unconfirmed: Brother hanged himself inside a Kingdom Hall

[Paul H]

I have contact with a Polish sister. She contacted me today about some shocking news that has come to her attention. She summarized and translated that part of the video for me, so I could post the news on this forum.

A Polish elder who is still active within the organization publishes Youtube videos. He does this incognito because he wants to expose the wrongdoings within the organization and as an elder he hears information that ordinary Jehovah's Witnesses do not get to hear.

For what Ive heard, this man is not a JW-basher and he often also talks about the positive side of the organization. He speaks especially positively about how the organization used to be in the past. He emphasizes that over the years the organization has become more and more depraved and many have been stumbled upon.

In his YT video around 14 minutes and 51 seconds he talks about some shocking news…a real tragedy.
Link to the video:

Recently, a young brother committed suicide by hanging himself inside a Kingdom Hall somewhere in Central Poland. I know that JWs have taken their own lives on several occasions worldwide, but I've never heard of this happening inside a kingdom hall before. According to this elder this happened during the covid pandemic. This brother most likely had the key to the hall so that he could enter, before hanging himself. Was there a news item in the local news about this tragedy? The elder says: I don't know. There were many suicides during the pandemic. During the pandemic lockdown the media didn’t give much attention to suicides…Never the less, I’m currently trying to find more evidence of this tragedy.

The elders in the surrounding congregations have been instructed to remain silent about this at all times.

That’s about everything he said.

I know from experience that relatively speaking not many Polish people speak or understand English fluently. It generally takes a little longer for news from Poland to reach the English community. Still, I hope that maybe there are Polish brothers or sisters who can confirm this news or know more about this.

Paul H

 

[Backtotrueworship]

It is always very sad to hear such stories, and the loneliness caused by the pandemic is very real, I have an older brother in my congregation who is very much alone. I have kept in touch with him , and visited many times since the pandemic. We have talked in great length to the issues of the direction of the GB and he is still very much a believer in their standing with Jehovah. But he has told me that other than myself he has no association with anyone, no one visits him on zoom, phones him or anything. Not even the congregation Elders and Ms. who have the obligation to know the appearance of the flock. He told me they only call to confirm his parts in the school...generally a bible reading , no BS part or more in depth part , though this brother has pioneered , and served as a MS in the past. He is now 76 years old , his mind is okay , he can hold a conversation and visit quite nicely. He is very kind and has also told me he sends money each month regularly to the congregation and to the WWW. Two full years without an actual visit from anyone in the congregation other than me. He has just told me he has a sister in law that was just reinstated and she has called him to check on him. I actually had to call the elders to check on him because he wasn't at the meeting on zoom in the past and he wasn't answering my calls or emails. This shows how these kind of things, these suicides can happen. If you are old or ill, or living on your own the brothers "forget " you. Unless you are an Elder , MS , or pioneer , a close friend of one of them .....you are forgotten.

My wife and I are separated , because I shared information on covid from legit scientists , and because of Disfellowshipped son learned about many of the things we talk about here....she blamed me for his thinking and yet it was him who told me, though I already knew. But my point in all of this is that I have asked her if anyone has tried to contact her and encourage her and she says no. No one shows any interest in her, she goes to work and that is all the association she has...many have asked about us...one person called and said she was sorry to hear about us , and her husband is an elder, and nothing has been done to encourage her or even a shepherding call to find anything out and assist her. Which I would really apprieciate as we have acccording to the organization , no grounds for separation...and still nothing. I have asked her ..not even another phone call , text .... So it is not unbelievable that so many are suffering in the congregations and suicides are on the increase....hopefully with the restoration now of Meetings in person , things will get better , or many will realize something is wrong.

 

[SusanB]

It is always very sad to hear such stories, and the loneliness caused by the pandemic is very real, I have an older brother in my congregation who is very much alone. I have kept in touch with him , and visited many times since the pandemic. We have talked in great length to the issues of the direction of the GB and he is still very much a believer in their standing with Jehovah. But he has told me that other than myself he has no association with anyone, no one visits him on zoom, phones him or anything. Not even the congregation Elders and Ms. who have the obligation to know the appearance of the flock. He told me they only call to confirm his parts in the school...generally a bible reading , no BS part or more in depth part , though this brother has pioneered , and served as a MS in the past. He is now 76 years old , his mind is okay , he can hold a conversation and visit quite nicely. He is very kind and has also told me he sends money each month regularly to the congregation and to the WWW. Two full years without an actual visit from anyone in the congregation other than me. He has just told me he has a sister in law that was just reinstated and she has called him to check on him. I actually had to call the elders to check on him because he wasn't at the meeting on zoom in the past and he wasn't answering my calls or emails. This shows how these kind of things, these suicides can happen. If you are old or ill, or living on your own the brothers "forget " you. Unless you are an Elder , MS , or pioneer , a close friend of one of them .....you are forgotten.

