What message of Goodness do they teach?

by ozziepost 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  ozziepost

  The latest study article encourages Witnesses to display goodness in their everyday lives. (January 15, 2002)

  Nothing wrong with that, you may think, but what motive is being fostered in the article?

  On page 18 are two illustrations under the caption "Displaying goodness brings fine results" and shows a Witness couple helping to change the wheel on another motorist's vehicle. (Incidentally all are dressed in their "Sunday best". What else?!) But in the second illustration we see that the woman Witness is now engaging in a home Bible study with the woman motorist.

  The message is clear: Do good - but make sure that you use the opportunity to carry out your work. This is emphasized in paragraphs 19 - 22 under the subheading "Goodness Brings Fine Results" which relates examples of how this works.

  When will it ever become clear to the WTS that we do good to others because WE WANT TO, not because we have a goal in view.

  "The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world."-James 1:27

  Cheers,
  Ozzie
  
  "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
  
  Anonymous
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  Frenchy

  I agree that goodness should be practiced without wanting something back in return. Witnesses are conditioned to be good so that people will notice and so that they will, in turn, have an opportunity to 'teach them the truth'.

  It's carried even further than that, however. A sister who had some emotional problems began slowing down on her meeting attendance and then eventually just stopped. (Yes, I checked on her and her husband and tried to see what I could do to get them going back to the meetings.) After a while it became apparent she was not coming back and furthermore they decided to move to another city. One day my wife asked a sister who lived a couple of houses down if she had seen the backsliding sister. The neighbor told my wife that she had seen her a couple of days before and that she was packing. My wife asked her if she was helping her with the move and the neigbor replied: "Why should I help her? She doesn't come to the meetings anymore!"

  I think this typifies a large portion of the witnesses. They have been conditioned to view any who drop out as lost.
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  outnfree

  About this doing good in order to be noticed by others? I was aggravated in reading the same 1/15/02 WT's back cover entitled "Fine Works Glorify God" (I think they had to italicize "Glorify God" in the title, because the article itself glorifies "true Christians.)"

  The article is another exercise in self-masturbation by the Watchtower Society, proclaiming how grateful Italian officials are to the Witnesses for aid offered after a Sept. 1997 earthquake and an October 2000 flood there. In their own words, "These relief efforts did not go unnoticed."

  After patting themselves on the back by bringing their good works to light, the article concludes: "Jehovah's Witnesses happily glorify God, not themselves, by performing 'fine works' that help their neighbors spiritually and in other ways." (Italics and bold mine.)

  The 'fine works' alludes to the Scripture in Matthew 5:16. Perhaps the Society should have read a bit farther along in that gospel to Chapter 6:1-4 "Take good care not to practice YOUR righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise YOU will have no reward with YOUR Father who is in the heavens. Hence, when you go making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to YOU, they are having their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, that your gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is loking on in secret will repay you."

  outnfree

  When the truth is found to be lies
  and all the joy within you dies ... -- Darby Slick, Somebody to Love
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  Had Enough

  Hello Ozzie:
  

  When will it ever become clear to the WTS that we do good to others because WE WANT TO, not because we have a goal in view.

  That was my first thought exactly when I read your paragraph on the two illustrations!

  The WTS seems to have no idea how their kind of spin on "doing a good deed", affects one growing up in the org. To constantly be told to do good deeds with a preaching goal in mind certainly can lead to the cold-heartedness we so often see in JWs and does not cultivate the real reason for doing good....because we want to and can help someone else in need.

  What a true but sad example of misguided guidance!

  Had Enough

  "Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world.
  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."...Margaret Mead
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  AjaxMan

  I wonder if they are doing "good deeds" because they have to or because they want to.
  If they are doing it just so they can preach to others to gain converts or proselytizing, then that is just messed up. That's the same as "The End justifies the Means".

  Ajax
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  Undine

  How well I remember those feelings of "helping someone so that
  I could get in a sideways witness" to them. It is almost as though
  a JW should feel guilty if they do something nice for a non-witness
  and then NOT attempt to "give a witness". SO MUCH GUILT!!!!!

  What a confinement of one's spirit!

  I think that this is one of the most lovely new sensations for me, that of helping people, befriending people,
  simply, BECAUSE. No strings attached. No guilt feelings for NOT droning on about the Bible. No dread
  feelings for forming natural friendships, not friendships stifled by the constraints of "doing good" together.

  Undine
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  ozziepost

  G'day outnfree,
  

  The article is another exercise in self-masturbation by the Watchtower Society, proclaiming how grateful Italian officials are to the Witnesses for aid offered after a Sept. 1997 earthquake and an October 2000 flood there. In their own words, "These relief efforts did not go unnoticed."

  I agree with you. The article concludes with the words: "Jehovah's Witnesses happily glorify God, not themselves, by performing "fine works" that help their neighbours spiritually and in other ways."

  Notice the "other ways". What message does this give the R&F?
• 

  Thirdson

  "Goodness Brings Fine Results" It is true but the Watchtower's version of fine results is more converts.

  I guess the article didn't highlight much in the way of giving to organizations that provide food to the poor, shelter to the homeless, or encourage doing good by volunteering at a soup kitchen, working with kids in reading programs, working as mentors or coaches. I guess they didn't suggest helping other programs that help young offenders, alcoholics or drug users or suggest giving to organizations that provide health care for the uninsured, counseling for families or legal advice for immigrants. I think fine results are achieved by the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the United Way but the WTS might quibble that they are not "good" orgaizations and therefore can't do good deeds.

  It is sad that the WTS idea of doing good is a means to their own ends. I worked last Sunday evening at a downtown church. All the people who came to be fed were offered flyers. Not one mention was made about the church and its religious program. The flyer simply listed all the places where free meals and shelter can be obtained in the city along with a list of other aid organizations. Did feeding 280 people, men, women, and a number of children produce fine results? I think so and I find waiting tables far more rewarding than I ever found selling magazines.

  Thirdson

  'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
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  Eyebrow

  My mother convert to witness when I was five years old. Until then she was Baptist. However, she learned goodness from her parents, and passed it on to her children. She will go out of her way to help anyone and does not hesistate even if giving a witness is not her goal.

  The sad thing is that growing up I thought that really only witnesses taught this. But then I realized that you dont have to be of a certain religion to be good to others. It took many years to realize that.