I found this at the Freeminds site. It's a post from H20 that I just had to post.
Posted by LovesDubs [LovesDubs] on July 02, 2000 at 16:55:22 {MW75JfstGk0hi4VK0MIQSQBW4HHNMw}:
Now I AM gonna puke. :( I went to a funeral today...my best friend who is a DAd JW and only mid thirties became a widow yesterday. Her husband was a JW. (yep..you know theres gonna be trouble with that combo and funerals) There has been a constant parade of JWs through this poor lady's home since her husband became ill with cancer over a year ago...some of them acknowledging her some not. Finally, after much suffering, he succumbed to the disease at home, under the loving care of his wife, who is also a nurse, and hospice. Yesterday morning, a JW came to my fence, looking past me and asking to see my husband. After much ado, he left, and I asked again whether my husband was going to go to the funeral with me or not. He said that he was NOW going to go, but needed to be sure it was not in a CHURCH first, though he had gone to other funerals in churches with me before. I believe that JW was giving him the low down on what the "friends" were planning to do at said funeral. I was afraid that he was going to shun my friend...and I told him if he was planning to do that that I would not go with him...would not be seen with him after all she had gone through, she didnt need to be hurt more. Naturally, though the funeral was at a funeral home, there was a mix of JWs, and workmates and relatives. A brother who was the deceased's best friend gave the talk which was very difficult for him, but was an Infomercial for the JWs nevertheless. The brother kept claiming he was only reading the deceased's "favorite scriptures" but all there knew every single one of them was in the Funeral Outline. Each scripture read resulted in the familiar rustling of NWTs all over the room. I was near the front with my (JW) husband, and so did not notice how full the room had become. The people who sat next to me recognized my husband from the hall, and therefore knew by association who and WHAT I was...and stayed as far down the pew as possible from me. The brother did the usual job of speaking of the blessings associated with being a JW, and that speaking about Jehovah to anyone is something you do only if you are "qualified" to do so. That all of them, if they are to please Jehovah should watch how they speak to others, how they treat others..."like here today, how are you treating those around you?" Obviously nobody heard that part of the talk. Then...in conclusion, he said that the widow was going to say a few words about her late husband. When he stepped down and she stood up...there was a WHOOOOOOOOSH as 45-50 JWs stood up and LEFT THE BUILDING!! In the FREAKIN MIDDLE OF THE FUNERAL!! I was appalled...I was disgusted... I was sickened by it. I wanted to run out the door after them and scream at them for being the most repugnant group of people I had ever had the displeasure of sitting in the same room with. The families (hers are all JWs) and workmates/friends watched this great exodus of the Holy Ones with extreme shock on their faces. Whatever possible recruitment opportunites that brother might have made with his canned funeral talk, went right out the window when those religious bigots, with their self back patting, and murmuring about how GREAT a witness that had been for Jehovah...walked out that door. And did they leave? No they did not...they all stood outside the building milling about as if waiting to be congratulated for that heinous act!! My husband, to his credit, both hugged the bereaved widow and consoled her..and did NOT leave when the Great Crowd did. After my friend spoke, and all she did basically was thank us for coming...the children of the man read poetry for their father while his BRETHREN sat outside and SMIRKED at their show of solidarity and their VICTORY against the evil apostate!! As we left, hands extended to my husband and past me like I wasnt there. He did not stop to talk to them. We didnt speak on the way home...and I never asked him what he thought of what he had seen. But later in the afternoon, he said "there is a meeting of the Self Rightous Ones that starts in half an hour...and Im going to go." I only half smiled and handed him the umbrella. I hope he has the courage to tell them what a horrible thing they had done...just as he had the courage to stay there and see it through. Even if he chooses not to speak...his actions spoke loudly to me and I believe thanks to God..that his heart is not of JW stone.
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"Enjoy God's creation, ride a dirt bike!"