Do you wish SUFFERING on some human beings? Should you?

by BonaFide 33 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Lady Lee

  I was physically, emotionally and sexually abused by my father. He made my early life a living hell. He hurt every single person who was related to him.

  I used to tell his step daughter that I only wanted to know when he died so I could go spit on his grave.

  But something peculiar happened. When I got the call the end was near I wanted to be there. I needed to see him one more time.

  I walked into his room and instead of seeing the monster of my childhood I saw an old man, gasping for every breath who was afraid to die.

  I stood at the door to his room and realized the monster was gone. He had no power over me any more. I was free. And then I walked to his bedside.

  All I could see was his fear. He didn't know me. I could have been anybody. The cord for me was cut as sharply as any cut could be. I was amazed to watch myself as I took his hand - this hand that hit and beat and raped me and held it. I placed my other hand on his forehead and told him it was time to go. His mother was waiting for him. He could stop the fear and the fight and go to her.

  Why? Why would I do such a thing? How could I do it? How could I even bear to touch him?

  I don't know. What I know is that in that moment I saw a man more scared than I had ever been. Whatever belief he had in God was unknown to me.

  I know that none of the family who were there needed to sit around and watch this man die a slow prolonged death. It needed to be over.

  So I said the words that I hoped would end the fear so he could just die.

  He needed to be punished for all the hurt he inflicted on people. It never happened. Out of all the people he hurt I was the only one to report him to the police and he was arrested. But a suspended sentence and a $50 fine could never pay for what he did to me.

  It isn't surprising that no one wanted to get up and speak at his funeral. But we thought someone should. I volunteered. I was probably one of the most hurt by him so people were a little leery about letting me get up to speak. I promised they could read it before hand and approve or offer suggestions.

  For me saying something was about offering some comfort to those who attended the funeral. It wasn't about me stating my case and offering up judgement. My final words were

  may God be fair in his judgement of you

  My hope is that he gets what he deserves. Whatever that is.

  All this to say that when it comes down to it I have no idea how I will react when it comes to something like this. I certainly didn't expect my reaction to be what it was when I got that call that he was dying.
• 

  Bodhisattva1320

  i dont have to wish for it - i have observed that karma is a bitch... i trust in that... deeply.
• 

  JWdaughter

  I don't wish suffering (of the medical kind or despair or anything) on anyone. Criminals who suffer for their crimes? I may pity them, but not the "let them off, I am sure they will change" kind of pity, just the sadness that a life is so wasted and damaging to society. God's justice will get to us all presumably, so I will just hope that my heart is right to accept God's justice.

  A friend of mine was discussing forgiveness with me the other day. We spoke of the Amish community who had underwent that devastating shooting a few years back, and he commented that all the families said that they forgave the killer. (I don't know if that is literally true). He said that the reason they could is because their faith required them to forgive-all the time, for little and big things. They were so comfortable with offering forgiveness that for them to forgive such a heinous thing was not heartrending. They were well practiced in it. I don't know how true his story is literally, but it really made me think about our response to pain and to justice-especially as we see some pretty ugly things HOPED for for Jaracz. To finish this life with such a stain is sad. I would rather he DID realize how much he hurt others and repented of his actions before his death and did find a true faith, rather than simply a love for the organization. I think that is the best 'justice' we can hope for. Have him put on the white robe-and finish out eternity better thanhe started it.

  Sorry for being such a Pollyanna. I recently heard the joke about the theif on the cross-"The last thing he took without paying for it was salvation." That is what all Chrisians want. None of us are righteous on our own, none 'deserve' good things. It's all a gift.
• 

  parakeet

  There's no need to wish suffering on others. Suffering is an unavoidable fact of life. I forget where I read this, but the author noted that sooner or later, everyone takes their turn as life's football. Ted's turn has arrived. I feel no malice toward him but no sympathy either.
• 

  BonaFide

  I don't know what making him suffer now would accomplish.

  My preference would be that he realize that the WT is not the truth. In fact, its far from it.

