Comments You Will Not Hear at the 11-14-04 WT Study Highlights

by blondie 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Midget-Sasquatch

  PRESTON

  I completely understand how upset you must have been to have that family turn on you so quickly. I was so irate that I was thinking what a #$%^&*@ ungrateful bunch of $%^* #$^%$*)!!!!!. But then Blondie's insight tempered my anger. Its sad how the ORG can manipulate people, keeping them hooked, getting them to burn bridges with good people on the outside, so that they're stuck inside.But I'm sure that in their hearts they at least know you sincerely cared, and that they weren't a means for you to rack up some brownie points with the CO and the BOE.
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  AlanF

  The knowledge that one might have to begin shunning other JWs at a moment's notice prevents JWs from developing normal, loving relationships. Instead, relationships must remain on the surface. I believe that this is why the JW community as a whole is so unloving to those who get in a bit of difficulty -- they simply don't care about each other as much as normal people do. This latest WT article is another case of the Watchtower Society "saying but not performing", to paraphrase a NWT scripture.

  AlanF
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  Midget-Sasquatch

  ALANF

  I think you've gotten to the root of why shunning is so easy for them. It was a bit of the converse with me.Since my early teens I knew I didn't believe or fit in with JWs. The cool rebellious teens who also thought it was all bunk didn't take to me. That left the true believers. I decided not to get really close with any of them though. I wanted to spare myself the pain of losing friends once I left the Org. If I knew I would eventually settle on the "fading" approach, I would have been a bit more closer with some of them. Even then only to a point, because my true feelings would have brought me before a Judicial Committee.
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  Preston

  Blondie

  Thank you for your considerate comments, you really do have a kind heart as is demonstrated by your desire to help people learn english, you remind me of the lead female character in Dean Koontz's "From the Corner of His Eye".

  Midget,

  They were victims themselves, no matter how rude they were. I think the majority of people here, like you, CARE so much, that its impossible to wear the facade of appearing to be concerned. You really do care.
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  Pistoff

  Hmph.

  Loving attention.

  Please. The only attention regular type witnesses get is judicial, or pre-judicial.

  In the last ten years of my life as a witness I can say that what tipped me over the edge to not being able to stomach the hall was the action and lack of action by elders.

  Week after week we hear about how eager the elders are to help us spiritually. Most here can attest to the comical nature of this idea.

  The elders are only interested in you if you are a go getter; if you have problems that keep you from service, they will not bother with you.

  I have NO respect, and only contempt, for the false shepherds in my hall right now. They are worse than nothing.

  Can you hear me, guys?? You are a failure. You told my son that any time he needed help, or to talk, to call you. He called you 13 times. No reply. Finally a letter; no reply. He told you that he had depression problems; when I reminded you of this, you said that he does feel better when he studies and goes to meetings. Do you believe in the idea of depression at all? Just the type that is cured by more study and meetings, I guess.

  What does it mean, call us? If you don't mean it, don't say it.

  Do you wonder why the congregation is shrinking, when you give more attention to cold calling at the door than to the depressed souls God commissioned you with?

  How will you fare when God calls you to account for those you lose?

  You are worse than nothing; from nothing I expect nothing. From you I expect what you have said you will do, and that is to show love and concern.

  ALL WITNESSES ARE EMOTIONALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL, because we constantly hear how loving the elders and org is, and we have to live with the reality that THEY ARE NOT. The balancing act to reconcile the two makes us all sick.

  GRR.
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  SallySue

  Blondie,

  I've been lurking here for a long time reading your wonderful summaries of the study articles in the WT rag. Thank you so much. You have given me information I would never get any other way. You see, I've been out for over 40 years, but my Mother has been a witness for more than 60 years and continues to spue the "truth" at me. Thanks to you, I can see what is coming in advance and have answers to her attacks.

  Keep up the GREAT work. You are a blessing... Hope you are feeling better.

  SS
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  Gill

  Hi there!

  Wow! This is just too true. Something that I saw happen finally put the nail in the coffin for me with the JW's. I was born a witness I suppose, and never knew anything else but all that gossip, back biting and nasty behaviour , and thought that we had to forgive it because people were imperfect. Too bloody right.

  My Aunt was dying a terrible death from cancer and her daughter in law, a pioneer, highly respected and adored by the congregation and elder husband were to do most of the running about and helping of her. To be honest, her husband was very good but his wife was another matter all together. A lot of people were pitching in to help my Aunt have her last days at home but a few very unpleasant incidents had happened while the Aunt was on her own with her daughter in law. She had been at home from the hospital for a couple of weeks and was clearly at the end of her life and the daughter in law decides that it's all getting too much for her so we all offer to take the majority of the load off her. I'd been told that the daughter in law had been complaining bitterly to every sister who would listen about how selfish my Aunt was and if she was in that situation she would just go into a hospice and never burden anyone!

  Then one morning I arrived to take over the caring shift. I had the key and so went in and found my Aunt sitting in a cold room in her wheel chair, it was November , shaking a crying desperately. I couldn't make any sense of what she was saying. Then the daughter in law came rushing down the stairs and called me out of the room. Bear in mind that this woman is a pioneer and pillar of the JW community. She told me that I was not under any circumstances to give my Aunt any comfort because she was acting like a spoiled child wanting to die at home and putting her and the other relatives to so much inconvenience. Aunty was going into respite care as after two weeks of caring for her at home 'SHE" needed a break. I said nothing. I went in to see my Aunt, comforted her, put the fire on, and promised her that she was going to a hospice over all our dead bodies!!

  She died terribly a week later. But I was enlightened.

  The daughter in law's reasoning was that all she wanted to do was pioneer and serve her god Jehovah and not be wasting her time taking care of her mother in law. She was frustrated and needed to be out there saving people.

  Well she certainly didn't need to be out there saving people because she managed it at my Aunt's. She blooming well saved me. She saved me from any more JW policy, lies and non sense. I'm afraid real love is something that does exist among some JW's but it is a rare and a very, very beautiful thing when you find it. My cousin still moves me to tears how she tried to help her mother. But this was family love, another thing all together.

  I was a witness for 40 years and I'm afraid I know too much. Jehovah is not with them it is just terrible fear that drives them. So perhaps I should be sorry for the daughter in law. Perhaps she thought she was losing points for getting into the new system but she certainly opened my eyes...WIDE!

  Gill
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  willyloman

  Wow, pistoff, this was profound:

  ALL WITNESSES ARE EMOTIONALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL, because we constantly hear how loving the elders and org is, and we have to live with the reality that THEY ARE NOT. The balancing act to reconcile the two makes us all sick.

  As were your comments, AlanF.

  Oh, and welcome, SallySue and Gill... your experiences added so much to this discussion.