My wife and I are separated , because I shared information on covid from legit scientists , and because of Disfellowshipped son learned about many of the things we talk about here....she blamed me for his thinking and yet it was him who told me, though I already knew. But my point in all of this is that I have asked her if anyone has tried to contact her and encourage her and she says no. No one shows any interest in her, she goes to work and that is all the association she has...many have asked about us...one person called and said she was sorry to hear about us , and her husband is an elder, and nothing has been done to encourage her or even a shepherding call to find anything out and assist her. Which I would really apprieciate as we have acccording to the organization , no grounds for separation...and still nothing. I have asked her ..not even another phone call , text .... So it is not unbelievable that so many are suffering in the congregations and suicides are on the increase....hopefully with the restoration now of Meetings in person , things will get better , or many will realize something is wrong.

Thank you for sharing your story. This is a stark reality for many like you.

 

[BagdadBill]

It is always very sad to hear such stories, and the loneliness caused by the pandemic is very real, I have an older brother in my congregation who is very much alone. I have kept in touch with him , and visited many times since the pandemic. We have talked in great length to the issues of the direction of the GB and he is still very much a believer in their standing with Jehovah. But he has told me that other than myself he has no association with anyone, no one visits him on zoom, phones him or anything. Not even the congregation Elders and Ms. who have the obligation to know the appearance of the flock. He told me they only call to confirm his parts in the school...generally a bible reading , no BS part or more in depth part , though this brother has pioneered , and served as a MS in the past. He is now 76 years old , his mind is okay , he can hold a conversation and visit quite nicely. He is very kind and has also told me he sends money each month regularly to the congregation and to the WWW. Two full years without an actual visit from anyone in the congregation other than me. He has just told me he has a sister in law that was just reinstated and she has called him to check on him. I actually had to call the elders to check on him because he wasn't at the meeting on zoom in the past and he wasn't answering my calls or emails. This shows how these kind of things, these suicides can happen. If you are old or ill, or living on your own the brothers "forget " you. Unless you are an Elder , MS , or pioneer , a close friend of one of them .....you are forgotten.

My wife and I are separated , because I shared information on covid from legit scientists , and because of Disfellowshipped son learned about many of the things we talk about here....she blamed me for his thinking and yet it was him who told me, though I already knew. But my point in all of this is that I have asked her if anyone has tried to contact her and encourage her and she says no. No one shows any interest in her, she goes to work and that is all the association she has...many have asked about us...one person called and said she was sorry to hear about us , and her husband is an elder, and nothing has been done to encourage her or even a shepherding call to find anything out and assist her. Which I would really apprieciate as we have acccording to the organization , no grounds for separation...and still nothing. I have asked her ..not even another phone call , text .... So it is not unbelievable that so many are suffering in the congregations and suicides are on the increase....hopefully with the restoration now of Meetings in person , things will get better , or many will realize something is wrong.

Some people just refuse to see. I can’t explain it.

 

[Nomex]

My wife and I are separated ,

Many years ago I split with my first wife. It was the hardest thing out side of death on the family I have ever been through, and the "help" I got from the "brothers" I would have been better off without. We were married for 3 and 1/2 years and she was cheating on me and would not admit it. (After several months she did.) Any way, some time after we separated a sister at the meeting asked me where my wife was , I told her "we are separated." She said to me, "Shame on you." That was well over 20 years ago but I'll never forget that. Everytime I heard "you will know they are my disciples, if they have love among themselves," I would think about that and many other bad things I'd been through. It's so sad what "Jehovah's Organization" have put people through, and how they don't seem to be bothered too much about the reproach that brings on Jehovah's name!

On the flip side, any and all friends I consider to be actual friends have been always JW's! What a wonky world this system is! My heart goes out to you brother. That time period was the closest I ever came to suicide. If you ever need to talk reach out to me through PM. I won't say everything I've been through is this public forum but I promise you it's been a lot and painful!

I remarried and been married now over 20 years and have two kids now, young kids..... started late.

 

[PJ54]

Some people just refuse to see. I can’t explain it.

It would mean a shattering of their reality & that's devastating. I've been there & it sucks to the point of being almost driven mad so it's really an act of unconscious self preservation.