  To me, that would affect him greatly. To realize that he is just a man, and that he is not a special servant of God, that the JW's do not have any special insight, that he basically wasted his life for a corporation.

  Was it worth it?

  BF
• 

  BonaFide

  And the reason I say this is that if he suffered terribly in a body that won't work but a brain that understands what is happening, he will think its a test from Satan. He will pray to Jehovah, and trust in him. He will be content in his knowledge of his heavenly reward.

  That's what he will think, I guarantee it.

  But what if he realizes that all his life has been a fake? Working for a corporation? Enslaving others for no reason? And that he has NO IDEA what is waiting on the other side?

  What then?

  I think that would be greater than any torture or suffering, in his mind.

  BF
• 

  yknot

  BF

  If Ted realized the WTS wasn't the 'troof' what would you wish him to do then?

  He is 84 years old and in bad health. I am sure legal had every GB sign non-disclosure agreements after Ray published, so he couldn't write a book or go on tour discussing his adventures of WTS-land. Where would he go, what could he do?

  Would you wish the same for any older ones in your KH?
• 

  caliber

  I am so touched by Lady Lee's response to the point of tears . We must try to remember that even in

  suffering there is deep stirring of the soul to define our own spirit & intent toward other human souls !

  The following quotes seem to bear some meaning toward suffering ..

  Paul Boese

  Forgiveness does not change the past, but it
  does enlarge the future.

  E. H. Chapin

  Never does the human soul appear so strong as when is foregoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury.

  Cal
• 

  boyzone

  Yes I was also move by Lady Lee's reply.It showed me that, no matter how hurt and angry we are by the actions of others, when it comes to the final moments in many cases our compassion takes over and we see the truth of the matter. Lady Lee didn't see the monster anymore, just a frightened old man in need of comfort and reassurance. And because she is the better person, she gave that comfort.

  I do wonder if many of us here that have been hurt by Jaracz's policies or by the man directly, would we really whisper in his ear that the Org is a fake in his last moments? (as some have suggested) Probably not. We may think we would, we may even wish we could, but given the opportunity, we probably wouldn't.

  Thats because I believe we all are better than him, and in the last moments, we'd prove it.
• 

  WTWizard

  There are some acts that are inexcusable. And, when someone is mean spirited, they should definitely reap adverse consequences for those actions. If someone just makes a mistake and says the wrong thing on a single occasion, they should not be forced into paying for it forever (and possibly helping the witlesses plunge the whole world into the Second Dark Ages).

  Ted Jaracz, however, did not just make mistakes. He willfully and intentionally ruined people's lives throughout his life, supporting and protecting pedophiles while creating policies that would make things miserable for people, and would not lift a finger to help others in his religion to soften things, at least to conform with the Bible (that's the least he could have done--if Raymond Franz could do that, Ted Jaracz should have been able). Ted Jaracz could have also made sure that those who were appointed would conform, if not to common sense, at least to the Bible (as they claim to). If the people were power-hungry, he could have had them removed or prevented them from being installed. He did not--in fact, he wanted power hungry people willing to keep the status quo, and further stagnate the people under him, in those positions. Thanks to this humanoid, we have at least another 30 years of hardline rules.

  On top of that, Ted Jaracz, if he could have, would have happily plunged the whole world into the Second Dark Ages. He wanted nothing more than to see his religion gain Critical Mass in several key countries, have those countries adopt the religion as the national religion, and then force the other countries to also adopt that religion. He would then proceed to own everyone and everything, control all knowledge, and exact the death penalty (stoning to death) for anyone who is independent in thinking or wants to be their own leaders. That would by definition have begun the Second Dark Ages. All because of this humanoid.

  For that, I wish him all the mental anguish possible. I hope he is mentally tortured for another 5 or 6 years before his death, and is able to do nothing about it. I wish him all the guilt and remorse in the world, all the heavy heartedness for his part in trying to ruin civilization, for ruining children's dreams of becoming something great, dooming people to poverty and stagnation, and trying to bring the whole world into the Second Dark Ages.