i know i was suicidal before i was disfellowshipped.
and it got worse after i left.
one night a friend told me that he went home the night before and wasn't sure if he would ever hear from me again.
LEE MARSH:
So much tragedy and I am sorry for anybody who was touched by it!
By the way, I am a long-time ‘Fader’... However, I have heard of suicides by Witnesses who were not disfellowshipped.. I don’t want to imagine what was in their minds and what drove them to this desperation.
What am I supposed to think about any particular religion/group/movement that is known to have this tragic thing happen? Is this a coincidence? For so many reasons I am Glad I’m out and have no family there.
so my mother passed on 20 aug 23 from the big c. i was there when she went.
that was indeed very traumatic.
i won't go to describe it.. dad went 17 years ago so there's just me now.
PUNKOFNICE:
So sorry for the loss of your mom.
I am glad you did not have a JW funeral as it is nothing more than an infomercial. And never mind the Witnesses who refused to speak. The religion caused them to lose their humanity. Good riddance to them.
what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
FOOLEDNOMORE:
Yes, the sad story you told is related to the subject.
The common theme is somebody dropping out of the responsible ‘real’ world in order to ‘peddle the Witness dream’ - not unlike a JW not wanting to work/save for retirement, instead opting to be in the ministry.
There really isn’t any sane excuse to do what this man did (quit his job, right?). He would need good medical coverage and had to work in order to have it.. He would go on disability for the duration of his treatment. But he would still technically be employed. The treatments would mostly be covered and he would be responsible for copayments, etc. At least it wouldn’t be the disaster he left for his wife.
This isn’t the first time some JW mindlessly cast everything to the wind! Sounds like a child.. This is what happens in a group that cuts itself off from the rest of society and is not exposed to plain old common sense.
what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
LV101:
Very true and if I could give your post a hundred Likes, I certainly would.
People need to know this.
Yes, a woman MUST be able to provide for herself not only if she remains single. Marriages DO end and what happens if the guy loses his job or hurts his back, gets sick?? At least then she can put food on the table, etc.
The Witnesses are foolish to not deal in every day reality👎.. I feel sorry for anybody who listens to people living a cloistered life in ignorance, shielded from the world. What a mistake.
what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
RIVERGANG:
Your father was certainly right to tell you that the family you were spurning (in your ignorance) would be the ONLY ones that would help you.. Try looking to the religion or the people there for a$$istance.🤣
Your expression about ‘the bones of your backside’ can be frightfully true! 😬 It’s not easy out here even for those who planned.
Although I didn’t have the exact same conversation with my non-JW parents, they knew it was a mistake when I got involved with the Witnesses.. I had to ‘eat crow’ and apologize when I finally left.. Thankfully, I held onto my job. My so-called ‘worldly’ upbringing prevailed.
BALAAMSASS2:
Your depiction of the religion’s ’paradise’ is so pleasant with the view of the mountains and I imagine birds chirping and flowers blowing in the breeze! .. Also the lovely lady with the fruit basket is probably wearing a Tyrolean outfit!.. If it were a tropical locale the scenery would be a little different! 😊.. But, let JWs continue daydreaming and not planning at their own risk.
if you don't measure up to the watchtower society ''high standards''... you might lose some ''special privileges'' .
miss meetings...lose ''privileges''.
don't meet the monthly 10 hour ''field service'' ...lose ''privileges''.
JHINE:
Yes, it is absurd and it boggles the mind to imagine that seemingly intelligent adults would see some menial task/drudgery as a ‘privilege’.
I remember all the Witnesses trying to climb the ‘spiritual’ ladder and wanting to be seen as very zealous.. I remember years ago some of the pioneers that were my age at the time who scoffed at me because of my full-time job.. They tried to sell me on the ‘blessings’ of being in the full-time ministry.. I often wondered what I was missing besides getting invited to dinners and secret gatherings.
Today, in retirement, I can honestly say I am thankful I never listened.
what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
BALAAMSASS2:
You never did tell us how it ended when the San Diego mental hospital called you last year because they ‘wanted to release a homeless 70 year old because her family and local Witnesses didn’t want her…’
Of the demographic of people who have the potential to be most harmed in the end by the JW religion’s policies, it is women.
Don’t forget: a woman has two choices in life: she either has to get married and have a man support her OR she has to get a career to support herself.. And she has a small window of time in which to do this: like when she’s young!.. The Witness religion is great at wasting people’s time and ignoring the clock on the wall.
Your ex took the married route BUT was deceived by an uncaring religion with faulty teachings to leave her husband... This proved to be life-ruining for her.. It also showed up the JW religion’s promises of help and provision as a mirage that disappears in the desert.
I could go on but I could have ended up in a terrible predicament if I were more gullible back in the day! .. I kept that job they all hated me for!.. Maybe my so-called ‘worldly’ upbringing saved me from falling for utter bullshit.. This is mostly why I have no use for this religion and very Glad I got out.
hi i've been reading a web sight called borean pickets.
http://meletivivlon.com/2015/05/09/may-tv-broadcast-on-tv-jw-org/.
although the guy writes some real thought provoking stuff, i sort of don't know what to make of it.
VANDERHOVEN7:
I don’t think he has any ‘rough edges’ at all. He is very well-spoken and explains scriptures to the ‘T’. I also wonder about his present health.
While I’m not interested in getting involved with any other religion, I enjoyed the videos about his judicial committee and his conversation with the JW on the phone. What an eye-opener!
If this kangaroo court didn’t make the JW religion look bad, I don’t know what does. It clearly shows the Witness religion will refuse to listen to anybody’s defense. They are not at all interested in anybody using scriptures to back up a point. 👎
what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
BALAAMSASS2:
After you felt the cold sting of having no money for rent and insurance you got wise and KNEW you had to get steady employment.. Likewise, I kept my full-time job until Retirement, despite criticism.
Anybody reading these posts had better realize they need to do this!!! I am sorry to read about your ex and she is a perfect example of how not only does the religion break up marriages with their ‘spiritual endangerment’ (she came out the loser here), but they also will not support anybody!
Everybody is Out Of Luck if they don’t prepare for their retirement! ..Stop believing nonsense about ‘no need to prepare because the End is coming’..Believe at your own risk!
JW urban legends need to be debunked. The truth is (1) The Witness religion has NO social programs and (2) the idea that a dwindling number of people are going to be hit up for money to support a bunch of people who never worked is absurd and unsustainable.
Even if some people were kind once that wouldn’t be enough - because desperate JWs who hit retirement age with next to no SS/investments would expect handouts forever!.. This is a terrible situation and there are too many Witnesses in this predicament!!! ..I’m afraid things will get dire there and they might get very strident in going after JWs who ‘look affluent or responsible’ to give money to these people the religion misled.
mandated shunning is on the rise around the world with devastating effects on millions of people.
shunning that is mandated by organized groups to its members is a form of both physical and psychological violence against those people being shunned and cut off from their family and life-long relationships.
mandated shunning means that the shunning is ordered from the top down.
LOVEUNIHATEEXAMS:
It’s already illegal but it happens every day somewhere in Witness world that some minor is either thrown out of their home or compelled to leave. Just read posts on Reddit.
I see the point of those who argue that the government shouldn’t be involved in who people associate with.. But, my issue is how the dysfunction of the Witness religion causes problems to society in general.. I am referring to damaged people being burdens to taxpayers because they can’t function, etc.
While this veers a little off topic, another example is Witnesses who get jobs in hospitals, etc. and violate confidentiality and cause their employers to get sued. All these problems are caused by the religion and it would be nice if laws were passed to change things.
