Man Attempts Suicide; kills J.W. elder instead

by Kenneson 21 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Reborn2002

  Whatever happened to the experiences given at Circuit and District Assemblies in which stories laced with sensationalism are told that convey the message that Jehovah protects his people?

  For example, how many have heard of the pioneer sister who went to the door of the murderer/rapist who spared her life because he saw the two large men who stood by her? (according to JW stories, she was alone, but it was angels who spared her. Jehovah protects those who serve him)

  Or the example even more recently (and disgustingly in my opinion) the stories told of JW's who were spared because they did not accept a job offer at the World Trade Center, and instead chose to dedicate themselves to full-time service. (talk about exploitation of a horrific event to serve WTS purposes)

  So does Jehoover operate based on a double-standard? Some of his worshippers are entitled to divine intervention (lol gimme a break) whereas others are killed in spite of that? I would wager a paycheck this man WORKED as a JANITOR as a RESULT of being a Jehovah's Witness. Either he lacked the education necessary to sustain a job in some other field, or he willingly gave up better employment to undertake a position so that he could devote more time to "theocratic duties"

  So this man took this job as a janitor BECAUSE of living his life as a Jehovah's Witness. So, let's face it.. had he not been a janitor working in a pizza parlor.. he would not have been hit by that car, and he would not be dead. So is Jehovah directly responsible for his death?

  Thoughts?

  Edited by - Reborn2002 on 22 September 2002 21:25:46
• 

  willy_think

  this is a very sad event 6 lives, if not more, were ruined with that one act of despair. my hart goes out to them
• 

  Windchaser

  So this man took this job as a janitor BECAUSE of living his life as a Jehovah's Witness. So, let's face it.. had he not been a janitor working in a pizza parlor.. he would not have been hit by that car, and he would not be dead. So is Jehovah directly responsible for his death?

  Reborn, this is where the wt does its usual flip-flop and will quote scriptures like Ecc. 9:11...unforeseen occurrence befall them all. They will say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  Edited to add: Why would Jehovah spare a mere woman and not a well-loved elder?

  Edited by - windchaser on 24 September 2002 0:7:7
• 

  hillary_step

  We are all rightly disgusted when JW's try to use a persons death as a platform to air their own personal religious beliefs. I hope that we are above that sort of opportunism on this Board and that we can share with everybody else out there in sending our sincere condolences to the family of this poor man, whose lives have been irreversibly shattered by this terrible tragedy.

  HS
• 

  puzzled
• 

  Windchaser

  hillary, yes, it is extremely sad that this happened. It is horrible that this innocent man was killed by someone so depressed that he drove himself into a building (and must live with this added burden). My heartfelt condolences go out to all who are involved and I'm sure that is how most people feel about this situation.

  I thought that the reason for most of these boards was to express religious beliefs. It stands to reason that most of us were or are jws and that we would discuss these beliefs in life and death situations. Maybe I missed something, but I don't see any posts here as being opportunistic.
• 

  Ephanyminitas

  BTW, is it against copyright laws to post the entire article here? I was going to, but I notice many do not do that, and maybe we are not supposed to? Thanks.

  I don't know about copyright law (file it under Who Really Cares Anyway?), but I generally prefer a link because it saves screen space and it makes viewing said article optional. It is probably good, though, to copy and paste a couple of paragraphs that explain what it's about.

  Ephanyminitas (no comments about Fire Dragon's posting of my whole article ...)
• 

  Swan

  A follow up on this story appeared in the Salem Statesman Journal newspaper today.

  http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=54731

  Man gets six years for killing janitor with car
  The Associated Press
  January 11, 2003
  EUGENE A 23-year-old Lane County man was sentenced to more than six years in prison for killing a janitor during a failed suicide attempt.
  
  Duane Dalles Schlender drove his car into a pizza parlor four months ago, killing 56-year-old Dennis Wayne Savage, a respected elder in the Jehovahs Witnesses church who operated a family-owned janitorial business. He was cleaning up when Schlender smashed into the place.
  
  A jury last month convicted Schlender of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving and criminal mischief in the Sept. 12 crash. The manslaughter charge carries a mandatory six-year, three-month prison term under Oregons Measure 11 law.
  
  At Thursdays sentencing, a prosecutor asked Judge Maurice Merten to impose an additional year in prison for the criminal mischief conviction, but the judge declined.
  
  Schlender also was ordered to pay almost $49,000, including $45,000 to the restaurants insurance company.
  
  Standing before Merten, Schlender could barely speak through his tears.
  
  I wish I was dead right now, Schlender told the judge. I did all this because Ive got nothing.
  
  Investigators determined drugs and alcohol played no role in the tragedy. Schlender had attempted suicide in the past.
• 

  wednesday

  I can't believe they are doing a mental staus exam on this man, and giving him treatment. he'll probably try and kill himself in jail now, and may suceed this time, how sad
• 

  Yizuman

  Well this man obviously lived through depression that lead to his attempted suicide.

  I am suffering from depression myself and am under medication. So I know how it feels like to want to kill myself.

  Depression is a very powerful mental and emotional thing and it effects my everyday life. I've often have to fight on long and hard days to make it through for another day.

  Depression makes one lonely all the time.

  I got hit very hard with depression when my ex-fiancee broke up with me 3 years or so ago. So I am alone and it doesn't really help my depression at all. So that's why I am trying to be around people at times to make me feel less lonely. Except I feel worse when I come home alone in my own house.

  So I just sit in front of my computer and interact with people online via message boards and play games with people online to keep my mind occupied.

  But I also keep in mind that the God of the Bible is also with me and I am not really alone. It doesn't feel the same as having a wonderful person to love right by my side, but it's been better than nothing for me.

  I feel sorry for the guy sitting in his jail cell and having to suffer the concenquences of what he has done. I'm sure he never realized there was someone in the building when he crashed into it.

  Yizuman