last saturday, a former ministerial servant and pioneer committed suicide in the woodinville washington kingdom hall parking lot.
he was disfellowshipped several years ago, and according to the old sister that related the story to me today, he was depressed because no one would talk to him.
i don't know how i kept calm when she explained to me that "we couldn't talk to him...he was disfellowshipped.".
LOL, that makes sense, Sabine. The person forwarding info to me was correct, so I'll leave it at that. I can obtain the mother's address now, but I'd like to wait on sending a sympathy card until I hear how things go with you if you do end up talking with her. You can email me at [email protected] if you want to further discuss this. Thank you for responding!!
In Christ,
Meghan
last saturday, a former ministerial servant and pioneer committed suicide in the woodinville washington kingdom hall parking lot.
he was disfellowshipped several years ago, and according to the old sister that related the story to me today, he was depressed because no one would talk to him.
i don't know how i kept calm when she explained to me that "we couldn't talk to him...he was disfellowshipped.".
Reborn, (what does your name mean exactly?)
Yes, I'm new to this forum and I know through experience with Kent's older Observer chat board (the first one was a flame throwing disaster area) that you can't believe everything you "hear" on these forums. Sabine looks to be a long-standing member, I will just take my chances that her story is accurate, and I will also take some time on my own to find out who this man was. So far, I have been guided to a man who died on the correct date who was in his 30s, but I got the impression he was in his 20s, so either my impression is wrong or the person guiding me to the 30-ish man is wrong. Your nasty response to many people on here leave me believing that you are still "in" OR you are still simply tagging along, even though people most likely shun you. I have had great experience in the "shunning department" and I know of too many child molestation cases as well as suicides that were quickly shoved into a back closet and left to rot. However, I will not bore you with the details because like you said, I'm new and why believe me? I know of the cases personally, therefore that's enough for me. End of that. As a born-again Christian, I pray for all of my old friends, I have no animosity towards those who discarded me because I questioned some teachings as a pioneer. They acted exactly as I did - except I did always smile at those on the "out" because I did not feel it a betrayal of my faith AND I felt like a cool hypocrite when I ignored them. My friends differed with me on this, and when I left,they regarded me cooly (some actually hid their faces behind their purses in the store and RAN down the aisle, which was the first exercise I'd seen some of them perform in a while! LOL) It bothered me at first, but I got over it because I knew leaving was the best thing to do. I drifted as an agnostic for quite a few years before finally deciding to research the Bible on my own. I have now come to realize that the God of the Bible is not their God, they are greatly misled, and all they need is any Bible but their own grossly mis-translated version (just as the Mormons need to drop their Book of Mormon into the trash can and read only the BIBLE) and this will put an end to their "blinking light" syndrome. God never changes His Word, He changes men. Your church affiliation makes no difference to Him - your relationship with Christ makes all the difference. Witnesses cannot have that relationship as long as they live like pre-Christian Jews, full of rules and laws, regulations that load their shoulders down and extinguish the light of Christ's sacrifice. At this point, most JW's have not accepted Christ for who he truly is, as 1 John 1:1 of any Bible but theirs says, and without that acceptance, they truly need our prayers! I pray for all of my old acquaintances, as I will now pray for you.
Meghan
last saturday, a former ministerial servant and pioneer committed suicide in the woodinville washington kingdom hall parking lot.
he was disfellowshipped several years ago, and according to the old sister that related the story to me today, he was depressed because no one would talk to him.
i don't know how i kept calm when she explained to me that "we couldn't talk to him...he was disfellowshipped.".
There's a quick way to put an end to the banter from those ignorant enough to believe this
suicide was fabricated. I'm not "Armchair Detective" for nothing and there are ways to hunt down the specifics on the internet, right down to getting ahold proof of his death certificate. I have several options that can give me valid proof by the end of tomorrow, (depending on how fast I can work) if I can just have a last name, first name if possible. You can email any private information to me at [email protected] if you'd like Sabine. Newspapers aren't the be-all and end-all of the information highway
God bless,
Meghan
last saturday, a former ministerial servant and pioneer committed suicide in the woodinville washington kingdom hall parking lot.
he was disfellowshipped several years ago, and according to the old sister that related the story to me today, he was depressed because no one would talk to him.
i don't know how i kept calm when she explained to me that "we couldn't talk to him...he was disfellowshipped.".
Hi,
My condolences go out to those touched by this tragedy, (which I know includes an extensive list of ppl who didn't personally know this poor kid) Suicide in "Jehovah's Kingdom" is just another ugly little blemish on an otherwise *shiny, happy people face.* They don't worry because as time passes, it goes away, and they can righteously forget about the person because, after all, they just sinned against Jehovah by committing suicide. It's hard to not boil over something like this. When I stop and think with my old, long-dumped-but-not-forgotten 'JW ears,' I can clearly hear the cool tones in their voices in service: "He was disfellowshipped...he strayed away from Jehovah," and one of my all-time favorites, "This is what happens when you leave the flock." No death is in vain, no loss goes without touching SOMEONE, and I do hope this boy's death struck horror in the hearts of those who saw his lifeless body. I hope that it started a small flame of doubt that will eventually become a burning fire that will lead them out. To many of them, he was already dead in their eyes, and I know from personal experience that the cool, disdainful atmosphere towards this tragedy will leave the less emotionally shriveled members shaken and stirred. It still horrifies me to remember how conveniently detached they become when dealing with a situation like this, and as a teen pioneer in the late 80's, I was very shaken by the suicide of an old family friend, and angered by the reaction to it. In Keizer, Oregon (suburb of Salem) Ernesto (Ernie) Miranda tried desparately to get a meeting with elders after a Sunday meeting back in 1989-1990 after the WT study. He was refused, though everyone knew how anguished he was over his wife's demand for a divorce. Instead of meeting with him, the elders managed to brush him aside because they had better things to do ( big volleyball games and barbecues to attend!!) During the time a meeting could have been going on to work something out with this man in despair, (which would have done more damage than good anyway) Ernie sat at Bush Park on the other side of Salem and put a gun to his mouth in his car. A few people were a little disturbed by it, but after all, his wife was just studying and he himself was "just" a regular, never a servant or pioneer, his kids didn't get seriously involved, so really, who should grieve for a man who just sinned against Jehovah?
Matthew 7:15-16; "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?"......
Colossians 3:12-14; ;"So as to those who have been chosen of God,
holy and beloved, put on a heart of *compassion,* kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience: bearing with one another, and forgiving each
other, whoever has a complaint against another, just as the Lord
forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all things put on *LOVE* which
is the perfect bond of unity."
Our Lord Jesus possesses more love and compassion for the hurting and
lost than a hundred pious elders and pioneers ever will, and He knows
these people's hearts better than anyone. He commands us to love one
another and show compassion towards the hurting and oppressed, and we
see in vivid, gruesome detail just how lacking the Watchtower and it's
monochromatic followers are in this department. Compassion is
selective, judgement is abundant. There's a place for those who show
hatred instead of love, arrogance instead of humility, and that place
is not in a Paradise earth or in Heaven.
Meghan
