A sad call from an older brother

by life is to short 38 Replies latest jw friends

  • life is to short
    life is to short

    I think you missed my point here. I am glad he has my husband and yes it is good he has something fill his time. What I am talking about is the guilt. There are days he just cannot walk, he cannot hardly get out of the house and he sits at home feeling horrible. Why because of guilt.

    I clean for two older ladies one is 94 and the other is 91. Both are in pain like this brother and both are not JW's. They have had great lives and are happy. They both have problems getting around especially the 94 year old. But they do not feel guilt over it. Both are active as much or even more than this brother and the 94 year old has as many pains as the older brother. The difference is depression. Instead of taking them in field service I will take them to a movie or out to lunch downtown where they cannot go unless someone drives them. I feel like I am helping them more because the time they are in the movies they are not thinking of their aches and pains. Out in field service when this brother falls he is upset with himself and feel worse pain for days.

    The older Brother has depression from the guilt of not doing more in field service. The ladies I clean for vote and go to lunch, shopping and other wise enjoy life. He does not because he is so sad feeling like he is not doing enough for Jehovah. I think that makes his pain worse because he is thinking about it more because he cannot do what he feels he must and that is sad.

    See that is what I am trying to say the "truth" or JW's cause depression. They cause guilt by always telling us we need to do more. That is wrong peer and simple. Yes they let us turn in 15 minutes but what good is that when they lay such guilt on us anyway. So what you get 15 minutes in but all you hear about is some brother who does more then you do. It never stops.

    This is what I mean this religion cause so much suffering and depression, can't you see.

  • Gordy
    Gordy

    I recall a sister in her 80's saying basically the same thing.
    She was worried she wasn't able to do enough in service.
    She was worried had she done enough to get through Armageddon!!
    She had been a JW for 60 years!
    How much more do they want her to do before enough is enough.

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    It's a sad ending for old jws. There's nothing you can do. Oh, you could try to deprogram them. That would actually make them feel better, because it would give them a chance to babble wt stuff. It's a prison that they have spent a life time building around themselves.

    S

  • Robdar
    Robdar

    Going out in field circus makes the old gent feel important. At his age, bugging people is probably the only thing he's got to look forward to. More power to him.

  • flipper
    flipper

    LIFE IS TOO SHORT- What you say is exactly true. People in the Jehovah's Witness organization are made to feel by guilt that they are NEVER doing enough in the field service. Never doing enough commenting, or never doing enough attending meetings, or even enough contributing to the contribution box. As all mind control cults the JW's operate on promoting guilt and fear into ALL of their members - old people included.

    Over the last couple of years I've heard my 82 year old JW mom lament about " not being able to do more " in field service like she used to. Strangely enough my dad 84 is rather relieved he doesn't give public talks anymore and is just an " honorary " elder not being used as much. I think it's because he's burned out after being an elder for 55 years ! Who WOULDN'T be burned out ! LOL!

    It truly is tragic that older members , in spite of horrible health, have to be made to feel guilty and are so oppressed and put into a corner like an old banjo in kingdom halls at meetings. I used to see some sitting around getting ignored when I used to attend. I feel the saddest that many of these older ones have spent a lifetime waiting on an unrealistic fantasy which will never happen : an alleged paradise. AND - That they were falsely promised " millions now living will never die ". One thing is for certain : They WILL all die . The witnesses who were made to feel guilty as well as non-witnesses who lived outside the cult . The one difference is that people living outside the witness cult will have lived life to the full in REALITY and not some false illusions pumped into them intravenously like some crazy drip system from a spiritual iv ! All we can do is show authentic caring and love to any older ones

  • Mary
    Mary
    The older Brother has depression from the guilt of not doing more in field service. The ladies I clean for vote and go to lunch, shopping and other wise enjoy life. He does not because he is so sad feeling like he is not doing enough for Jehovah. I think that makes his pain worse because he is thinking about it more because he cannot do what he feels he must and that is sad.

    I agree. At this stage, he's not going to change, and even if he found out the truth about 'the Truth', it would, as Wasanelder said, probably kill him. Therefore, I would suggest that maybe your husband can read him a few quotes from the WT where it acknowledges that once you get older, you may not be able to do all that you used to be able to do. At least that way, the poor old guys' guilt might be eased:

    w07 6/1 p. 25 par. 18 Thriving Spiritually During Gray-Headedness

    Jehovah treasures your whole-souled service regardless of how much or how little you can do. Despite what may be happening to ‘the man outside' as one ages, ‘the man inside' can be renewed from day to day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) There is no doubt that Jehovah appreciates what you have accomplished in the past, but it is eminently clear that he also appreciates what you are doing right now for his name

  • Son of Man
    Son of Man

    No wonder this religion is full of people who and depressed the guilt placed on us is always there Yet We are the HAPPY PEOPLE! Yeh right. Any thoughts on how happy the JW's are.


    If this man prefers to do what he does despite his age who is he hurting? If he feels a bit guilty because he cannot do what he feels pleases GOD who are you to question him? He has built up a conscience based upon the Fear of GOD, or taking in knowledge as written. This is praiseworthy, and The Almighty GOD will reward him. Having to live in the unrighteous world causes depression whereas serving GOD helps to relieve it. Do you not know the difference between good and bad? Is it bad for this man to do his utmost in serving GOD. Never will that be the case.......now please move onto something more tangible instead of finding argument where it does not exist.

    t.f.d.s.

  • life is to short
    life is to short

    Another point to say about this man is he truly believes that this is the truth and that it means everyones life if they do not become a JW. So at the doors he will not leave if they say they are not interested. He just keeps going on and on. The people at the doors try to be nice but it comes to a point where they often get rude with him. They have to be they will shut the door in his face.

    I have been with him and after awhile they person at the door will say what part of I am not interested do you not get. Then when we leave he just hangs his head and says but it means their lives how can they not see that. What did I do wrong to not get them to see that this is the truth. I am not doing enough to make them see that this means their lives. It makes him even more depressed.

    I do not get the ones who feel that he is doing God's work. Really you truly feel that way? How is this God's work making this older man depressed and bugging people. I just do not get it.

  • Robdar
    Robdar
    I do not get the ones who feel that he is doing God's work. Really you truly feel that way? How is this God's work making this older man depressed and bugging people. I just do not get it.

    I don't feel he is doing God's work, I feel he is doing what makes him happy (in a weird and twisted way). What I don't understand is why you are making it into such a big deal. I just do not get it.

    Let him enjoy what is left of his life and go enjoy your own.

  • Son of Man
    Son of Man

    I do not get the ones who feel that he is doing God's work. Really you truly feel that way? How is this God's work making this older man depressed and bugging people. I just do not get it.


    Does GOD prefer that you instruct others from the bible where you have a listening ear or not? I would say that Yes HE does, for it helps them to cope with their everyday life and avoiding all of the badness associated with things like drug and alcohol abuse will improve their lives. Only GOD has the truth and He will reveal it to us in due season. Are your personal beliefs "The Truth"? All we can say is we strive to learn and adapt to truth. No one can claim that they have the "Truth". This man has chosen to do what he does just as you have. GOD will never condemn a person for doing what they feel is right under any circumstance. So let this man be and let each person decide for themselves what they choose to belief. That is the meaning of "Do Not Judge" as Jesus Christ taught.......

    t.f.d.s.

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