Feed the Poor or Help the WT? (Mt 25:40 Christ's "Brothers")

Open mind

Some Bible passages I can vaguely remember reading as child without the Borg blinders on. This would usually happen after a speaker introduced a single "proof text" verse in a talk and then I'd keep on reading in the Bible instead of staying in sync with the Borg software download. (Guess I was destined for "apostasy" )

One of these passages is Matthew 25:34-40. Jesus said in vs 35 & 36: "For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you received me hospitably; naked, and you clothed me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me."

Then vs 40 says: "Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

I can remember commenting as a kid that this shows we should help out the less fortunate. WRONG!!!! Boy did I get a quick Borg smackdown! Those "brothers" are obviously the less than 10,000 old geezers who once a year have a bite of stale cracker and wash it down with a slurp of cheap wine. Uhhhh..... OK Dad, whatever you say.

Anybody else have an experience similar to this? And, BTW, how do you understand these verses? You don't have to even accept the Bible to chime in. (I don't, for the most part)

Open Mind

logic

Try using this scripture on any JW and see how far you get. I have used it several times when discussing 'field service' . JWS will clam up and try to get away from the subject as fast as they can. God forbid that you might actually help someone in need. It is a case of using only the scriptures that please you. They know that their pitifull amount of time in 'field service' is nothing compared to helping their fellow man. There is another scripture telling the disciples to sell their belongings and give to those in need before they left to go spread the good news. I personally have never seen any JW do that either. They claim they follow the Christ, yeah right. As long as I was in the 'truth' I never understood that, I always helped who ever I darned well felt like helping.

carla

My jw says they do that when they help each other or like when Katrina happened. I however have read far too many stories of 'the family' (jw's) in severe need and the cong ignored the problem or told them to first apply for government aid.

sinis

Yes my ex PO father just told me that the cong my mother still attends will not help out a single (w/kids) needy sister to A) fix her refrig or B) buy a cheap new or used one. When my mother approached some of the wealthier (talking millionare here) they said that she wasn't strong enough in the truth and the we must each carry our own load. My mother almost shit herself, and my father was pissed at first but said it figured. Hypocrasy at its finest...

Inkie

Note Christ's instruction TO the Little Flock at Luke (12:32,33 or is it 19:32,33):

Go sell your belongings and give gifts of mercy! Well, that ain't happening! Various translations write it differently but still very succinct.

--Inkie

Inkie

When I hear the kind of stories like the one Sinis writes I just want to scream and cuss and swear and hit someone. Usually the self-righteous hypocrite!

--Inkie

Scully

this shows we should help out the less fortunate. WRONG!!!! Boy did I get a quick Borg smackdown!

Ain't that the truth!!

I never could understand how it applied to the WTS, when they already had billions of dollars worth of prime real estate in NYC, were charging interest on KH Building Fund loans to congregations (from money that congregations had already donated), millions of volunteers peddling their literature, donating money for it when it was picked up at the KH and then donating again when people gave money toward Printing Costs™, etc, etc, etc. How does the logic work there?? It makes no sense to consider the WTS "less fortunate" and more worthy of JWs' generosity, when they're the ones milking the cash cow for all it's worth!!

Hortensia

they operate more on the system of "to the one that has more will be given." Very poor families in our congregation, including my family (single mom, three kids, desperately poor) were NOT helped by others in the congregation. As a result, I like to give things to people, everyone needs some attention. If I was rich, I would have a foundation that would go to schools and just buy clothes for really poor kids so they could dress like everyone else at school. I don't have the money, but I do what I can because I've been that poor little kid.

emptywords

I agee... I remember this older fellow I knew years ago, we got talking about the witnesses (I was out at the time) he said those hypocrites, when I had my farm years ago we were in one of the biggest floods in years, our farm was awash, and we saw these two people (man and women) slushing through water near to their knees coming toward the verandah, we thanked God thought they were coming to help, may have had some food in those bags, when they said they came to preach about the bible, I told them to p*ss of quick smart, they couldn't have given a damn, he's never spoken to them since.

zack

The leaders of this religion have always appealed to the base desire of survival and "spiritual" greed. They have taught their followers that the "reward" of God is a nice house that someone else will build for you and gardens, and lemonade and pet lions, etc..... The "doing of good to others" in never emphazised---- unless, of course, you're giving your money to the WTS. They are IDENTICAL to the religious leaders of Jesus day. Not that they are alone in this, but I beleive they are highly reprehensible in that they claim such exclusivity in mission and in adherence to themselves.

These guys are evil, man. Evil.

Feed the Poor or Help the WT? (Mt 25:40 Christ's "Brothers")

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