How Suicide Will Increase Among Jehovah's Witnesses

by metatron 57 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  I'm not a psychologist but a little logic tells you that somethings got to give.

  I see too many Witnesses who are falling into the "escalating commitment" trap. Your life is a mess, so you find the "truth"!

  Next, you commit yourself further by dropping college

  Next, you commit yourself further by refusing long hours or promotions at work.

  Next, you commit yourself further by engaging in the futility of "raising kids in the truth" - with all the heartache that will bring

  Next, you take on the stress of being an elder or a pioneer

  All the while this goes on, your life is quietly getting worse. In particular, you "commit" yourself to the thought

  that "the End must be near" and that "perfect health will never be possible in this system".

  With every step you take, getting out becomes more and more difficult, more and more wrenching, more and more painful.

  You refuse all thoughts that "I've wasted my life" - but that thought keeps coming back.

  No matter what the contrary evidence, you keep repeating the Witness Mantra:

  "The End Must Be Soon

  The End Must Be Soon"

  As you become chronically ill, you keep repeating the mantra, over and over.

  Now, even though you haven't used a rope or a gun or a handful of sleeping pills,

  at what point does this turn into a form of suicide?

  I swear to you that I'm seeing Witnesses doing the above - and that "escalating commitment" explains why they

  can't leave and can't think clearly. It's their own personal "Vietnam", in effect. They can't leave or admit defeat

  and suffer accordingly.

  Whether overt or secretive, Witnesses are killing themselves - and it's going to get worse because the Society

  collectively doesn't care. They'll just keep cutting and downsizing while Joe Witness keeping chanting,

  "The End Must Be Soon"

  metatron
• 

  PMJ

  i dont no about jws commiting suicide people on these boards seem mixed up and miserable say be a good jw.if not leave and get over it don't complain all the time.
• 

  Think

  ABSOLUTLY! SOLUTION IS SIMPLE: DON'T BELIEVE A MAN, BELIVE IN GOD.

  Pray to him to open you eyes for the TRUTH.

  TITANIC IS SINKING. GET OUT. REV 18:4,5

  DON'T BELIEVE IN "NEW LIGHT" : TITANIC CAN'T SINK.

  DON'T FOLLOW A MAN, FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST, HE IS THE SALVATION, NOT THE BORG.
• 

  sf

  people on these boards seem mixed up and miserable say be a good jw.if not leave and get over it don't complain all the time.

  Pardon me while I fall to the floor....

  ROFLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  By the way meta, as I've always felt and thought...the 'fallout' will be beyond comprehension. And it will be ugly.

  Excellent post, as usual.

  sKally
• 

  kid-A

  Not sure if there is any statistical evidence to back this up, however there are certainly higher levels of mental illness in general among the dubs, largely for the reasons you have outlined above. Two examples would be the first 2 posters replying to this thread.

  Nevertheless, we are left with the problem of determining the causality. I suspect many 'adult' converts to the JWs have pre-existing psychological issues leading them to be attracted to such a controlling and manipulative cult and are thus highly susceptible to the "love bombing" techniques used at the conversion outset. So, does the borg lifestyle lead them to mental health problems or are they only in the borg due to pre-existing problems that would have eventually manifested themselves in some form of mental health problem or another.
• 

  Honesty

  As the old saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding."

  Casual observers have noticed that many JW's are afflicted with various disorders such as fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, manic depression, etc. Then there is is the ever-present cognitive dissonance that afflicts those who have serious doubts regarding the WTBT$'s claims that it and it alone is speaking for God in 'these last days.'

  Afflicted JW's do not have to put a gun to their heads or drink poison to kill themselves because they are slowly acheiving this unintentional goal by their continually 'feeding' at the apostate Watchtower table.

  Too bad that as long as they blindly follow and, unbeknowst to them worship the Watchtower Faithful Discreet Slave they will never have the peace and joy that Jesus promised to all who put faith in Him and His promises.

  Romans 10:8-13 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. Now the Scripture says, No one who believes on Him will be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

  Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares righteous the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.

  Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

  John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.

  John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.

  Bob Evans

  Walland, TN
• 

  fullofdoubtnow

  Good post, met.

  When I was in there were times when I was probably verging on the edge of a nervous breakdown due to all the demands on me, like service, meetings, talks etc, as well as trying to survive financially on part - time wages, and I know of quite a few who are still in who are experiencing the same. Such situations can and sometimes do lead to suicidal thoughts, especially when you are continually being browbeaten by the elders to do more service, nore study, contribute more financially.

  Bearing this in mind, as this "system" goes on and on without any end in sight, an increase in suicide rates among jws does dseem possible, or even likely.
• 

  Bryan

  I don't think there was an increas in suicides in 1915 or 1976.

  Bryan
• 

  silentWatcher

  excellent observation (as usual) metatron. What you refer to is formally called "fallacy of sunk costs" by psychologists.
  
  Actually, it also explains why the average faithful Witness is getting older in the Western World. Most people with any sort of thinking ability are leaving either by early middle age (35 - 40), or sooner (20's) if they go to college. Before the "sunk costs" get too high.
  
  Expect a great "die-off" in the next 10 - 20 years, as the rate of those dying exceeds the rate of newly baptized.
• 

  TallTexan

  Metatron,

  Excellent post. On some levels I agree with you, but I would argue that things now are not that different then they were 30, 40, 50 years ago. Well, I guess the exception would be that another 50 years has gone by and the end has not come. Perhaps that is why you don't see as many 'rabid' JW's as you did back in the good ol days. How many JW's now would sit for an 8 day assembly in the heat and sun at Yankee Stadium? I'd venture not many.

  The demands of being a JW have remained constant. I guess the difference is the change in the 'generation'. Where most JW's KNEW that by 2000 the end would have come, now the end is a less finite concept. Therefore, the thought of toiling as a JW for the remainder of one's life may be too much for them to bear.

  Interesting question you pose. I wonder how many JW's have committed 'passive' suicide by not caring for themselves physically, because the 'end' is near.