 

[Nomex]

I've been there & it sucks to the point of being almost driven mad so it's really an act of unconscious self preservation.

I just arrived here a few months ago, and I am still struggling with this. I literally feel like I'M on the verge of going mad. Partially becasue I knew how insane the whole world was/is...but because i knew JW's knew it to...and it turns out...they don't! They are perhaps more stupid, because all it takes is their leadetrs to tell them whatv to think, and they'll think it!

 

[PJ54]

I just arrived here a few months ago, and I am still struggling with this. I literally feel like I'M on the verge of going mad. Partially becasue I knew how insane the whole world was/is...but because i knew JW's knew it to...and it turns out...they don't! They are perhaps more stupid, because all it takes is their leadetrs to tell them whatv to think, and they'll think it!

When looking at the Org, there's a firm collectivist mentality. Collectivism can accomplish many things but all it takes is a manipulative, individualistic, & will to power psychopath to maneuver things & they take the lead. The JW's are by nature a passive crowd where they submit to the higher authority & place their trust into it. It's a recipe for trouble. Hang in there!

 

[SusanB]

I just arrived here a few months ago, and I am still struggling with this. I literally feel like I'M on the verge of going mad. Partially becasue I knew how insane the whole world was/is...but because i knew JW's knew it to...and it turns out...they don't! They are perhaps more stupid, because all it takes is their leadetrs to tell them whatv to think, and they'll think it!

This was in yesterday’s Memorial text, John 12:37-43: “Although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?” The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and has made their hearts hard, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn around and I heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. 42 All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but they would not acknowledge him because of the Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory of men even more than the glory of God.”

 

[kirmmy]

It is always very sad to hear such stories, and the loneliness caused by the pandemic is very real, I have an older brother in my congregation who is very much alone. I have kept in touch with him , and visited many times since the pandemic. We have talked in great length to the issues of the direction of the GB and he is still very much a believer in their standing with Jehovah. But he has told me that other than myself he has no association with anyone, no one visits him on zoom, phones him or anything. Not even the congregation Elders and Ms. who have the obligation to know the appearance of the flock. He told me they only call to confirm his parts in the school...generally a bible reading , no BS part or more in depth part , though this brother has pioneered , and served as a MS in the past. He is now 76 years old , his mind is okay , he can hold a conversation and visit quite nicely. He is very kind and has also told me he sends money each month regularly to the congregation and to the WWW. Two full years without an actual visit from anyone in the congregation other than me. He has just told me he has a sister in law that was just reinstated and she has called him to check on him. I actually had to call the elders to check on him because he wasn't at the meeting on zoom in the past and he wasn't answering my calls or emails. This shows how these kind of things, these suicides can happen. If you are old or ill, or living on your own the brothers "forget " you. Unless you are an Elder , MS , or pioneer , a close friend of one of them .....you are forgotten.

My wife and I are separated , because I shared information on covid from legit scientists , and because of Disfellowshipped son learned about many of the things we talk about here....she blamed me for his thinking and yet it was him who told me, though I already knew. But my point in all of this is that I have asked her if anyone has tried to contact her and encourage her and she says no. No one shows any interest in her, she goes to work and that is all the association she has...many have asked about us...one person called and said she was sorry to hear about us , and her husband is an elder, and nothing has been done to encourage her or even a shepherding call to find anything out and assist her. Which I would really apprieciate as we have acccording to the organization , no grounds for separation...and still nothing. I have asked her ..not even another phone call , text .... So it is not unbelievable that so many are suffering in the congregations and suicides are on the increase....hopefully with the restoration now of Meetings in person , things will get better , or many will realize something is wrong.

When I was in I made it a point to visit the older ones in our hall regularly. They were all wonderful and I'm pretty sure I got more out of the visits than they did. When my mom died and I started to fade, I neglected them. I thought they would be ashamed of me and visits would be uncomfortable for them. A while later the ones I was closest to died. I still feel bad about it. Anyway, they rest comfortably in Jah's memory now. The hard part is over for them. I hope to see them again some day. We should make it a habit to visit the elderly and those in need as you've done.

This is my congregation now and I treat the Brothers and Sisters here accordingly. I try and always be kind, encouraging and treat them with respect. I know if we were in a physical congregation I'd reach out to help them any time they needed it. If they needed help moving or with their computers, etc.

The elders though...When I finally faded for good, I didn't get one call, one visit. It was as if I had never been a part of their congregation. So much for "shepherding the flock of God in your care", eh. Just another reason to see that they have fallen. Now I see that it was actually a blessing that they left me alone.