Wasanelder: That was heartening to read; I just wish their reaction was the rule, not the exception, as sadly it appears to be.
As a JW - Did you See Meetings Continue in Spite of Medical Emergencies?
by flipper 55 Replies latest jw friends
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Reopened Mind
TotallyADD was giving a talk at a nearby hall when about ten minutes into the talk an elderly sister in the back of the hall slumped over. Naturally everyone turned to see what was going on. TotallyADD looked to the chairman desparately wanting him to stop the meeting. Instead he motioned to continue which is what my husband did. He said he never felt so foolish giving his talk to the back of heads. No one was listening, he just read verbatim from the outline. We later would say that we would never be invited back because someone died during his talk. Sad, so sad. That was back in the days when the JW indoctrination was strong in us.
Reopened Mind
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CuriousButterfly
I have had the same experiences as some here with the meeting still going on during an emergency.
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JeffT
A few years ago some one had a medical emergency of some sort at the chruch we attended at the time. It's a big place with 3000 people in attendence so I couldn't see exactly what was happening. The pastor stopped the service and we prayed for a couple of minutes while the EMT's took her out. Didn't take long as they were always on site for the service given the number of people there. I think it was handled well, one of things the pastor said was to stay seated and out of the way so the paramedics could do their jobs.
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MrFreeze
I heard an experience by a DO on an assembly part about a brother giving a talk say "I'm having a heart attack" collapsed, and died. The point of the saying this was that "time and unforeseen occurence" yada yada. What amazed me was someone afterwards said they had heard about that and the assembly still went on. So callous.
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man in black
I just noticed that my earlier comment never made it,,, ( my new windows computer does that sometimes).
Anyway one time during the tms I was giving talk #4, back in the day when we could use different sources in preparation of it. and this teenage girl ran into the bathroom really quickly at the back of our hall. And as I was reading some Bible-related story and my head was down I saw out of the corner of my eye three paramedics run thru the back lobby. They went into the bathroom and came out several moments later with this young girl strapped down on a stretcher with oxygen. Being the "good little dub" I just finished my talk and got down. I got council like nothing happened.
Afterwards the overseer, several elders, and other jw's came up to me and commended me on how good my talk was despite all of the extra "commotion" going on. I was shocked at their callousness and uncaring attitudes.
Now that I look back I just cringe inside when I think of how encouraging people thought my talk was. That girl could have died, and all I heard that night was how good my talk was. I need to go take some asprin now, what a horrible night that was for me.
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flipper
Been working 5 days straight- finally have time to get on the board to reply to your replies ! Thanks for your comments.
TALESIN- Unbelievable. A person suffers a epileptic seizure and the meeting goes on. A person suffers a bleeding hemorrhage and the JW's keep singing the song without stopping ? It's just another testimony of how calloused and unempathetic most JW's are and where have they learned this from ? Indeed, the WT society .
LOSTANDCONFUSED- Your little brother vomited and it spewed 3 rows away ? And they didn't stop the meeting ? Too bad he didn't vomit on the speaker on the stage- it would have forced them to stop the meeting. Jeez.
CEDARS- Like yourself I've seen a lot of medical emergencies at meetings as well. And as you stated - the medical emergency is almost NEVER referred to at assemblies. Although someone experiencing an emergency may not desire it to be known to 15,000 in an audience ; still it would show a lot more empathy on the WT society's part to acknowledge what a JW member is going through so as to show real alleged " Christian " character. But I forget- WT society claims to be Christian, but it's not in reality.
NUGGET- AS I mentioned to Cedars - a real " Christian " claiming organization WOULD show compassion and assist JW's with medical emergencies and make it a priority to help them , instead of shuffling them into a back corner so the meeting will go on. The longer I'm out of the JW cult - the more I feel they are so far away from being "Christians " it's not funny. AS you stated- would Jesus have acted that way towards people ? I doubt it. From what I've heard.
ALFRED- What an incredible experience showing the calloused , uncaring attitude promoted by the WT society and instilled into JW's. A microphone carrying " brother " walking over a lady laying in the ailse having a seizure just to take a microphone to a child answering " Jehovah " ? Who in the hell ARE these people ? Freaking aliens ? Mind controlled drones who have experienced a total lobotomy of their normal human emotions is who they are !
