State Benefits how does it affect the brothers

by MARTINLEYSHON 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  MARTINLEYSHON

  Firstly may I thank all those who took the time and effort to respond to my post on the subject of Circuit Overseers and Corruption?

  The majority of your replies were very well balanced, and I do take the point that not all C/Os were or are indeed corrupt, and that there are sincere and genuine brothers out there.

  With regard to my new topic, I encountered some very strange thinking from bethel, than what was actually contained within the printed pages of the awake magazine. A number of years ago I read a very balanced article on the subject USE AND ABUSE OF THE WELFARE SYSTEM. Perhaps many of you recall that article, where it advised the friends not to claim state benefits if they were not entitled to so. Many of our friends took this advice to heart and signed of welfare to go window cleaning a common profession amongst the witnesses, in the main it is a cash only job that gives them the flexibility to put more effort into the ministry. ( please it is not to dodge the TAXMAN )

  During my time as a P/O and chairman of the service committee, we would from time to time receive Auxiliary and regular pioneer applications, from the friends who were claiming state benefits, we took the view in line with Awake’s direction that if they were telling the Govt that they could not walk more than 40 yards without help in order to get the extra benefits, then how on earth could they justify being on the ministry for 90 hours per month. Surely the society would not want to share complicity with such a fraud?

  To our utter amazement when we wrote to the Service desk for direction, we were informed that the ministry of pioneering was far more important, to approval ought to be given.

  Does this wreck of double standards? I would be interested to know if this problem is country specific or widespread.

  Just as a rider if you are wondering why I refer to the witnesses as friends, that is how the C/Os refer to them when reporting to bethel.

  Riff
• 

  Guest 77

  To the reasoning of the org., Jah does provide. How? Hmmmmm. Nothing can 'conflict' with God's law, excuse me, the org.'s law.

  Guest 77
• 

  blondie

  And what about brothers in construction who are on disability but sign up to work on quick builds?
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Well, to me, Blondie and Martin, that stinks.

  Perhaps 50 State Departments of labor will need to be alerted about "Theocratic malingering."

  "Hi, I'm a minister and an unemployment insurance cheat, and I'd like to tell you about God's Righteoousness..."

  - Nathan Natas
  UADNA (Unseen Apostate Directorate of North America)
• 

  ignored_one

  Without giving my identity away. (Unlikely really as I doubt anyone who knows me would read this board).

  My brother was recently turned down for aux pioneering for continuous reasons.

  1. Because he'd not done enough hours the previous months before he was baptized (this was recent and a big picky - most of the family agreed).

  2. My mum gets benefits for him. Now, he was born with a rare form of cancer, retinoblastoma iirc. So he only has 1 eye and has to wear fairly thick lensed glasses to be able to see. He also isn't as bright as he perhaps would have been if they hadn't blasted his young brain with radio waves when he was a baby.

  Personally I never particulary liked my old cong. They were far too cliquey. You know, have to be part of the ring to get the privlages or invites to gatherings etc..

  Edit: Not that I was after privlages or anything. I couldn't care less about being able to do the sound, mics etc.

  Anyway, that's my experience.

  Ignored One, (Iggy).
• 

  Bang

  "it advised the friends not to claim state benefits if they were not entitled to so. Many of our friends took this advice to heart and signed of welfare"

  Those dubs can really aspire to such high standards sometimes.
  Refraining from stealing - are they the sincere and genuine brothers?

  Bang
• 

  ozziepost

  The view of Service Department at the Australia Branch is that, so long as the welfare recipient advises the Social Security office of their voluntary work, then the pioneer application should be approved.

  Like you say, a double standard approach. But then they have double standards over other things too, don't they? And the elders are their agents in promoting those double double standards to the R&F.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

  
  - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress
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  nita6368

  I know that here in KY we went through a time period of everyone applying for disability and state aid. I am a caseworker in the welfare office here and I see witnesses coming in daily for state aid, the funny part about it is they usually stop by when they are in service, they will bring their book bags and all with them, undoubtedly if they don't recognize me as an ex-witness they will try to say something about the paradise earth...I cut them off quick so they cant count time with me .I agree, that if they can spend all those hours pioneering they could hold down at least a part-time job so our tax dollars aren't used supporting their ministry, if you ask me they are just lazy and claiming sickness/disability just gives them another reason to stay home from meetings. Oh my gosh, I sound so bitter...oh well maybe its because I have to get up and go to work everyday :)
• 

  Dawn

  Since Welfare benefits are limited to 5 years per a lifetime (Welfare Reform Act) it will be interesting to see what happens when the first group of 5 year recipients hit their mark (later this year)!!
• 

  nita6368

  Actually afdc or ktap...the state check has a 60 month limit but other
  programs such as food stamps amd medicaid can be received indefinitely.