It sickens me to think that soooo many good people have put their whole lives in the hands of this self-righteous cult. Like everyone else, I have had so many awful things said/done to me. However, the first thing that comes to mind is how the Body of Elders treated one brother.
This brother, I'll call Jimmy, was mentally disabled. He was at least 45, but had the mind of a 5-year-old. His parents had been JWs, but had passed away about ten years prior. Jimmy loved being a JW, it was his whole world. I don't remember being at the KH and him not being there. He did get a little carried away sometime, but no more than a kid would have. The loving elders were quick to repremand him, but they didn't even take him to the back room, they did it right out in the open.
Jimmy did have a job in a local restaurant that his non-JW uncle owned. So, he went out in FS every Saturday and Sunday. The brothers who made up the car groups would always work it so that Jimmy was never in their car. Which, on the surface isn't bad, but it soon got worse and more obvious that they were "jockeying" things to avoid him. It got so bad that one Saturday, the loving elder didn't even put Jimmy in a car group and told him there really wasn't room in anyone's car. Mind you, Jimmy lived in a special home that brought him to the KH every Saturday morning, so he would have had to walk about two miles home.
That Saturday, my father became my hero more so than ever. Previously, I had told my dad how I felt bad for Jimmy and how it actually embarrassed me to be a JW when I saw how the elders treated him. My dad stopped the elder and said, "Brother Smith, my son is actually not feeling well this morning and just told me he needs to go home, so we'll have room for Jimmy in our car." My dad then turned to me and winked. Jimmy's face just lit up and he did a little jump in his seat. (I was glad, too... I didn't have to go out in service. But I did have to ride home with the jackass because he was on his way to a Bible study and my dad guilted him in to dropping me off on the way.)
After that, at least twice a month, my dad planned on Saturday morning service with Jimmy. My dad, in true JW style, was a contractor and did a lot of work for elderly people in the community. He had arranged for a 'return visit' with some of the kinder, older ladies who he knew would welcome a visit. On these visits, he helped Jimmy prepare a presentation. Jimmy was so excited that he got to place magazines that we often made sure that visit was right before break to give him time to settle down. This went on for about three years.
Sadly, during my senior year, Jimmy died. At his services, one of the loving elders came up and said to my dad the usual JW things. Then he added that he admired my dad for the way he worked with Jimmy and that he didn't think he could have done it. My dad just told him, "You know, brother, there was someone in the congregation who needed my help. I didn't even think, is it something I can do. I just did it. However, as the shepherds of this flock, you SHOULD have done it as well."
Again, it sickens me that there are so many good people, like my dad, who have have put their whole lives in the hands of this self-righteous cult. Happily, my father soon had enough of their "love" and left the JWs with my mom. I'm guessing this is what happens with most of the good people in the org. But, what happens when all these good people leave? You're left with the WTS...
