So, a friends Dad is ill and in the hospital and it is not going so well. I went looking on Etsy because I don't think I have anything that would be appropriate. They are religious. I keep finding ones that are marked for JWs. Does anyone have any insight about this?

New JW pamphleteering? Heh, they're tired of handing out free dumpster doomed literature, I'm sure!

The consensus on the web is that it's okay to do that. I would keep the message simple without reference to religion to be on the safe side. I read one response that there should be no angels or crosses on the card, and if things go south, no reference to heaven. As for funerals, they apparently like to keep things simple with no flowers.

My friend is not JW, but the cards are marked that way. Lots of florals so I guess it is the cross/angel thing? So my guess is they would be fine as a "Christian" card?

I feel that if I were sending a card to a JW, I personally would avoid religious talk altogether, but instead just go for a tone of sympathy at a difficult time.

Some are quite dated, nonetheless interesting

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/191683/jehovahs-witnesses-hypochondria

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/102702/hypochondria

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1174772/

Of course, an anecdotal, chicken-and-egg-thing

Just my opinion, birthday cards, sympathy cards, etc., are the lazy way of doing things. A short hand written note it's more meaningful and heart felt than any commercial card can possibly convey.

Oh I will write on the inside too. They are very religious, Orthodox, and I am not terribly familiar. I woke to sad news :( He is on the other side of the country so there is not a lot else I can do but I want to do something.

Susan I/S Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh I will write on the inside too. They are very
> religious, Orthodox, and I am not terribly
> familiar. I woke to sad news :( He is on the
> other side of the country so there is not a lot
> else I can do but I want to do something.

Sending a thoughtful card about lifting a prayer for their dad and the rest of the possibly suffering family is a fine idea. Orthodox means probably staying away from particular cards as that could be easily viewed as maybe clueless or insensitive.
Sometimes I grab a pricy blank card and use crative writing skills (copy a card you like) to master the message.

I still like to send cards for Christmas and other occasions. I think a card of sympathy is very thoughtful. And yes, it's nice to add a personal note.

I have to wonder if the younger generation will continue the tradition of cards, or not. I just got a Christmas post card from my millennial niece, and I think it's the first one she ever sent. I've never gotten one from my nephew.

Well Summer, judging by the HUGE card making industry people are still making and sending them. I try but I really suck and it takes me a long long time. I got a kit to make pop up poinsettia cards for Christmas and they were so hard I only got one done lol. I said screw this, and moved on to Valentines. I will work on them for next year after Easter cards. I like to get them. I like to send them. My family and friends are kind and humor me about how bad they suck. I figure it is the thought that counts ya know? Most of what I have is Anna Griffin and mega foofie and I didn't have anything for a sympathy card. Hubby finds that astonishing given the amount of crap I have.

Yeah, it's not unusual for me to pick up a nice card when I see it for later use.