Extreme Home Makeover Fresno--JWs don't help their own

by LDH 81 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  rebel8

  Having a hard time understanding how calling JR Brown to give him heat about the wts' epic fail regarding charities pisses in the cornflakes of a woman who lives on the other side of the continent.

  It's not as though JR Brown is really going to go to CA, is he? It's a way to open a dialogue about something entirely unrelated to this woman's life.

  wts has--

  • commanded adherents not to give to "worldly" charities
  • insisted its own donors not specify that funds are used to help its members with their personal issues, such as disaster relief
  • insisted members who have received volunteer disaster relief services to reimburse the wts
  • never created its own charitable fund to help needy members
  • created and permitted a culture where members utilize "worldly" charities to their own benefit, while insisting they not contribute themselves
  • OTOH, has disciplined members for utilizing some charities (YMCA, etc.)

  They deserve heat about it. I don't know why a phone call from the media is really a big deal. This woman will never even know of the phone call, probably. It has nothing to do with her, in reality.

  Maybe I'm missing something.
• 

  OUTLAW

  Rebel8..Read my 2nd post to LDH..That should clear up the confusion..................LOL!!..................OUTLAW
• 

  Bendrr

  This isn't about the disabled lady receiving help from non-Witnesses and expressing bitterness over either her receiving the home makeover or the possibility that the local JW's in her congregation have done little or nothing for her. For all we know, there might be some in the congregation who do quite a bit for her.

  The point is the FACT that the JW's have a long history of being a very anti-charity religion. The case of this lady receiving an extreme home makeover is just being used as a way to put a face on something we are all very well aware of, yet few outside the religion are aware of. The other Christian churches in the U.S. are light-years ahead of the Witnesses in this.

  Why shouldn't something like this be used to make more people aware of who is knocking on their doors selling Watchtowers? If it makes the Watchtower Publishing Empire look bad, and it does with what we know so far and knowing them like we all do, why not shine a light on their stinginess?
• 

  moshe

  What I do know, is this JW woman will begin to wonder why the WT Org teaches that worldly people are so evil? You can't receive charity from the world and not be changed by it. Maybe a year from now this lady won't even be a JW anymore.
• 

  asilentone

  leave any religion out of this lady's show!
• 

  Jim_TX

  I hope the lady - AND - her children, get a nice home to live in. I hope the kiddos get to express themselves freely - and get their rooms decorated nicely with whatever interests them (like race car beds, etc.). This might get them to actually thinking - which is a good thing.

  One thing that I hope DOESN'T happen, is that the family doesn't try to bring out all sorts of litter-a-ture and try to make it a 'witness'. This would - IMO - only cheapen their gift.

  One thought that I did have...

  There are two ways a JW can look at this... 'it's a gift from Jah!' - or... 'It's satan tempting - with worldly things.' It can cause quite a mental struggle.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
• 

  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  I guess I find this story of a JW getting a house to be ironic after I just killed still_in74's thread which quotes from the recent WT:

  Throughout the time of the end Satan has incited his earthly agents to oppose the anointed remnant and their other sheep companions. That happened in Western Europe under the Nazis and in Eastern Europe under the communist government of the Soviet Union. It also in many other lands, and it will happen again, especially during the final attack of Gog of magog. In that attack, opposers may greedily seize the property and possessions of Jehovah’s people, as enemies have done in the past. Satans main goal, however, has always been to break us up as a people so that our God-given name will be remember no more.

  Usually I don't think that JWs have much in the way of property to seize. I would be rather paranoid that opposers would want to greedily seize my 10 year old car, threadbare furniture, and maybe my Internet connection. In this woman's case, it would be Satan's system taking what Satan's system had given her.

  B the X
• 

  rebel8

  To the jw thugs who may or may not be reading, or who may or may not exist: Simon isn't responsible for what posters say or do. Don't go after him and his family for what anyone says here. You claim to not be responsible for your members' behavior. Extend the same courtesy.
• 

  LDH

  A silentone says "Leave religion out of this lady's show!"

  Anyone that's ever watched this show knows that the themes of GOD and RELIGION are a big part of the show, and may of the people who have been showcased have deep religious views.

  I wonder what your take on it will be once the show is edited and aired, and we're treated to hearing about her religion. Would your opinion change?

  The fact is that show has featured 180 families that have been helped, and there are many whose churches have been deeply involved in nominating the winners as well as rebuilding the homes.

  For years the Jehovah's Witness cult has been content to teach it's followers to "use the world but not to its full" -- in other words, how to take take take take take, and never give anything.

  When I called the PO of the local congregation to ask if they might be interested in making a donation to help pay off the mortgage, which the community is doing, the PO laughed and said, "That's a gimmick and we don't support people who can support themselves." Oh, I said, are there programs for those that can't support themselves? He said, "We have a worldwide preaching work that helps people make their lives better."

  When I reminded him that Jesus performed acts of charity WHILE spreading his message, he told me there are government programs to help people.

  Hopefully I'll have recording tommorow to post of their "official position" on charity.
• 

  Snoozy

  Someone commented that the JW's wouldn't help someone pay their rent..well the ones in our congregation did. We had a couple that moved here from out of state and he had a hard time getting a job. They had 3 small children. The congregation helped him find a job and later helped him with the rent..they appreciated it so much that later when they got back on their feet they would have brothers and sisters over for supper quite often.

  I know they used to get together and fix peoples cars and do grass cutting etc for those that were having problems..

  This in no way makes up for the cruelty of the shunning practice that they do but I did want to say how they helped several in our congregation and encouraged us all to do the same.

  Snoozy..