Would you go?

by Mysterious 34 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  MonkeyPrincess

  I went when a very close friend of our family passed, he was like an uncle to me,
  very sweet old man. But one of the elders in my JC made a big deal about me
  sitting with my family, and i shouldnt have been allowed to sit with them, and that
  i should have been in the back. I was already emotional as it was, and he made the
  whole experience very miserable for me. I cant stand that guy!
  
  Anyhow, my 'spriritual' Grandmother died a couple years ago and i didnt go to
  the service at the hall. I really wanted to go, but since i had such a bad experience
  before, i did not want to repeat that. I was so sad over her passing, i mourned her
  at home in my own way, it still makes me sad to think about her, i would have
  wanted her family to know how much i loved her, but sometimes we allow things
  like what that elder did to get in the way.
  
  Would i attend another service at the hall. Probably not, but then again, i would have
  to base that on the circumstance.

  MP
• 

  Black Sheep

  Yes. No problem.

  I have been to several, but I'm unbaptised and unshunned, just a harmless, drifted, born in.

  I did notice that I was not encouraged to go to my SILs grandfather's funeral since my family discovered that I have been studying the WT like they never have though.

  Chris
• 

  Undecided

  We never had a funeral at the KH that I can remember. That was 30 years ago, and I don't remember seeing an obituary that mentioned a KH funeral.

  Ken P.
• 

  Why Georgia

  A friend from my parents motorcycle group just died of cancer and he went back to the KH when he got his diagnosis...but kept riding his motorcycle much to the chagrin of the elders.

  My parents went to the funeral even though they know what the JW's put me and my husband through.

  I think it was a good thing for them. They have heard me be upset for 7 years...but never really investigated the jw's or saw them in action.

  Both now know what I have been dealing with. My mom said...boy those people have no manners at all and a few more choice comments.

  Then the icing on the cake was when she told me she was sorry she ever told me to just go to the hall and be a good wife and take on my husbands beliefs.

  I can't think of anyone I liked enough to go to the hall for their funeral.....
• 

  delilah

  I know that when my grandparents pass, there will be a memorial service at the KH, and yes I will go. Only because they are my family, I love them dearly, and no religious group of fanatics are going to intimidate me into staying away....I'm not DF'd or DA'd, but I know the animosity they spew towards my brother and I...so, yes, it will be hard, but I am determined to go, and hold my head high.....maybe I will have a couple of shots of tequila first.....hahaha. No, just kidding.

  Delilah....
• 

  scotsman

  No I wouldn't go to a Witness funeral, wherever it was. I went to one a year after I left the Witnesses and most of the attendees were from families I'd grown up with, my ex best friends. They were friendly but at a distance and that in itself was depressing. While I don't attend funerals I do usually write to friends who's relative has died.

  When members of my immediate family die I wont attend their funerals only to have my grief compounded by facing individuals who cut me from their lives. I've agreed with my mother that I'll scatter her ashes. My goodbye to her wont require an audience.

  Oh, and happy birthday Delilah!
• 

  delilah

  Thank you, thank you very much......Scotsman.......yup, I'm 29 again, lol

  Dee
• 

  Soledad

  I went to one early last year. It was a very close friend of our family and we loved her dearly. She became a JW at age 75! Her whole family was in and I guess they finally caught up to her.

  I have to say that the service was pretty balanced considering it was in the KH. The speaker spent quite some time talking about her and her life and how special she was and how she will be missed. Of course there was the typical JW rhetoric but it wasn't so bad.

  When it was over I went to the back of the hall where they had tables set up with photographs and old letters and even recipes written in her own handwriting from like the 1940s. It was really cool looking at those. I guess since she spent most of her life NOT as a JW she had accomplished way more than the average lifelong JW. It was really special. The priceless moment came when I went to sign the guestbook. Some "attendant" started to walk over to me to say something, but I just shot him a "don't even think about it MotherFlower" look and that stopped him dead in his tracks. Also, some of the other witnesses who didn't shun me were like "we miss you! when are you coming back?" I said "never" and kept on looking through the albums. That was pretty funny. They had no clue what else to say. One of them actually said "well, you should consider it because your mom is getting older, you know." All I had to do was ask her where were her kids. She couldn't say another word (they are in jail). Mind you I went dressed in a dark pants suit---no stupid dress for me!
• 

  unbeliever

  I went to a funeral of a dear jw woman who was almost like a grandmother to me. She was one of the few jw's that knew what unconditional love was. Even after I left she would seek me out and we would have lunch. She never tried to get me to come back and was genuinely interested in my life. She was an amazing woman.

  About 6 months ago an elderly man died that I really respected but I decided not to go to his funeral. I doubt I will go to his wifes when she passes even though she means a lot to me. My heart is not in it. For some reason I don't feel the same desire as I did for the woman who was like a grandmother to me.
• 

  hopelesslystained

  only for immediate family. and i would be in no mood to let anyone make me feel unwelcome or that i didn't belong there!