Are most JW's window washers?

by SlipnSlide 68 Replies latest jw friends

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    Finally-Free ,

    Just curious, how many years you have been into window washer business before switching to computers? WTWizard , I think your account adds a new and rich narrative to this window washing business as seen from a standpoint of an Ex-JW. In as much as I am not opposed to many of our own earning an honest living through window washing business. Mr. Flipper, a highly respected membership of JWN, is into cleaning business and is glad for that. However, what interstes me is that, a sizeable number of JWs are into it including some of my known JW friends. I knew personally of a family of JW in Brisbane, Australia doing it. Another another one in Toronto, Canada and mores in Rochester, New York.

    Scott77

  • agonus
    agonus

    Among the JW men I've known, it DOES seem like a disproportionate (to the general populace) number of them are either in some form of sanitation (window cleaning, janitorial, etc.) or home improvement/construction (including jobs like plumbing). And there's nothing wrong with those jobs.

    What IS eminently fair to say is that the reason MANY of these folks do what they do is because they felt it was their only viable career path due MAINLY to pressure from the WT - the well-documented anti-education, anti-materialism, anti-"worldly"-pursuits harangues they're constantly subjected to. And that is NOT right. If your great love is mathematics, computer science, the fine arts, teaching, or any field that may require the dreaded H-word (Higher Ed), you shouldn't throw away your potential IF you have the means to pursue it just because Slavey Sez.

  • JunkYardDog
    JunkYardDog

    don't laugh I just heard on the news that 2 men about 65 years old each got electricfied washing windows. my first thought was that they were jw's . We will have to wait to see if they are jw's?

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    don't laugh I just heard on the news that 2 men about 65 years old each got electricfied washing windows. my first thought was that they were jw's . We will have to wait to see if they are jw's? - JunkYardDog

    From which news media?

  • Finally-Free
    Finally-Free

    @ Scott77

    I was a machinist prior to 1983. That's when I got sucked in to the JWs and I started cleaning windows that year. I sold my business in 1988, mostly because I was sick of cleaning windows, and worked as a machinist again. In 1992 I went back to window cleaning again, and fluctuated between machine shops and window cleaning a few times from 1992-1995. That was because of knee and back injuries and surgeries, unrelated to work, but the work aggrevated it. That's why I eventually got into the IT field in 1995.

    I found the best things about window cleaning were that I had more control over my time, made good money, and could give myself a raise any time I wanted by finding new customers or refining my customer base. I found cleaning less vunerable to recessions than the manufacturing industry.

    The bad thing about window cleaning was that it wasn't intellectually challenging. The hardest part, for me, was getting my ass out of the car and walking the 20 feet to that first window. In many ways, I'm beginning to find the IT field about as challenging as window cleaning. Much of it is the same old crap every day.

    Maybe I was just born without an attention span.

    W

  • agonus
    agonus

    And to all the hard-working/working class folks on this board: I respect what you do enormously - and, believe me, no one hates elitism more than me. I'm certainly not anti-intellectual, but intellectualism is just one of many worthy human endeavours and does not make you a fundamentally better human being.

    But what you have to understand is that the Watchtower, in its anti-everything rants, practices a form of SPIRITUAL elitism. Everything outside of the holiest of holies that is the GB is suspect and everything that does not fit inside their matchbox sized realm of "spiritual" pursuits is a dangerous and ultimately pointless waste of time. That includes education, philanthropy, creativity, you name it outside of pioneering and a preferably menial job that pays little because a well-paying job is also a dangerous distraction. Admit it folks, is there ANYTHING outside of pioneering and service at Bethel that the WT has ever NOT at one time labelled a potential distraction/danger and ultimately worth little since the world is about to be destroyed? The only thing I've EVER seen the WT recommend wholeheartedly without attaching ANY guilt or potential danger to is "service to Jehovah". It's the only thing that is not fraught with potential peril. School, work, recreation, relationships, families, children, food - EVERYTHING "nonspiritual" has been "cautioned" against and guilted about at one time or another. But this is what dubs use to hold over the head of every walking-non dub (and many fellow dubs)... a sense of SPIRITUAL superiority - the only kind of superiority that not only MATTERS, but is CRUCIAL to this organization.

