Are the JW’s were you are getting worked up over having a to go bag (Armageddon bag) ready?

by life is to short 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  life is to short

  OK where I live in the Pacific Northwest in January of this year this elder from the hall called a special meeting and gave everyone some papers that he had gotten from some government place on what to put in an emergency bag to grab in case you have to flee your home in seconds. I thought it was just my husbands hall being all strange and stupid over this. One older sister said that the elder told everyone they needed three bottles of water for 14 days that is 42 bottles of water plus whatever other stuff they put in there not sure if she got that right because 42 bottles of water is a lot of weight. This older sister said she was telling an even older sister who is in her 80's who is pioneering and can barely walk without help, that she just could not possibly lift her to go bag and the pioneer asked here where her faith is Jehovah was, that Jehovah could and would help her carry it when the need came.

  So anywho at this special meeting another of the elders stood up and thanked the brother who put it all together and everyone was clapping and the elder who put it together started crying saying if he saves just one life it was worth it all I heard this from the older pioneer siste who got terry eyed just talking about it. This is the same guy who yelled at me about the pedophiles I guess saving a child from being raped is not as important ads making sure everyone has a to go bag.

  There was even a story in the local paper about some JW's going into R.E.I. here and buying survival stuff for their bags. I was like oh please I wonder what the sales people at R.E.I. thought about that. JW's can be so strange and I am sure they were trying to witness to the sales person. Anyhow I still thought it was just a local thing until my sister-in-law called who lives near Seattle called and her hall was doing the same thing. She was also all worked up over it all. It is like the elders are making the people run scarred. They all have places to go, phone numbers to call and contact people to let them know they are safe and alive. That was why my SIL was calling just to make sure our numbers were right as she was very concerned that they just might not be. I mean we have had the same numbers for years. In her hall they have a to go bag for home and one also for the car just in case they are caught in traffic when things fall apart I guess?

  My husband who was an elder forever until he was deleted over the pedophiles and my not being submissive enough as his wife because I could not get my freaking mouth shut when the baby rapists were holding kids anyway getting off the subject sorry my husband has had the to go bags for a couple of years for us. The other elders blew him off at that time. My husband is totally convinced that Armageddon is coming any day. Then to make matters worse over the weekend I went to Wal-Mart I never go to Wal-Mart and what do they have but a whole section of dried food that will last for years all for this very reason, That did it for my husband, he looked at me and said "see even people who are in the world know that something is going to happen that is why all of this food is here. The world is even afraid that the end is coming." I was thinking like yeh and the world was afraid of Y2K also. In 1999 my husband was also convinced that the world was going to end then. We have a barrel of beens and a barrel of rice in the basement or we had I do not know what happened to them nor do I want to ask, we also had so much bottled water that it has taken me years to drink it up as we still have a couple of cases left from 1999. My husband is getting concerned over the water going away. My husband wanted to hang our to go bags right by the door so they would be prominent and we could grab them in a hurry and anyone who came over would see them I was like NO WAY. I do not know where they are or what is in the bags he tried to get me to look at them and I was like whatever I do not care. I know he spent a lot of money on the junk he put in them. I know my bag weighs 35 pounds. Like I am supposed to run for my life with 35 pounds on my back and I am supposed to run to one of the JW's homes for safety. I would rather just lay down and die before I would stay in any freaking JW's home.

  Anyway I am so glad that is not truly going to happen the way they think it will. I know things could happen like in Japan and other places I am not stupid but what the JW's are doing is just crazy. Has anyone else heard of this to go bag thing.

  LITS
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  ohiocowboy

  Hi! A lot of people besides JW's are getting bags ready in case of disaster. They are usually nicknamed Bug out Bags, and you can find numerous sites on the internet that tell you the best things to put in the bags, anything from water purifiers and food to first aid and everything in between.

  In the past few years, many online survivalist forums have come about, and they discuss anything related to surviving any type of disaster from Nuclear Fallout to a Zombie apocalypse.

  Here is an example

  It's always a good idea to have an extra supply of food, water and first aid supplies saved up in case something happens. Many people feel that something big is coming our way, and they want to be as prepared as they can.

