WT and money

mankkeli

Being absorbed in making a living sometimes poses grave dangers. It may lead to love of money. In the first century, there was a group of religionists called Pharisees who were known for their love of money. As an ex-Pharisee, the Christian apostle Paul was fully aware of their life-style. “Those who are determined to be rich,” warns Paul, “fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have . . . stabbed themselves all over with many pains. Yes, “love of money,” doing anything and everything for it, can ruin one’s life. Such a course does not result in happiness - WT 89 7/15

Since leaving the organisation, have you encountered any major challenge in the course of pursuing of wealth?, Have you felt your daily activities are tantamount to being stabbed all over with many pains because of reaching out to money. Has your life being ruined somehow for not heeding this advice, Please deliver your views on this.

Mad Sweeney

Being out I haven't had to pursue riches. The time and money saved simply by not wasting them in serve-us, traveling for talks, donating to the Borg, and other worthless pursuits has been enough to profit me and my family.

TheyCantDoATing Man

Still today after 10 years leaving I am plagued by 'am I being greedy?' thoughts. The WT installed a 'no need to work' mentality in me that I find hard to shake off.

WTWizard

Once I was able to quit wasting time in field circus and going to boasting sessions, I found it that much easier to earn money. Fact is, just going to boasting sessions and out in field circus is as demanding as another job would be. Besides that, you get zero value out of those deadest of dead works.

And that goes double for business owners. Which is more productive, going to a stupid boasting session or going to a meeting (online, perhaps) to negotiate a deal with a major supplier of what you are trying to provide? Which is going to produce the same value, a morning in field circus or a morning trying to advertise and get new clients or researching your clients' needs so your business can better serve them? Both require the same amount of time and effort.

And the stakes go even higher for those who migrated to another country to start a business there. Usually there are rules in becoming a citizen of a new country by starting a business, generally involving a minimum amount of jobs you create for the natives and/or how much you are providing in terms of tax revenue. If you meet those minimum requirements, you get to stay. If not, you could be forced to leave (for a country that possibly has become politically unstable or is now a tyranny). (Also, if you meet those minimum requirements, you could be reasonably well off in spite of layoffs and headed for retirement.) Are the witlesses going to waste your time on stupid things, and then claim it wasn't Jehovah's will for you to be there?

i_drank_the_wine

No, leaving the JW's for good didn't really affect my financial mindset much. I always worked hard and hustled to have a nice new car and other things like that.

However, the process leaving the JW's: losing a wife (my finances as a result too), losing my entire family, and losing the few people that I thought were friends combined with working from home and living in a new town where I didn't know anyone wound up taking a heavy toll on my work ethic, mental health, and physical health. Isolation, depression, forming addictions, losing motivation, "letting yourself go", and on and on. Still trying to get out of this funk even though I've turned things around quite a bit.

So, in a way, yes, leaving JW's affected my $$ situation quite a bit, but not my desire for it.

Ding

It amazes me that an organization that lectured JWs about greed bought up most of Brooklyn Heights for cash...

sir82