition at all; it is a ?take? proposition. We don?t give our hearts, lives, wills, or anything else to God in order to get Him to save us. This would be a form of bribery, a way of meriting or deserving to be saved ? but God says salvation is ?NOT OF OURSELVES? ? and especially, it is not offering anything to God.? Handbook of Personal Evangelism

    ?Christ didn?t come to have us sacrifice, or minister, or give our life to Him . . . . But He came to be OUR sacrifice, to minister to US, and to give His life a ransome payment for OUR sin.? Handbook of Personal Evangelism (see Mark 10:45)

    ?His suffering paid a full penalty for all of my sins ? every one of them. To say I need to add in any way to what Jesus did is to declare that His suffering was not enough. What more could my sin-stained works add to what Christ did for me? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. When He said it is finished, it was absolutely complete.? Bill Mckeever (see Isaiah 64:6)

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