So, I became very ill ... what did my loving brothers do? (page 3)

Crazyguy

What do you expect Eden, you left jehoover.

Tazemanian-devil 7 hours ago

I feel for you man. Whenever my wife tells me so-and-so said to say hi, or ask me how I am, I always respond "They have my phone number, don't they?"

Been there, done that. Down with cancer but didn't want the phony casserole brigade so told my family they were not allowed to say why I was at home instead of the meetings. Told the elders who emailed me to feel free to share my email address with those who wanted to contact me, and also my cell phone number. Guess what I got? An email telling me I was obviously a "lost sheep" who needed a shepherding call.

Not one "how are you?" or "can we bring you anything?" Pioneered for years and this is the response I got.

That put the bow on the Get Out Now package for me.

smiddy

Sorry to hear of your plight Eden ,I remember when my mother got the shingles ,not very pleasant at all and I believe it`s worse for a male .

Take care cobber

smiddy

LisaRose

I'm sorry you had shingles, I know it can be very painful.

Jesus said "by this all will know you are my disciples, that you have love amongst yourselves". The mark of a true follower of Christ is love. Not the preaching work, but love. Yet JWs will spend hours each week in the futile preaching work and zero time encouraging or helping their fellow believers. If you are sick and miss meetings you are considered weak and damaged goods, people will talk to you less, as if you have committed a sin. People are so busy with the burdensome requirements of witness life they don't have time to help out anybody, nor are they encouraged to do so. It's not like they can report time for it like field service.

I occasionally attend the church that my in laws go to. They have people assigned to help the sick, the pastor helps those going through problems, and they feed the hungry on a regular basis. In church, people are encouraged to talk openly, during services about those in their family or who they know who are having problems, even if the people mentioned don't belong to that church.

So who is a follower of Christ and who isn't?

cultBgone

Eden, did not mean to focus on my situation instead of yours (just wanted to share the same point). My mom suffered through a hellacious case of shingles so I feel for your pain on both fronts. Just remember that your scars are proof of your strength. Hugs to you!!

zeb

When our baby was critically ill in hospital with his mum (on the breast) the elders could not go to her because they had convention parts to prepare.

Further,

If you think you have shingles get to a doctor ASAP as medication is available that makes a huge difference if given in the first 24 hours.

EdenOne

zeb, unfortunately I had just started a new antibiotic on a friday evening for an ear infection when I started having fever and itching, so I thought at first I was having an allergic reaction to that penicillin-based antibiotic. I couldn't get back to the doctor until monday and by then i was too late to take Zovirax or any other antiviral medication. Those are only effective on the first 24 hours.

cultBgone, it's absolutely alright and thank you for the encouragement. I hope you're mending as well.

LisaRose, isn't it pathetic that as JW's we move mountains to make recruits and when we do, all we can teach them is a compassionless version of christianity, devoided of genuine humanity and concern for those who are closer to us? Reminds me of what Jesus told to the pharisees: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!" - Matthew 23:15

ToesUp, dubstepped- It doesn't matter if you're fully in or partially out, this unloving treatment from those whom you are told to regard as closer than your own family and blood, will always hurt. This is what is getting to me at this stage of my fading ... that the "friends" we once held in such high regard will dump you in a snap if you're not walking the company line. And the fact that they feel they're entirely justified because...yeah, we are the ones who "abandoned jehoober" and thus we've brought it upon ourselves.

Steve2 - Funny you mentioned it, i had the same idea: make known to the congregation elders that i had been hospitalized and was being pressured by the doctors to take blood. Would be fun to clock how fast they'd come out of the woodwork - if nothing else, just to see if they would find incriminating material to finally disfellowship me.

Everyone else, thank you for the get well wishes. I'm a rag today, but I'm happy that I helped my son to get his his way to university. He was accepted today. Hurrah!

Eden

The Marvster

EdenOne - your experience both deeply saddens me while simultaneously filling me with an intense burning red hot blazing fire of rage in every cell of my god damn body.. I feel your pain
This sort of thing reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally pisses me off.
Over the last year or so, thinking about JW behaviour, i had an epiphany... it may be right, it may be wrong..but I feel that JW's show love, 'love bombing' etc, not out of deep compassion for the person you are, but rather, because it apparently 'pleases Jehovah' and 'makes Jehovah look like a loving god, through his so-called people's actions'... they are doing it 'for Jehovah's name's sake' (because for some reason he is unable to do this for himself), or because it was A COMMAND from Jesus..., they love because it's written in a book that admonishes it or because they are told from the platform when and who to love; there is no heart in it, in other words, their love is out of DUTY, they love because they HAVE TO do it... I guess the reason why 'brothers' don't make contact, and have nothing to say is because, 'it's not in the kingdom ministry, or in the study edition of the watchtower', if they're not told how to act, then they don't act because there is no compassion in there in the first place.... Any previously existing involuntary or impromtu, or impulsive compassion they may have had was ceremonially removed a looooong time ago...
And now they are acting like the typical pharisee who practiced 'corban' (or Korban),because when they have the opportunity to show love to another human, they would rather take that gift (their time and love) and dedicate it to Jehovah, and leave another human to suffer or hold back love from someone in need; Jesus hated this, but this is exactly how JW's act..

Matthew 15:5,6-- But YOUsay, ‘Whoever says to his fatheror mother: “Whatever I have bywhich you might get benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God,”he must not honor his fatherat all...
This is exactly how those brothers acted towards you, they go by the book just like the pharisees, and any natural affection is completely suppressed. Sorry you had to experience that lack of love. Hopefully it will reinforce any doubts you had about returning to the fold
...

The Marvster

And anyway we shouldn't be surprised by all this... just look at how VALIANTLY so many witnesses go the extra mile to shun a fellow human they have been friends with and known for 10, 20, 30 years, or their own flesh and blood, shunned forever in the bat of an eyelid ....

the lack of love shouldn't surprise any of us...

OzGirl

Hi EdenOne

Sorry to hear about your illness. Good to know that you are on the mend. I've heard others recommend homeopathy as a remedy to treat shingles as well.

Great to hear that your son has been accepted into university.

So, I became very ill ... what did my loving brothers do?

Tazemanian-devil 7 hours ago

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