I am not a JW, so I don't know very much about some of these things. Recently a JW friend of mine called to invite me to the KH for a "talk" that a visiting speaker was giving. She went on to say how they were down-sizing at Bethel, due to equipment that is able to do the work, so they don't need as much man-power. She went on to say that Bethel was sending people who had worked there out to the congregations to have them absorb the people and that they had a hispanic couple (who had worked at Bethel for over 30 years) coming to their KH and they were trying to add on or find a cheap place for them to rent. She added that their congregation does not have a lot of money, but that they were going to help these people as much as they can, blah, blah, blah....Trying to show me how loving and generous the JWs are. I believe that many of the JWs are kind and loving, but the WTS in and of itself is horribly selfish. I wasn't thinking fast enough, but I should have asked why the WTS would send people out without some kind of a severance package, after all those years of faithful service, so that they could at least get an apartment and a few months of bills paid. Even the Catholics make sure that the nuns and preists have living accomodations! (She is always putting down the Catholics.)
If the opportunity comes up again, can you think of some other good questions I could ask about this subject? I am sure she will bring it up again, because I really dug deep with questions about what they are doing in THIS community to help the poor and the hungry. I gave examples of other churches and their charities in our community. How they help our down-trodden and show the love of Jesus. My husband is involved in a program that is helping children in extreme poverty be able to do things that other kids take for granted. "What are you doing HERE, in OUR community, to help feed and clothe the poor? Help the fatherless? Jesus said whatever you do for the least of these, you have done also for me. What are JWs doing for these? Where are the JW food pantries? The WTS charities? Where can I go to see first hand the great things the JWs are doing to help those who need it the most?" (She promptly changed the subject.) I think that she sees this Bethelite couple as being something she can use to prove that they do take care of the poor. That is a stretch, considering that the WTS used these poor folks for many years of free labor, and now they have tossed them out with nothing. No apartment in Brooklyn for them!
I want to be prepared for this topic to come up again, without appearing to know too much about the "inside operations" of the WTS. Any advice you have would be welcome on this!
Thanks!