How Would You Console A Witness Who Has Lost A Loved One?

by minimus 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  Esse quam videri

  flipper said , " ... because the last thing a JW needs is someone feeding them the delusion that their dead loved one is going to come back again. To do that would be reinforcing their fake, pretend beliefs ..."

  I say feed their delusions. What difference does it make? It's their delusion. Who cares what anyone thinks about the condition of the dead?

  " He loved golfing. He must be in heaven playing golf." Of course he is Fred, and enjoying every minute of it.

  " He always said he wanted to spend eternity fishing. Catching record trout every day." That's where he is Tom, sitting in a row boat right now in that great fishin' hole in the sky.

  "He is waiting for the resurrection." That's where he is Homer. Waiting for the resurrection.
  

  See? It's easy. Everybody feels great. No harm done. It's not like your feeding Cotard's Delusion.
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  minimus

  Excellent comments!
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  wallsofjericho

  No it’s not time to “get even”

  And when the roles are reversed it’s not time to preach.... but we all know how that works

  imagine a JW in the home of a deceased DF’d sibling, imagine the uncomfortable silence from him, that silence would scream “if he wasn’t DF’d he’d have the resurrection, he knew better”

  Unfortunately Most JWs enjoy when a DF dies, gives them a real sense of validation
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  eyeuse2badub

  Since jw's love to call their religion "The Truth", why not tell them 'the truth'-- that one day they will also be joining their loved one--in death! RIP

  just saying!
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  dogisgod

  This is a big topic for me as far as the JWs go. It is just another control mechanism to deny people their own personal and normal reactions. JWs do not know how to grieve because their loved one really isn't DEAD, they are just SLEEPING, like they are on a long vacation. This is really harmful to supress normal feelings. No wonder JWs are so sickly. You are so owned by the man made borg you cannot be you under any circumstances.
  
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  LongHairGal

  MINIMUS:

  If I was on speaking terms with the JW, I would say "I'm so sorry for your loss". I wouldn't make any mention of their resurrection belief because I don't believe in it. Besides, I don't think they want to hear this.

  It was also my experience that the Witness teaching on the resurrection and them giving bereaved people a book/pamphlet is perceived as very tacky and unfeeling by the public. I had a lady tell me so years ago.