Do u know any JW"s that have suicided?

by Rick Aust 66 Replies latest jw friends

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  Gopher

  Yes here in Minnesota about six years ago. This man used to coordinate those Brooklyn Bethel tours for JW's from this area.

  He was an former elder who was rejected by his wife and daughter, and apparently by his congregation too. He had a difficult time finding steady work after his long-time computer operators' job was eliminated.

  Lacking hope and thinking nobody would really care, he closed the garage and turned on the car engine, and just waited to die.

  His estranged wife's friends said he was a liar/hypocrite and a bad parent, and didn't seem very sad to see him go. In spite of any faults he had, this was not a fitting outcome.
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  micheal

  Yes I know someone who commited sucide. She was disfellowshipped and everyone including her parents shunned her completly even though she suffered greatly from depression. Truly unbelievable how her parents of all people could completly ignore her even though at that time more than ever she needed the love and attention to get through those horrible and difficult times.

  Bottom line, her family and her religion are greatly responsible for this lovely persons death, even though neither one would ever admit to it. In fact to this day her parents still blame everything on her depression and on the course she took without taking any repsonsiblity themselves. Truly Disgusting!!
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  Sassy

  I had a friend whose mother committed suicide. They had moved and when they did, got inactive. The husband ended up cheating on her and it was too much for her so she went in the garage as well and died that way with it all closed up and her there in the fumes. Her children had a funeral in the KH back in the old congregation since they never associated with one when they moved. Later the congregation elder body received a scolding for having had a 'memorial' service at the hall. At that time they still didn't think you could be considered approved by God under any circumstances of suicide. I had been close to the daughter and wanted to attend the service but was told by my mother in law (elders wife) that if I attended, my husband (ex now) would lose his priviledges and never advance... so in other words I was blackmailed into not going. I felt so bad about not being able to be there for my friend. I should have gone any way. But I played the good little JW. It turned out later, my father in law was the one who contacted the CO or Brooklyn or whoever to discipline the congregation for holding a service for someone how had commit suicide.
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  lovinlife

  Yes, I knew someone. He was a brother with wife and 2 kids. Used to help with quickbuilds, very prominent family in the cong. Ran his own business and hired many other bros to work for him. No one knew anything about him being depressed or anything... One day, he left for work, went to a hotel, parked in the parking lot and took a shot gun and put it in his mouth. He left his wife a note about how he could not take it anymore. What "it" was, no one seems to know...or at least is telling. Very sad.
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  stillajwexelder

  sns --thanks for your story -- I find that the way you were treated by the witnesses gut -wrenching -- but very sadly --it does not suprise or shock me --just sickens me -- absolutely zero love there.
• 

  Badger

  three in the last two mos...all suffered from serious depression....all also had funerals that were massively attended.
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  Sassy

  sns --thanks for your story -- I find that the way you were treated by the witnesses gut -wrenching -- but very sadly --it does not suprise or shock me

  Thanks stillajwexelder. I guess I should not have been surprised either. So many of these things help me know I made the right decision and get out.
• 

  ApagaLaLuz

  Yes, my cousin hanged himself 4 years ago. The anniversary of his death was 3 weeks ago, on my best friend's birthday.
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  ESTEE

  I knew three people who have suicided.

  1. A man who killed himself by running head on into a semi-trailer truck.
  2. A man who ran his car engine in the garage with the door shut.
  3. A woman who took an overdose of pills.

  The jws with their rigid rules have no concept of how mercilessly cruel the practice of shunning is. It is emotionally and psychologically damaging because it is not natural for people to be banished from a community. People are social beings and we need other people around us. Shunning us to control us is abuse.

  People who are suicidal are their own worst enemies. They feel that they have failed themself and others beyond repair. They beat and berate themself mercilessly. They feel that everyone they love is better off without them. They devalue their own lives even more than the jws who shun them. Because the jws who shun them keep hoping they will repentTM.

  Once the person suicides, the jws absolve themself of any responsibility. They say, "They were DisfellowshippedTM." By placing the label on them, they are absolved of any responsibility for the death. It is all part of the jw brainwash. The cult mentality.

  Very sick cult. Glad I'm gone.

  I give myself permission to live a happy life!

  ESTEE
• 

  Pistoff

  I know of four, three from a congregation in Minnesota I know of.

  The fourth from the TC area.

  And my son attempted it when he thought the elders were going to disfellowship him; when he woke he was surprised that I was not mad at him. I have had many a sleepless night over this.

  I love my kids; they know that I am here for them NO MATTER WHAT.

  I HATE THE WT!!!! They do NOT believe in depression, no matter what they say, and they do exacerbate the problem with their psuedo-counseling. It is really just more guilt heaping; the depressed are constantly led to believe that more meetings study and prayer will help them.

  Right. More meetings where they hear about how much more they should be attending meetings, going in service and studying. Sheesh.

  GOPHER: OMG. Was that Dennis Sjodein?