ONTHEWAYOUT- I'm so glad you had the balls and courage to stand up and insist that the " brother " called the 911 emergency personnel. I admire you greatly for that. And the attendant who told you not to find this lady's family in the audience ? He's a freaking moron who should be whipped with 50 lashes with a wet noodle. What a maroon ! Good job on your part !
ROOM 215- How heartless and stupidly idiotic of the circuit Overseer to insist on the audience being quiet after a man had a heart attack near the back of the audience. If the C.O. had half a brain he would have asked what was happening and then made a response acknowledging the " brothers " heart attack and tell the audience to " pray " for him or something. To reply in anger before he even KNEW what was happening was him being dumb as a rock. Total idiot.
And the experience of the JW's trying to witness and give literature to the emergency crew as they administered CPR is totally out of line by the witnesses. They DEFINITELY have their priorities screwed up for sure.
SLIMBOYFAT- I used to see people roll their eyes in disgust when a " sister " we knew had epileptic seizures. So unloving. I never knew Lloyd Barry died while giving a talk ! How tragic. Even more tragic that they minimized his death by having a " stand-in " finish his talk for him ! Not to mention very calloused ! This organization is disgusting.
WASANELDERONCE- That's great that your elders cancelled the meeting due to your study having a heart attack. However that is, and has been the exception , not the rule. I'd say in over 90 % of the medical emergencies taking place at Kingdom Halls - the meeting goes on as usual. So don't pat too many JW's on the back. In my opinion- they were doing what they SHOULD be doing in your example. Should we pat them on the back for showing normal human empathy ? I guess- compared to the other 90 % of JW's we should. Not all JW's are heartless true - but way too many of them are. I don't find it very balanced that 90 % are heartless in medical emergencies ; whereas 10 % will act with empathy.
I'm very sorry that your Bible study had a heart attack. I'm sure that was devastating to you to lose a close friend like that. My condolences to you on your loss for sure. Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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flipper
REOPENED MIND- I know how your husband Totally Add felt having to give that talk by being pressured from a fellow elder to continue. I felt that same pressure when giving my assembly experience in front of 2,000 people at the circuit assembly after the older lady died on my shoulder. It was a surreal experience which will stay fresh in my mind until the day I die. Very sad the way the elders handled it. And sad that I was too young in my mind controlled state to think authentically and just refuse to do my experience. If it had happened years later I would have handled it differently for sure.
CURIOUS BUTTERFLY- So you saw a lack of empathy as well during medical emergencies at Kingdom halls ? It seems it was a common happening.
JEFF T- It sounds like other religious groups at least were more empathetic towards medical ermegency victims than the JW's were. At least the proceedings stopped and the priest asked the audience to pray for Christ's sakes. Must have been a surreal experience.
MR FREEZE- Amazing. So the assembly went on while this " brother " had a heart attack ? It's so calloused on the WT society's part to NOT acknowledge it and stop the meetings. Crazy stuff.
MAN IN BLACK- I'm sorry you had to go through the experience of the young lady being taken out in a medical ermergency during your talk. Like you experienced - I too received tons of compliments on how I handled the older " sister " dying on my shoulder. People told me " it was so good how you were able to go back out on stage and do your part. " Yet I didn't like them complimenting me for that. I felt guilt for giving the part while this older sister laid dead behind the curtain. If I knew THEN what I know NOW- I would have gone up to the platform and stopped the elder from continuing the assembly part and make the announcement myself that the sister had died and that this took priority and to adjourn for an early lunch break. I would have felt better about it then. But I was only 23 years old or so and the elder probably would have resisted me and would have the attendants drag me off the stage. I probably wouldn't have minded it. Perhaps I would have exited the cult 20 years earlier than I ended up doing ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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Quarterback
I was in charge of the first aid at Circuit Assemblies. Had to call the ambulance many times. Had some who experienced shut down of kidneys, and some fainting. The show must go on...we had a separate private room to deal with these med. emergencies.
Once a Circuit Oversseer, couldn't complete his assembly part. He just walked off the platform. He never went back there again. He just works full-time and supports his wife. He couldn't be any happier. He does nothing in the congregation, and wouldn't be bothered.
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shepherd
I can understand that the show must go on at a convention. In fact it's reasonable to expect it.
However, in the local KH when someone collapses they are very possibly a well known member of the congregation. I remember a girl collapsing and having to be carried out. A few in the audience were her family members and they stayed listening to the talk. I think this is extremely callous of everyone in the hall.
In what possible way could this reaction ever be described as love?