Documentaries Prògraman Aithriseachd

[Eòghann] Chaidh mi a Ghrianaig agus dh'ionnsaich mi cùrsa airsonwireless operator. Agus an ceann beagan 's bliadhna fhuair mi Second Class PMG certificate 's chaidh mi dusan bliadhna gu muir an uair sin 's bha sin math cuideachd agus an dèidh dhomh tilleadh bhon mhuir fhuair mi eathar 's tha an t-eathar shìos anns a' bhagh ann am Malaig fhathast. Fhuair mi ann an naoi ceud deug trì fichead 's a trì deug i, agus tha an t-eathar 's mi fhìn an seo fhathast.

[Eòghann] Rugadh mi ann an Griomasaigh, Uibhist a Tuath. Nuair a bha sinn òg dh'fheumamaid a dhol dhan eaglais co-dhiù ma bha thu air a shon gus nach robh. Nuair a chaidh mi dhan Mherchant Service bha job math agam 's bha airgead math, math ann agus na calaichean puirt thall thairis 's mi a' chiad duine a bh' air tìr 's mi an duine mu dheireadh a thigeadh air ais dhan bhàta thoradh bha fhios a'm nach b' urrainn dhan bhàta seòladh gun wireless operator 's bha mi a' cluich air an sin.

[Eòghann] Cha robh mi a' bodraigeadh mòran ri eaglais ach, mar a chanas iad, an t-ionnsachadh òg, an t-ionnsachadh bòidheach. Ach bha e air chùl m' inntinn an àiteigin an ceartas a bha mi a' faighinn le bhith a' dol dhan eaglais agus corra uair bhithinn, cha robh fhios a'm, bha mi a' coimhead airson eaglais a chòrdadh rium. Ann an ninteen fifty nine fhuair mi eòlas air na Witnesses agus bha mi a' leughadh am material aca agus bha mi a' cnuasachadh a' Bhìobaill. Bha mi a' feuchainn rim faighinn ceàrr ach cha deach sin leam thoradh 's ann aig Dia as fheàrr a tha fios.

[Eòghann] Bha an deoch a' sìor-fhàs trom ach nuair a bha mi anns an wireless room dh'fheumainn watchadh dè na bha mi ag òl thoradh dh'fheumainn logbook a chumail agus thuigeadh daoine nam biodh an sgrìobhadh dona gur e obair deoch a bh' ann. Ann an cùl m' inntinn bha fhios a'm latha-eigin nam bithinn beò gun tionndaidhinn gu Dia, ach na Fianaisean Iehòbhah bha mi, fhuair mi a-mach tòrr mun deidhinn agus an seòrsa òil a bha mise a' dèanamh cha ghabhadh iad gnothach leam.

[Eòghann] Bha mi a' dèanamh an t-uabhas fhèin leughadh, gu h-àraidh aig muir thoradh bha ùine gu leòr agam. Bha mi a' studaigeadh an rud agus bha mi ag ràdh rium fhìn "tha rud math an seo". Thug mi ùine mhòr mus do chuir mi mo thaigh, mar a chanas iad, ann an òrdugh, ach bha, 's e an deoch a bha a' riaghladh mo bheatha aig an àm agus chosg mi còrr 's cairteal millean not ris an deoch. Chan eil taigh agam dhomh fhìn 's chan eil càr agam dhomh fhìn agus bha mi ag obrachadh cruaidh fad mo bheatha. Tha toileachadh agam an-diugh.

[Eòghann] Chaidh mi a Dunain House, pàirt de Craig Dunain , agus thuirt iad rium "ma tha thu airson cumail sòbarra choimhairlichinn dhut a dhol gu Alcoholics Anonymous". Agus rinn mi sin, agus nuair a dh'fhàs mi na b' fheàrr fhuair mi mo bhaisteach ann an Dùn Èideann nam Witness ann an 1990.

[Eòghann] Tha e mar eisimpleir oirnn ma bhios tu air do bhaisteach nad Fhianais Iehòbhah a dhol mun cuairt thoradh bha Crìosta Fhèin ag ràdh ris na deisciobalan iad a dhol bho thaigh gu taigh 's village gu village ach bhiodh an-còmhnaidh a dhà còmhla ach 's e mise an aon Fianais Iehòbhah ann am Malaig agus b' fheudar dhomh a dhol a-mach leam fhìn. Bha e cianail doirbh dhomh an toiseach ann am Malaig a dhol mun cuairt le Bìoball agus tràchdaichean orra. Bha mi, bha ainm aca orm "drongaire" agus fear gu math mì-mhodhail cuideachd!

