I was reading my local paper this morning and there was a letter to the Editor. The writer had recently lost a child and the child's obituary was recently printed in our paper. The writer said she received a letter with a "Jehovah Witness Tract" called "What help for dead loved ones?" She was appalled that someone was working the obits and said it was "intrusive, thoughtless, and abominably bad taste". Has anyone ever heard of witnesses doing this? Or is this the masterpiece of just one zealot?
JW working the obituaries
by Icansaylucky 46 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
love2Bworldly
LOL Actually, that isn't funny, it is thoughtless. I hadn't heard of this one, but it doesn't surprise me. They always come up with new ways of counting their time.
-
Sunspot
Color me embarrassed.
I wrote letters of condolence and included a tract for many years when I couldn't get "out" in the door2door service. Once in a while, the elders would bring me a supply of stamps just for this purpose!
Yes, in retrospect, I see that this was in poor taste......but any reason to find an address and get a tract into someone's hand---bypassed any good taste.
Annie
-
blondie
Actually, the WTS suggests that homebound JWs such as the elderly and chronically ill people do this. They have also printed experiences where JWs were out at the cemeteries handing out tracts. This is one letter to the editor that won't make it into the WT as an experience.
***
km 1/70 p. 8 Presenting the Good News?By Letter ***Many in the congregation know that this sister has had good success in witnessing by mail. So they give her names and addresses of individuals to whom they would like her to write. She writes to individuals that she and other publishers have met in the hospital. One brother met a businessman who lived in another part of the country. This man showed interest in the truth. So the brother gave his name and address to this sister, who continued to develop the interest by mail. Some names she gets from the obituary column. Or if there is information in the local paper about new mothers, or engaged individuals, she writes them, sharing good news from the Scriptures to encourage them as they embark upon their new responsibilities. The overseer has gone into the lobbies of apartment houses where the publishers cannot get in to witness, and he has copied the names and apartment numbers off the mailboxes so that this sister can contact these individuals by mail. Names and addresses have been obtained from the phone book as well as other sources.
4
This sister is very busy and very happy in the theocratic privileges that are hers. No matter what our situation in life, all of us can have a share in making the good news available to others, too. Those of us who are physically able will want to use our time and energy in the house-to-house work and other regular features of the ministry. It is not intended that able-bodied publishers and pioneers spend much of their time writing letters. But those who are bedridden, or confined to their homes for various reasons, either permanently or temporarily because of illness, bad weather, or for other reasons, may be able to make good use of their time and energy in Jehovah?s service as outlined above. We appreciate the urgency of the times. Our having as full a share as possible in Jehovah?s service is important, as the time left is reduced.***
w67 6/1 p. 345 Letters?Not Outdated ***The minister soon found that, since she had made the original call, he had received a letter from a Witness who obtained his name and address from the obituary column in the newspaper. Though the man was a stranger to her, she had written a kind letter explaining the Bible?s glorious hope of a resurrection. The man concluded that surely he ought to look into an organization that would take the time to go from door to door and to write letters of comfort to people.
***
yb71 pp. 248-249 Country Reports (Part Two) ***Can elderly people participate in the ministry? Consider this example: A sister who is eighty-eight years of age could no longer go from house to house and manifested concern about how to share regularly in the service. It was suggested that she use the obituary column in the newspaper and write letters to bereaved families. This she did. For a long time no replies were received; nevertheless, she persevered in writing. Can you imagine her joy when one day the following letter, which we quote in part, was in her mailbox: "Although I do not know you, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the loving words you wrote us. They sparked a desire to learn more about the Bible . . . I must tell you of something strange that happened today. Two ladies called at my home to talk about God?s kingdom . . . I mentioned to them that I had received a letter from someone I didn?t know with a similar message. These two ladies left me a book and I am going to give it careful attention as they promised they would call back to help me understand it." Our two sisters did call back and a Bible study was started. We are happy to say that the interested lady is already attending meetings along with her husband and son.
