Posts by acsot

I think what helped make the funeral not too horrendous was the time squeeze we were in, the fact that it wasn't at the Kingdumb Hall and that it was an elder from my mum's former congregation and it was very last minute. My brother had only a few days here so we had to scramble to get things organized in time for him to attend. There were also so many non-JWs in attendance with quite a variety of beliefs - included in the people from work and family members there were Muslim, Jewish, agnostic, atheist and almost-Buddhist representatives. So I guess the dubs weren't quite sure what the hell to do or say .

Lee, I hope to see you soon.

33

Mum passed away two weeks ago

by acsot in

jw
friends

well, i finally received that dreaded phone call from the hospital.

mum died peacefully in her sleep two weeks ago.

she'd been paralyzed on one side since her last stroke and could no longer swallow.

acsot

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm not on the board as much as before (the boss expects me to work for a living!), but I try and read what I can when I can. The good wishes mean a lot.

101

Hard to get over: No New System

by confusedjw in

i have to tell you something.. i really find it hard getting over the idea of no new system and all that it meant to me.

to be with my children and their children forever in perfect health.. too many days it just leaves me empty.

i just wish i could shake it and enjoy life, but the idea that we just live for 70 years and die kills me.

acsot

I think the teaching of the WT about living forever on earth actually causes more pain in living. Before I became a JW(18 years old) I never spent much time worrying about growing old and dying,, but the hope of living forever caused me to become more fearful of death but cause I no longer accepted it as a natural part of life. The lack of acceptance created more pain.

frankiespeakin: That is exactly how I felt! But I'm still trying to get over the notion that the new system ain't ever going to get here. It's a bummer.

33

Mum passed away two weeks ago

by acsot in

jw
friends

well, i finally received that dreaded phone call from the hospital.

mum died peacefully in her sleep two weeks ago.

she'd been paralyzed on one side since her last stroke and could no longer swallow.

acsot

It's too bad the JWs weren't more of a support when your mother was alive.

Blondie, you got that right! In hindsight, though, their lack of support helped me a lot in that I had just recently started to disconnect from the borg; mum got to have Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, her birthday, etc. during her last year of life so things were good as far as that goes.

33

Mum passed away two weeks ago

by acsot in

jw
friends

well, i finally received that dreaded phone call from the hospital.

mum died peacefully in her sleep two weeks ago.

she'd been paralyzed on one side since her last stroke and could no longer swallow.

acsot

Well, I finally received that dreaded phone call from the hospital. Mum died peacefully in her sleep two weeks ago. She'd been paralyzed on one side since her last stroke and could no longer swallow. The doctors wanted to insert a feeding tube in her stomach, which she refused. The day after she passed away. It's been an emotional roller coaster ever since. I feel relieved, sad, forlorn, wishing there's something beyond this life, happy to get on with my own life, etc. etc.

The funeral was at a funeral parlour near our old Kingdom Hall. An elderly JW did the talk, and I'm actually glad that it was a cut-and-paste, dry Watchtower talk 'cause I didn't get weepy at all during the service.

Lots of people from work came and were impressed by how many people attended the funeral of an elderly widow. I have to admit, the dubs outdid themselves in providing food and being friendly without any preachiness.

So, sorry guys, but I have no horror stories to tell about how incredibly awful and coldhearted the JWs were. My Jewish boss and his wife told me that they found it rather refreshing, since at Jewish funerals there is so much forced weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, with each person trying to outdo the next in demonstrating the depths of their grief.

The JW elder did kind of forget who his audience was and started in on "worldly" people and the 144,000; when I asked a few people what they thought of that, they either didn't listen and didn't really care what beliefs JWs have.

That's when it really hit home to me what a teeny, small, insular world JWs live in. The non-JWs who were at the funeral were there to support my brother and I, not to listen to a religion's dogma. I'm sure the JWs are hoping it "gave a good witness" and all that crap, and that those few insignificant words will have all kind of ripple effects, when in fact the non-dubs didn't even really listen and could care less what JWs believe. They were, however, impressed with all the food prepared by the dubs!

Well, now I'm just rambling. I think it's mum's death is too recent for me to be able to get any kind of perspective on things. Maybe I'll come up with some bad stuff about the dubs and their actions during the funeral after I've had time to assimilate everything .

12

What if...

by Lady Lee in

there was a "brother" in some out-of-the-way congregation who had declared himself to be one of the anointed (or a "sister").

through his or her personal study of the scriptures they came to realize the org was wrong on an important matter of doctrine?

(excluded r franz here since he was in bethel - at least for the sake of this argument)can he submit his understanding to the gb?

acsot

David Splane was my DO at one point - living and working on Quebec, Canada. Definitely not one of the chosen few but was "anointed".
So if he had some particular insight before he was granted entry to the inner sanctum then it would have been dismissed because an elect group decided he was an outsider (even though later he got in). And if he had opened his mouth then he would have gotten the boot

was that some wishful thinking back then??

He had to be one of the most arrogant and dismissive people I've had the misfortune of meeting.

12

Absolutely terrible WT article Re: Repressed Memories.... WARNING: Triggers

by Nosferatu in

i was absolutely furious when i came upon this watchtower article.

it makes me absolutely sick to read such horseshit.. comments and emphasis: mine.

watchtower, nov 1, 1995 p 25-29repressed memories".

acsot

What if the one accused-though denying the wrongdoing-is really guilty? Does he "get away with it," as it were? Certainly not! The question of his guilt or innocence can be safely left in Jehovah's hands. "

I was still a hard-core JW at the time this article came out and I remember disagreeing (silently ) about the above statement. I think it was from that point on my eyes slowly started to open about the FDS being wrong - dead wrong - on a lot of things.

What a load of shit.

9

NEWS WORLD WANTS TO BROADCAST A SEGMENT ABOUT THE WTS - PLEASE HELP MAKE TH

by SHUNNED FATHER in

jw
friends

as you may know by now, i have filed a civil suit against the wts.

there was a tremendous amount of media coverage.

the story was on the national news for three straight days.

acsot

bttt

14

I just finished Crisis of Conscience...

by Badger in

thanks to ray franz for writing it.

parts of the book have been talked about on the board before, but holy $#!+...seeing page upon page of evidence kept my jaw in a constant drop.... a few thoughts.... >franz seems to have little malice for the org, and it shows in the book.. >i looked at it with a very skeptical eye (as i do everything) and tried to see it from the perspective of a witness who sincerely believed.

i was still floored by the callousness of the comments of these people.. > control really does seem to be the watchword for these folks, and they've trained the rank and file well.

acsot

It is quite the read, isn't it? I remember how appalled and upset I was at the callousness of those men who call themselves the Governing Body. Especially about Malawi/Mexico, and their treatment of Ed Dunlap and Ray himself.