by truthseeker 12 Replies latest jw friends
Any of you in the UK remember watching a Cutting Edge documentary on Jehovahs Witnesses, entitled, "The End is Nigh?"
It would have aired around late 1997.
It was about the lives of two couples, one a fitness instructor's courtship with a brother who was a programmer, and the other about a sister who left the truth and came back, eventually getting baptized.
The congregation involved was the Abingdon congregation, located in Oxford.
Yeah, I vaguely remember that programme. I thought at the time that we (JW's) looked like lunatics in the documentary. The couple highlighted were an odd match too weren't they? He was a weedy geek and she was a slim, nice looking lass who had more about her.
The scene I can recall best was when they were sat in the car outside his house on a date or something. The explanation was they couldn't be in the house together without a chaperone cos of adulterous thoughts.
It's strange that we were preaching trying to get people to join the JW's but whenever they were shown on TV I felt embarassed to be part of it.
Did you know any of the people in it?
I remember this programme very clearly! One of the couples had car problems, something to do with an exhaust falling off or something. This was declared to be 'the work of Satan', you know the type of thing....
More like the work of Skoda....
The couple in the car were hilarious - grown adults being treated like kids who couldn't be trusted. Reminded me of of the time I was round at one of my kid witness pals. Her older brother and his girlfriend were also in the house at the time. Her mum had to go out, so we weren't allowed to leave the house as said brother and girlfriend were not to be left alone. It was actually quite funny as we said we would go into the garden for a while...if the price was right, naturally.
FF
I didn't know any of those involved in the film, although a friend who used to be in Abingdon said the elders were very worried over the airing of the program. It turned out OK though, there was nothing there that made them look bad - the girl came back to the truth and got baptised. It was later stated that she was going to get married.
I couldn't understand at the time why a witness would remain a fitness instructor - a product of JW think.
Her fiance was a computer programmer.
Some of the elders were involved and gave onscreen interviews.
One scene I remember was in the Kingdom Hall, I think they were singing, "Life without end at last" or something.
I don't know if this documentary was Society approved.
Freedom Fighter, I remember the bit about the JW mom who said Satan was causing all kinds of problems to prevent her daughter coming back to the truth. Apparently the daughter admitted "hanging out with boys and smoking" The program didn't make clear if she was disfellowshipped or just inactive.
There was a scene of her and her boyfriend in a swimming pool, during some witness gathering - the brother explained the position on courtship and marriage.
I saw it on video in 1997. Remember the computer expert and his girlfriend? They were very likable and in the end they got married. Matthew and Maritza Laing. I wanted to know what became of all those people and I found the following story on the web:
From the archive, first published Wednesday 5th May 2004.
A woman doused her husband in paraffin and tried to set fire to him because he would not let her drive his car without a licence or insurance, a court heard.
Matthew Laing told Oxford Crown Court on April 4 that his wife Maritza held a lighted match to his paraffin-soaked clothes and tried to set fire to his laptop computer and his car during the incident last August.
Maritza Laing, 36, a dual Cuban and UK citizen, had failed her driving test and was only allowed to drive accompanied on her provisional licence after her Cuban driving licence expired.
Mr Laing, a software developer, claimed his wife had been violent towards him on previous occasions.
He told the jury she became extremely angry when he prevented her from driving his Vauxhall Astra on August 24.
He said: "She said something about setting me on fire while she was throwing the paraffin.
"At that stage I didn't take it very seriously. I found the behaviour stupid, childish - but at that stage I didn't find her behaviour dangerous.
"She sprayed water in my face to try to annoy me, then she whipped out a box of matches and lit a match. As she lit a match she was trying to hold it against my clothing.
"I was just dumbfounded. I couldn't believe she was actually going to try to do that.
"Fortunately the match was almost going out by the time it hit my clothing."
Mr Laing told the jury he went upstairs to change his clothes and his wife shouted to him that she was going to set fire to his laptop computer which contained two years of his programming work.
Laing allegedly doused him in paraffin a second time, then splashed some of the fuel into his Rover car, followed by some lit matches. The car did not catch fire and Mr Laing left the house in the Astra and went straight to Abingdon police station. Mr Laing told the jury he waited for an officer for an hour, but had to leave because the paraffin was making his skin sting through his clothing.
He was questioned later that day at his friend's house and Laing was arrested.
The couple, who have six-year-old and three-year-old daughters, are still married but no longer live together.
Laing, of Bramley Close, East Hanney, near Wantage, denies attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and threatening to destroy or damage property.
The trial continues.
From the archive
http://www.oxfordmail.net
I love those stories.....boy meets girl....girl sets boy on fire........aaaaaahh....nice.....p.s welcome tinkerbella........that's not tinkerbella emberg is it?......
love those stories.....boy meets girl....girl sets boy on fire........aaaaaahh....nice
It's very romantic isn't it.
Yeah i remember the program.
"Mr Laing told the jury he waited for an officer for an hour, but had to leave because the paraffin was making his skin sting through his clothing."
Erm, were they all too busy out catching speeders then? ;)
Oh my God I remember that programme. I thought they were such a nice couple!
