The Most Charitable Work -- 50 yrs ago in the W.

by Thirdson 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  Thirdson

  Looking Back 50 years Ago –

  50 years ago the Watchtower made these comments regarding charity. It is quite interesting to read in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy.
  
  A train derails and crashes into the headlines. Or perhaps a factory explosion covers the front page. On such occasions or when flood, fire, earthquake or windstorm make many homeless and rob others of life or limb, as surely as the press is there to report it, so will other familiar figures turn up. The community chest will be there, the Red Cross with its blood bank will be there, priests fully outfitted with pious face and last rites will be there and politicians will rush back from a Florida vacation so that they can be there-all to offer charitable help.

  But let the disaster be on a smaller scale where the returns in publicity are not so promising; then the widely acclaimed charitable organizations do not flock to the scene. It is clear that they choose the publicized tragedies, that their giving may be publicized along with the event. The motive of attention and credit perches plainly on their every "good deed"...

  ...Today Christians carry on the most charitable work of all history. Their preaching of 'this good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness' brings spiritual healing to new praisers of God.-Matt. 24:14,

  NW

  Watchtower 11/1 1951 Page 643/644

  A lot of tragic events have occurred in the past 50 years. It is a great comfort to know that the Watchtower Society cares so much and that its most charitable work (most charitable in history even) has been a real help to humanity.

  Thirdson

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

  When I read that,I found myself shaking my head and saying "Such evil, evil people!"
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  Haereticus

  This is exactly what I remember from forty years ago. I recall one Watchtower article that more or less classified The Salvation Army a mere charity movement and so forth. Coming to closer contact after thirty years it is astonishing to find that new light has emerged with the pace comparable to the speed of light. But it makes me wonder why it has very little to do with the Bible scriptures? Most of "the new light" I have run across deals with wordly issues and thus is just giving in under the pressure. Yet at the same time the whole society tries to be more and more closed as to the outer world.

  Remains me of certain mushrooms grown in dark and nourished with manure.

  "Proper preparation & planning prevents piss poor performance." - Awul Dasfilshabeda and Nowaynayda Zheet
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  Eyebrow

  I have to admit that I have seen charitable acts by individual witnesses and witness families over the years. There were a few occaisions growing up that my family were helped out with food when my father was ill and could not work. It was much appreciated!

  However, it has always saddened me that there was not more of an organized effort to make sure that there are things on hand to help out those in need, on both a small private scale, and larger scale. The WTBS is always quick to point out how they send trucks full of stuff in natural disasters, etc.., but nothing is really ever done by witnesses as a group on the local level.

  There are hundreds of people in our local area that volunteer in soup kitchens and other charities. I doubt very much any of them do it for the publicity. It is too bad the JW organization never encouraged people to do nonreligious charity work at a local level. It would really help the JW reputation in this area...and teach JWs how to make a difference in life.
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  MacHislopp

  Hello Thirdson,

  thanks for the excellent quote.

  It proves that only the " WTBS ...is good ",

  according to their own writing. The other are

  not really doing anything...!!

  Simply...HYPOCRISY at the highest level.

  Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

  " One who has an accurate knowledge
  of God's Word will have no problem
  in refuting false religious ideas".
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  ozziepost

  G'day Thirdson,

  Thanks for bringing this quote to our attention. I must say that I felt sick just reading the W/T quote. So many of us were making our stand for 'the truth' at about that time thinking that we were following Christ.

  Anything good is immediately discredited if it's "worldly", yet as we have seen abundantly during and since the terrible events of September 11, those thousands performing charitable deeds are not doing it for glory or even recognition as the WT accuses, but they are helping out of the abundance of human kindness and compassion.

  When we think of the wicked acts of terrorism we despair, yet when we consider the outpouring of human love and compassion, we are filled with hope for the future. There is good in all of us. The WTS fails to appreciate that fact.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
  Anonymous