    And that, me mateys, is spiritual elitism.

  • agonus
    agonus

    To illustrate: Take the field of creative endeavours: Artwork (such as it is) and writing (such as it is) is an integral part of WT material. Music (such as it is) is an integral part of "worship". But you only ever see people actually MAKING art, writing or composing music in WT material WITHIN A VERY LIMITED CONTEXT. Occasionally you will see somebody producing art, music, or videos when you see photos or videos of Bethel workers. And you will sometimes see someone playing a guitar or painting a picture in a rendering of Paradise/The New System of Things.

    But ask yourself this:

    In the many illustrative photos we see in WT materials of what is supposed to represent average Witnesses at their secular jobs (usually accompanied by a caption about dangers of flirting, holidays, etc), when was the last time you ever saw any of these folks writing, drawing, painting, composing music, etc. - hell, ANYTHING creative - at their secular jobs? Would you get the impression as an outsider by looking at their literature that many witnesses earn a living doing anything outside of carpentry or paper pushing?

  • cult classic
    cult classic

    No. "Most" JWs are not window washers. But some are in cleaning businesses and of the ones I've known personally, they have done extremely well financially.

  • miseryloveselders
    miseryloveselders

    But ask yourself this: In the many illustrative photos we see in WT materials of what is supposed to represent average Witnesses at their secular jobs (usually accompanied by a caption about dangers of flirting, holidays, etc), when was the last time you ever saw any of these folks writing, drawing, painting, composing music, etc. - hell, ANYTHING creative - at their secular jobs? Would you get the impression as an outsider by looking at their literature that many witnesses earn a living doing anything outside of carpentry or paper pushing?

    Well, not to defend the WT, but they are a religious publishing company with an agenda. Maybe they have some sense of responsibility by not publishing articles with pictures depicting people drawing, painting, composing music, or writing. They know that their literature is viewed by their main supporters as the words of God. A very impressionable audience. The last thing that audience needs to see is that its ok for their youth to try a career in the arts. 90% of nonJWs who attempt careers at such, fail miserably. Confidently I can say that most people who decide to make careers in those professions, tend to end up in menial jobs, at least this threads opinion of what's menial. For every rapper and rock group that makes it, 10 failed, and the drummer is taking your order Micky Dees while at the same time trying to get the lead singer a job there too.

    My only beef with the WT, is they should know where to respectfully stand back, and not put their nose in anybody's business. It's none of their business, if someone decides to go to college, or pursue and a career in the arts. They overextend themselves getting involved in what people choose to do for a career. If they want to suggest pioneering, or missionary work, I wouldn't knock that if they wouldn't at the same time thumb their nose at those who choose not to pioneer. When they publish those anti-education articles, they expose their hand. They're a publishing company terrified at the thought that people are intelligent enough to make decisions without their input. They're terrified that people might choose a career to make a living as opposed to working for a religious publishing company with severe self esteem complex issues.

    Something I wonder, on this thread, since all of you former JWs are so enlightened now LOL, are you a bunch of money makers now? Are you ballin like Rick Ross since you left the window washing JWs? I don't what part of the country you folks reside in, but I'm a born-in, and I don't know that many window washers. I'll concede the WT goes above and beyond in ruining an individual's potential in life, but I still don't get the whole window washing stereotype. Buncha fire hazards on this forum, burning money like Rick Rozay since they figured out most JWs are window washers huh...........

  • jam
    jam

    Miseryloveselders; Iam black, no one is saying all JW,s are window washers.

    When I became A jw in 1971 in Pasadena Ca. , the cong. was predominantly black.

    I knew one brother in our cong. that clean windows. The rest of the brothers,eletrician,

    poster wokers, city workers, Teachers, salesmen,medic and A lawyer in other words

    all sectors of the work force. Now when I return to that cong. 1987 those brothers

    offspring, thier sons, A large percentage were car detailers, window washers( my nephew)

    janitorial service and A few very few trade school. Again I was in that line of work and

    made good money. But the bottom line for me, I want A better life for my kids.

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