by Rick Aust 66 Replies latest jw friends
Sorry if this is a sad question, but I know of 3 JW's that have suicided. I haven't known any personally, but I was wondered if you know any or know of any JW's that have suiced? and do you know the reason why? how old were they ? I am curious when I consider that the WTS tell the R& F that they are the "happiest people on earth."
thanks people.
Well, honestly, there have been many many sad threads here about this. It's okay, of course, to ask it... just FYI.
I have suffered from depression for my whole life pretty much. It's under control now that I force myself to take my meds. However, I could very well have been one of these stats.
One of our dear posters here had her father kill himself, because he was sick and old and nobody visited him. He was Df'd at the time, and was trying to get back in... just decided to kill himself, b/c of the lack of love. The elders would not even meet with him.
There are many many many stories here, and, if persons choose to relive they're memories, you will be horrified at how many there really are here. Look up under the search button under "suicides" and you may be able to find the old thread... it is one of the sadder ones, and I don't like looking at it too much anymore. Too many people with mental illness.
Yes, I know of one. The anxiety of the end coming got to him and if Jehovah approved of him, among other things. He kept dwelling on Zephaniah 2:3, "Probably YOU may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger."
That is all I care to say since it is still a painful subject for me.
Me too, Jayhawk. That scripture is forever burned into my brain. When you have an elder telling you how bad you are and how even they maybe won't make it into the new system, I felt like I had better end it.
The religion is disgusting in how they use high-control methods to keep you in. They ruin your self-esteem, and push you to the brink of sadness.
Shamus,
Even though it is painful to think about. My loved one's death and knowing the real reason why he died was the final straw for me. His death also marks when I officially faded out. At that point I had already learned the dirty secrets about the Dubs, but couldn't quite break free. I had to leave just to keep from going through what you and so many others have gone through. I think Zephaniah 2:3 traps and depresses more Witnesses than any other scripture. After all, how can you ever be sure Jehovah thinks you are good enough?
When I think about those poor souls who work hard, study, go out in service, and then they get sick or tired and take a night off, only to mentally punish theirselves for not doing more, it makes me sick. And God forbid if they miss a week's worth of meetings, then the mental abuse they heap on theirselves can be burdensome. What a lie when quote Matthew 11:30 and say, "their yoke is kindly and load is light."
I did all most, does that count? I was told by my doctor that my seizures could kill me, so I stopped taking my medication in an effort to kill myself a few months after my disfellowshipping I did not succeed. Suicide is an act of desperation, not an act of being a coward. Sometimes you can be delirious from way too many painful thoughts, that all you can think of sometimes is for them to stop in anyway you can. It was my kids and my fleshly brothers that helped me, and kept me from dieing.
One of my friends killed himself about 6 years ago. I know quite a few who have attempted it and had it covered up, including my ex-girlfriend who has tried a few times in the last month or two.
I've known two exjw's who took their own lives....
Now I always wonder if it was the realization of worshipping a false religion and the hoplessness of losing their families to it.
I know of 2 and a 3rd one was an attempt. The only details I know is the brother who attempted the suicide was upset that his hours for the feild ministry were low due to advanced age. These people in New York (GB) really, really piss me off for what they do to people. "Happiest people on earth" is pure Watchtower BS....
One of our dear posters here had her father kill himself, because he was sick and old and nobody visited him. He was Df'd at the time, and was trying to get back in... just decided to kill himself, b/c of the lack of love. The elders would not even meet with him.
That was my dad, and he had been reinstated for a year before he committed suicide -- after he was reinstated he was still treated like a pariah, after being an elder for 40 years and making ONE MISTAKE. He talked to the CO about it in September 2002, and received such a callous ansewr that he attempted suicide three days later but it was not successful. In February 2003 it was.
He would have been 79 on November 7. My mom is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's (she doesn't know anyone anymore, so she doesn't know he's gone). During his time in the congregation, both with Mom and after she was put in the nursing home, NO ONE invited him over for dinner, or out for coffee, or stopped in to say "hello." Some love.
Nina
