In January or February of this year, my father was DF'd for viewing pornography. He was diagnosed with a rare-ish lung cancer in August, it doesn't have good recovery odds. He had been struggling with a porn problem for awhile, asking the 'brothers' for help. The fact that I have two brothers guarantees my parents had sex three times. My mother is less than passionate or loving. My father tells me it has been over ten years since they were horizontal together. He has always been a very expressive person, hugged us kids & the old people in the KH, wanted to hold the new babies. Kids love him, he makes up really great stories to tell them, expanding the characters he made up for us kids on long car rides.
Anyway, he was baptised in 1969. Gave all of his young years to the Borg. He has always been extremely generous to anyone in need in the congregation, always ferrying people back and forth to meetings, assemblies, conventions. Repairing plumbing for single sisters or disabled brothers or the elderly. Has put in more air conditioners for the KH attendees than an HVAC person. Money was freely given to those in need, never asking for it to be repaid, and he was by no means wealthy. When anyone needed anything, they called my Dad. He was also the one who did much of the exterior yard work at the KH for several decades (often by himself or with my mom), an old man on medical retirement, both knees were replaced twice and always in pain.
In January, my mom turned in my Dad for the porn. It was somewhat my fault. She was annoyed that his computer seems to be constantly getting infected with viruses. I told her it is because he clicks on the porn sites, they are notorious for having viruses. (He takes a hypnotic drug for sleeping, a drug that has the side affect of people driving, eating, using the internet, having sex, calling people without them being aware of it. The porn was mainly viewed while he was under the influence of the drug. It inhibits the ability to say no to yourself and if you are feeling any urges, it causes you to act on them...he probably also viewed porn without being under the influence, since he had asked for help earlier.) His viewing porn doesn't bother me in the least, I know he's been living without love for years.
He now faces lung surgery and the subsequent recovery alone. No one visits, no one calls. It is such a GOOD witness. Their religious Catholic neighbor just had brain cancer surgery. He came home from hospital while I was out for a visit. The day he came home, those WICKED people from his church came to visit, I watched several times as car-loads of people came to wish him well and pray for him. My father had no one.
It struck me, that all the neighbors must be wondering what the hell is going on. Here is a man who was always zealous in his church, who needs the support of his friends at this critical time and NONE of them are there. They must realise that the JW's are a cold, callous bunch. It is a GOOD Witness indeed. I hope every time they see the JW's they remember what is being done to my father, a 40+ adherent to that 'faith'.
My father is in a serious depression, facing his illness alone. My mother treats him with the proper contempt. I live 400 miles away, not in a good position to help. My little brother isn't very close either, but he started a facebook page for my dad and lots of complete strangers sent their positive thoughts his way. When he showed it to my father, he was very touched that strangers would wish him well. It irritated my mother, as it interferes with his shunning, having people express concern.
My father isn't able to use the computer right now, sitting upright at the desk is causing him much pain, so he can't see the mesages WICKED worldly people are sending him to encourage him.
If anyone here would like to send him a simple card by snail mail, please PM me. I will forward his address.
Thank you.