By now I'm sure everyone's heard of the raid made on the YFZ Ranch earlier this week. I don't watch the network news, and I've heard it everywhere. PossumMomma even has an interview up with an escaped polygamist daughter and wife. (Scary thought: there's over a hundred MORE children still on that compound according to her.)
You'd be hard pressed to find someone not associated with this extreme sect that wouldn't agree with me when I say they are a cult. Waco is another example, not to mention the infamous Heaven's Gate.
But not many people automatically think CULT! when I talk about the religion I grew up in. But yet every year, thousands of people sacrifice their lives for this religion. And make no mistake, they ARE martyrs. They are revered within the religion as making the ultimate sacrifice to show their love for Jehovah. Many more are lauded for holding firm while not making the ultimate sacrifice, including Fate, who will have to tell his own story someday, if he hasn't already.
Yesterday, someone I've never met gave her life to this cult. But yet her death affects me because of circumstances. She was the sister-in-law of two very close friends of mine. One (that I know of) that had never even met her. But their hearts bleed for their brother, who is now a widower. Even sadder is the fact that this woman was only 22 years old. She had an entire life ahead of her. Her husband, their brother, is in his twenties as well, so he will eventually (hopefully) find love again and have a family, but he will be forever scared by this.
I shudder at the thought of his anger if he ever realizes what a crock his religion really is. A beautiful life, wasted. Simply for the pride of 12 old men in Brooklyn who refuse to admit that their policy regarding blood is wrong.
Well, not just pride. Think of the lawsuits from members who have had loved ones die for this belief, then to be told that there is "new light" and they can all take blood now.
And while many Elders within the Jehovah's Witnesses are fighting this policy and trying to bring about change, the governing body still hold firm, and another senseless death doesn't even merit news coverage.
This senseless death bothers me because of my family who are still in this cult. My parents are older, and they've had a chance to live their lives. But my brothers are both under 30, as are their wives. This could happen to them. And that scares me.
4 comments:
You are right, I never think "cult" when the JWs are mentioned. I think misguided, sometimes I think nuts. I definitely think overzealous.
But the links put me in another mind. Faith is hard to fight, and the results are not always pretty.
The only encounter my family had with a cult ended in mental and physical mutilation of a relative. Since then I am initially distrustful of anybody trying to share their faith with me unasked.
J-Dubs are not my most favorite patient to take care of for this very reason.
I've never considered it martyrdom to be duped into dying for a false cause.
Such a sad story.
In the final year of his life, my Dad made me promise to disallow any blood products if he was unable to respond. As much as I thought it was a total crock, I would have done it, because if he woke up after a transfusion he would have lived the rest of his life sure that he would never be at the resurrection, or whatever he thought would happen.
So basically, this weird cult put me in the position of promising my Dad that I would let him die when a simple, relatively safe therapy was available. Yep, the JW's are a cult, alright.
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