  Take care!!!
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  FlyingHighNow

  Wait, why do people need to go bags for Armageddon? Aren't the angels supposed to protect them?
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  steve2

  Where's the faith in Jehovah? Anyway, if you're one of the faithful witnesses and are accidentally killed in the cross-fire of mad-as-hell angels, won't you be resurrected??

  Besides, what's the point of having all the supplies at home if you're some distance away preaching, or in the city shopping, or at work several kilometres away? Why do people always imagine tragedies and tribulations strike at night?

  Last year's Japanese earthquake and tsunami happened mid-afternoon on a week day as did our big earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Some suburbs were subjected to liquefaction and were literally unreachable for days - yet that's where all the prepared ones stored their supplies.
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  Black Sheep

  Our local cong did that a couple of years ago.

  It's not silly. Especially in NZ, where we have some of the biggest volcanoes on the planet and get tsunamis, earthquakes etc.

  They recommended we made up grab bags as per the Ministery of Civil Defence guidlines. We have already had to use ours during an extended power cut caused by extreme weather.
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  life is to short

  I am not saying that having things ready is not a good idea, its the way the JW's are going about it that makes me not want do it to and have no part of it. It is like the JW's think everyone is going to die and only they will make it because of their stupid to go bags. I can just think what if one of the JW's worldy neighbors came by for help would they share with them what they have? I truly doubt it, not the way they they are talking. Yes I think having extra water in the house is a good idea and dried food, but to have flats of water for years and years without recycling it so it is fresh I feel is crazy, who truly wants water from 1999. Plus where I live the only thing we ever had was a volcano from Mt. St Helen's in 1980 we have truly had nothing and they way the elders are getting everyone all worked up over it seems to unkind they are truly stressing the olders one out.

  Yes things can and do happen but relaying a bag that is to heavy to carry and to think that Jehovah will help you to carry it seems crazy to me and makes me want to not do it. If you could truly go to a web page that tells you the right things to put in the bag not 48 bottles of water but stuff you would and could use and carry would make sense not the way the elders are going about it, plus I just could not stay in a small house with 20 other JW's I would much rather be with my worldy neighbors any day thank you.

  LITS
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  For most of us, the purpose of "to go bags" are just disaster preparedness kits stashed in a variety of places. I live in a snow-zone, so I leave some supplies in my car, extra clothes, some munchies, water, matches, a few candles. In case you get stuck in a blizzard, it's the difference between life and death. The small town I used to live in would have water main breaks and there would be boil orders, so we've always kept a few days worth of drinking water around. Sometimes the power is out for a while. The town had also experienced major flooding. At that point, many realized that it would be nice to have just been able to grab some basic toiletries, clothes, snacks. They didn't need major supplies... after all, the churches quickly jumped in to provide shelter, food, and clothes, but you just want your own stuff at times like that. And, of course, have plans for your pets in case you have to quickly evacuate the area.

  The building I'm in now wouldn't survive much of an earthquake, but I have supplies stashed with my family. And I keep stuff on hand for them in case they have a disaster and I need to help.

  I don't understand dubs that think they can be prepared for armageddon like that. Don't they realize that all the "worldly" people could just steal their stuff? And where are they gonna run... bethel? or the KH? Watchtower prophecied that the governments will turn on "true religion", the first places they would attack would be bethel and the KHs, right?
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  tootired2care

  I don't understand dubs that think they can be prepared for armageddon like that. Don't they realize that all the "worldly" people could just steal their stuff?

  LOL...I had thought about this when preparing my supplies, and I thought to myself; you know - I think I better add some guns to that list to protect my stuff from thugs, is that bad?
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Here's the real preparedness list:

  • Bottled water
  • Canned food
  • Rural real estate
  • Automatic weapons
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  steve2

  Black Sheep - I see your point. I overstated mine more in reaction to groups like the Mormons who go to extraordinary measures to ensure their basements are loaded with necessary supplies, as if they do not have personal faith in their Lord. Liquefaction rendered many people's basements unreachable or bad places for storage.

  It's the same with some JWs: all the special preparations from a group who otherwise arrogantly predict all others will be wiped out but they will remain by dint of divine protection.