[Eòghann] Tha e a' fàs gu math nas fhasa a-nis agus chan eil mi làidir gu leòr san inntinn airson gnogadh a h-uile doras ann am Malaig thoradh Ìosa Chrìosta Fhèin fhuair E gu math doirbh e a' soilleireachadh a' Bhìobaill anns an àite anns an robh E Fhèin a' fuireach.

[Eòghann] Rud as cudromaiche, rud a b' fheàrr a thachair dhomh riamh 's e sguir mi dhen deoch agus an uair sin, tha mi a' ciallachadh an deoch, an dòigh a bha mise ag òl, ach fhios agad cha b' urrainn dhomh Fìrinn Dhè fhaighinn nam cheann ceart on chuir mi mo chùl ris an deoch agus cha robh e furasta.

[Eòghann] Ma bheir duine eile dhomh creideamh nas fheàrr, gabhaidh mi e ach tha o chionn suas ri deich bliadhna fichead cha chuala mi duine a bheireadh orm even smaoineachadh air creideamh sam bith eile agus tha e air a ràdh anns a' Bhìoball "ionnsaichidh thu An Fhìrinn agus bidh thu saor".

Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2010.

[Ewan] I went to Greenock and I studied a course to be a wireless operator. And in just over a year I received a Second Class PMG Certificate and then I went to sea for twelve years and that was good and once I returned from sea I got a small boat and the small boat is still down in the bay in Mallaig. I got her in 1973, and the small boat and myself are still here.

[Ewan] I was born in Grimsay, North Uist. When we were young we had to go to church whether we wanted to or not. When I went to the Merchant Service I had a good job and it was very good money and at the port harbours abroad I was the first person on shore and the last person to come back to the boat because I knew that the boat couldn't sail without a wireless operator and I played on that.

[Ewan] I didn't bother much with church but, as they say, “learn young, learn well”. But it was at the back of my mind somewhere the morality that I got from going to church and occasionally I would, I didn't know, I was looking for a church that I would enjoy. In 1959 I discovered the Witnesses and I read their material and I studied the Bible. I was trying to prove them wrong but I didn't succeed because God knows best.

[Ewan] The drinking was getting heavier and heavier but when I was in the wireless room I needed to watch how much I drank because I needed to keep a logbook and people would twig if the writing was bad that it was the influence of drink. In the back of my mind I knew someday that if I was alive that I would turn to God, but the Jehovah's Witnesses I was, I found out lots about them and the sort of drinking that I was doing they wouldn't have had anything to do with me.

[Ewan] I did so much reading, especially at sea because I had plenty of time. I studied the thing and I said to myself "this thing is good". I took a long while because I put my house in order, as they say, but, it was the drink that was ruling my life at the time and I spent more than a quarter of a million pounds on drink. I don't have a house for myself and I don't have a car for myself and I worked hard all my life. I have pleasure now.

[Ewan] I went to Dunain House, part of Craig Dunain, and they said to me "if you want to stay sober I would advise you to go to Alcoholics Anonymous". And I did that, and when I got better I was baptised in Edinburgh as a Witness in nineteen ninety.

[Ewan] It is an example to us if you are baptised as a Jehovah's Witness to go around because Christ Himself said to the disciples for them to go from house to house, village to village but there would always be two together but I am the only Jehovah's Witness in Mallaig and I had to go out by myself. It was extremely difficult for me initially in Mallaig to go around with a Bible and pamphlet because I was, they had a name for me "drunkard" and a very rude one too!

[Ewan] It is getting much easier now and I'm not mentally strong enough to knock on every door in Mallaig because Jesus Christ Himself He found it very difficult to highlight the Bible in the place that He Himself stayed.

[Ewan] The most important thing, the best thing that ever happened to me was that I stopped the drink and then, I mean the drink, the way that I was drinking, but you know I couldn't properly understand God's word until I shunned the drink and it wasn't easy.

[Ewan] If anyone can give me a better religion, I will take it but for up to thirty years I haven't heard anyone who would make me even consider any other religion and it is said in the Bible "learn the Truth and you will be free".

This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2010.