***
w56 11/15 p. 688 Preaching by Writing Letters ***At one of the Society?s Bethel homes a brother, close to eighty years old, unable to climb stairs because of heart trouble, sends letters of comfort together with literature to those whose addresses appear in the obituary column because of having lost a loved one. He also uses a list of names and addresses, obtained from a commercial agency for a small fee, of persons professing to be Christians who would like to correspond with others professing to be Christians. He sends a short letter of self-introduction, which he accompanies with tracts, booklet or magazine, and invites an expression on the literature enclosed after it has been read. He has received some very fine replies from various parts of the world.
Nor would we overlook those who are too crippled to write letters and who witness by using the telephone, or who supplement their letter writing by phone calls. One sister, who for many, many years was bedridden, made good use of the telephone, which she had right at her bed, until she was no longer able to witness in this way either because of crippling arthritis.
***
w54 8/15 p. 491 Bearing Fruit in Old Age ***One of these, whose crippled feet permit little walking and no climbing of stairs, watches obituary columns for addresses of bereaved ones to whom he sends a letter of comfort together with a booklet containing a message of like import. At hand is also a report of a sister well along in years, who, although blind and bedridden, bears much Kingdom fruit by means of the telephone.
*** km 6/93 p. 1 Why Tracts Are So Valuable in Our Ministry Today ***Some publishers who were witnessing on a street that led to a cemetery saw people whitewashing graves. The publishers used the opportunity to offer them tracts. The next day was a holiday on which many people visit the cemetery, so the publishers decided to stand at the entrance of the cemetery and offer tracts. Over five hundred tracts were placed, with only three persons refusing them. The next year, publishers returned and distributed more than a thousand tracts, with only six refusals. A number of individuals expressed deep appreciation. One man read the tract as he was leaving, and shortly he returned to speak with the sister who had given it to him. He said: "There is someone I would like to have read this message. May I have another one?"
-
luna2
You truly think you're providing a service too. What a "comfort" it would be to the grieving family members to get this "truth" into their hands. ::sigh::
I always felt weak and cowardly because I couldn't do it. I didn't think it would comfort someone who'd just lost a loved one to hear that the JW's thought everything they ever believed about heaven and the afterlife was wrong.
-
95stormfront
This is not unusual in the JW circles I find myself around. It's usually done by overzealous JW grunts fresh out of the water.
I remember one time in particular, just after my wife had been baptised, when we happened to pass by a church where they were just letting out after a funeral....getting ready to go to a burial site. She wanted me to stop, so that she could offer a "tract" to the bereaved. When I refused, she dropped me off at the relative's house we were going to, and went back there. I was furious and let her know that even if that is what she believes, she was out of line for intruding upon someone else's bereavement.
How would she like it if another church organization's patrons intruded upon a witness funeral with such a stunt. They believe just as strongly as she does.
"but, they don't have the "truth"".........
Some people are just thick....
I still find her trolling the obit almost daily and it irritates me to no end. But I guess it's now to look for witnesses she know who might've died.
At least..that's what she says.....
-
iiz2cool
I remember several times at circuit assemblies where they interviewed pioneers, and several said they did this regularly. They were commended for expanding their ministry in this way.
Walter
-
Chia
I wrote them but never sent the letters.
I still counted the time.
-
EvilForce
*** w67 6/1 p. 345 Letters?Not Outdated ***
The minister soon found that, since she had made the original call, he had received a letter from a Witness who obtained his name and address from the obituary column in the newspaper. Though the man was a stranger to her, she had written a kind letter explaining the Bible?s glorious hope of a resurrection. The man concluded that surely he ought to look into an organization that would take the time to go from door to door and to write letters of comfort to people.
What minister? A fellow JW? Made up info? The daftness of some people is truly amazing.
Maybe we ought to troll for obits for Dub's and send the tracts? -
LongHairGal
This shouldn't surprise anyone. They have a callous attitude towards other people's grief.
Many years ago when I was active I met a lady who some years earlier had lost her son. She had JWs call on her and they attempted to place one of their publications about death with her. She was horrified and appalled that they thought one of their books could possibly comfort her and she wanted nothing to do with them. I made excuses for them saying they meant well, etc. etc.
The truth of the matter is that when a person suffers the loss of a loved one they will not be comforted by any printed matter or scriptures or whatever. They want their loved one back NOW, not in some far distant never-never land. Maybe that person would read such things when their grief is very long passed but it is certainly no real comfort, only a mental exercise.