They never thought they woud die

by Dawn 11 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Dawn

  I was over visiting my mom this week and I was suprised at some of her comments. She would usually say things like "this system can't last much longer" and point to world events she was certain marked the beginning of the end. She and my father became JW's in the 50's, were convinced armageddon was near, lived through the hoopla of the 75 fiasco. I grew up with talk around the house about how my brothers and I would probably be in the "new system" before we reached adulthood.

  But reality has hit her now, and I feel sorry for her. She's 70, my father has passed away, several of her long time friends have passed away. Her kids, who were not supposed to reach adulthood, have since grown up. Had families of our own - and our kids are now getting married and having children. One of my brothers has already passed away, and another brother is quite ill.

  She looked at me and told me "this wasn't supposed to be the way it was" - they weren't supposed to grow old and die. She wasn't supposed to live life without my dad, without her son, and without her friends. And now she is facing the reality that she too will most likely die without ever seeing the new system come.

  She keeps mouthing the words "this system can't last much longer" - but in much a different way now. Almost a desparate attempt to convince herself that it's still the truth.

  I feel so sorry for her. So sorry that she was lied to. But then again, it has been her choice. She has chosen to ignore anything contradicting the "borg". She choose to believe the lie. I know it has been her choice - but my heart still aches for her.
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  ChrisVance

  Dawn, The fact that she says "this wasn't supposed to be the way it was" shows she's thinking. That's something the majority of the dubs don't do. Mrs. Kessel, the woman who used to be my mother, hasn't spoken to me in 13 years, but knowing her, I imagine that such a thought hasn't even intered her head. Maybe there's hope your mother will come to realize she's been lied to. She's 70, but lots of people live well into their eighties. Maybe she can still have a life without the dubs.
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  wheres caleb?

  Dawn, I'm sorry to say that it gets worse.

  At a recent district convention, I had the joy of hearing brothers talk about the old timers having to take a 'dirt nap' because things did not turn out the way they had been foreseen.

  Foreseen is such an interesting word. It's nice to see that humor can be expressed through cynicism in the spiritually enlightened world of JWs.

  "Dirt nap", I have to admit, that kind of cleverness eluded me.

  Excuse me while I look up references to being 'enlightened'.

  By the way, my parents are reaching their 70s and they suffer the same dilemma. I empathize. Take care.
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  prophecor

  
  I feel for you Dawn, you and your mother. I can't imagine what it would be like to have invested so much time, effort and energy in a religion, only for the core beliefs and hopes to die with me. Then again, I see how my life too, will come to a close on this side of heaven. I still believe in the bible and all its promises, but I believe the witnesses version is way off regarding the time line. A lot of good people have gone down under the gigantic machine. It's frightening to ponder how many have devoted their entire lives to the corporation. Have delivered over thier souls to an organisation directed by men.

  It's not materialistic to have wanted some of the good things for yourself in this world. The father in the heavens said that we should actually strive for these things.

  Ecclesiastes 5: 18-20

  18 Look! The best thing that I myself have seen, which is pretty, is that one should eat and drink and see good for all his hard work with which he works hard under the sun for the number of the days of his life that the [true] God has given him, for that is his portion. 19 Also every man to whom the [true] God has given riches and material possessions, he has even empowered him to eat from it and to carry off his portion and to rejoice in his hard work. This is the gift of God. 20 For not often will he remember the days of his life, because the [true] God is preoccupying [him] with the rejoicing of his heart lives, refusing to marry, refusing to have access to gainful employment, participating in the energies that God would have us do, to eat, drink and see good for all your hard work. It would have been nice to enjoy some of these things without the guilt associated with obtaining them, without having to been deemed as worldly minded or materialistic.
  

  
  
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  BluesBrother

  "this wasn't supposed to be the way it was"

  Sure as hell, it was not supposed to be this way. I was brought up in the borg from the 50's . Mercifully my mother died some years ago quite peacefully, and full of her faith in the ressurection .

  We all believed passionately in the imminence of Armageddon all through the 50's , 60's 70's and 80's - To suggest that we would still be here in 2005 would have been heresey , but here we are

  At least I have seen through it all.

  I believe there are two sorts of old timers - those who start to reason that maybe they have been wrong (small minority) and those who just reset the blinkers even tighter and carry on. "It is nearer today that it was yesterday" they mutter as they clutch the zimmer frame and do what they can in the ministry .

  Did you read Orwell's "Animal Farm" ? The carthorse Boxer springs to mind. Therw was no more faithful supporter of the animals revolution than him. Even when things were going horribly wrong, he could not see it. His personal motto was "I will work harder", which he did - untill they worked him to death and sent him to the knackers yard ....
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  Elsewhere

  She keeps mouthing the words "this system can't last much longer" - but in much a different way now. Almost a desparate attempt to convince herself that it's still the truth.

  Many older JWs are going through a similar thing... if they accept that the world is not going to end it means that they wasted their entire life chasing a lie.

  It’s like getting to retirement age expecting a very generous pension, but when you go to get the money they tell you that you never had any money to begin with. Now what are you going to do?
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  Smiles

  All JWs better get used to feeling that way. They are all going to die in this world like everyone else. The WT will go on preaching that the end is near and conditioning people that they may never die at all. The WT relies on this gimic and will go on using it no matter how obvious it is that death is unavoidable because if the WT publicly recanted their "end is near" doctrine, the sense of "urgency" would be lost and many people would bail out of the religion.

  Dawn,

  The reason many JWs hang on to their beliefs even after most of the family and friends die off is because they still cling to the WT resurrection doctrine. That is their last hope. The cure all belief.
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  SallySue

  My mother has been a JW since 1945. I don't know how she "really" feels about the org since I am out and she would never be honest with me.

  I was just a young child and remember being told I would get to pet lions in the new world. WOW, to my child's mind that was a great thing to do. And, armageddon was right around the corner, so soon, but here is is 60 years later, and no armageddon. Plus, behind my back they changed how they view the word generation.

  So glad I left in the late 60's.

  Sally
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  Scully

  The Paradise™ was pretty much my parents' only retirement plan. They've paid into it with their time, their servitude and their devotion, and now that they are in their own Golden Years, the retirement plan isn't giving them a very good return on their investment. In fact, they're still paying into it with their time, their servitude and their devotion, thinking that it can't possibly be much longer.

  Such a waste of their lives.
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  Wasanelder Once

  My mom was acquainted with the truth for over 30 years but was only baptized in the 90's. She died in 2004 and among her observations about how the "Brothers and Sisters" treated her and our family during that woeful time were these words, "This is Bullshit."

  Can't sugarcoat that.

  W.Once