JW and Sham Honesty Story

by mankkeli 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  mankkeli

  The JWs take pride in their honesty, For many years, this has been a strong marketing strategy for the purity of their religious dogma. You may be familiar with many stories of their members retruning found wallet and so on, But here is an example found from the 2010 Watchtower, March 15.

  "Emilio, an Italian Witness who works as a driver for a public transport company, found a wallet containing 470 euros ($680, U.S.). To the surprise of his colleagues, he handed the wallet to his supervisor, who later gave the wallet to the person who had lost it. Some of Emilio’s colleagues were so impressed by his conduct that they became interested in the Bible and started to study. As a result, seven people from two families have accepted the truth. Yes, behaving honestly from a pure heart really can move others to praise God.—Titus 2:10."

  Do you think this experience is universal in all JWs cases?, and does it justify the trustworthiness of the JWs as a whole.
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  iceguy

  Its my belief that the WTBTS make up those stories.
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  Ryan the Shaman

  One of my close friends had the CO over for dinner during his visit,

  and during the evening started talking to him about the long, emotional "experience" he'd relayed to everyone during his talk.

  (Some long convoluted thing about a Vietnam Vet. and his life story and finding the "Truth" etc. etc.)

  My friend really loved the story and found it very encouraging, at which the CO replied

  "Oh you liked that? Yeah I made it up myself" and was really proud of himself.

  My friend asked him to leave, then left the cult himself.

  Honesty among the rank and file - probably, but I suspect the higher up you go, the fuzzier the lines get.
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  BluesBrother

  Is it 100% guaranteed that every dub will do this? .....No. But in my experience they are generally honest , having been subject to a big guilt trip if they do not comply .

  The WTS never gives credit for any "worldly" person to be honest though. They make out that others would steal your wallet as soon as look at you, just because they are part of the "outside world". In fact I have found that a good many people from all walks of life are basically honest.
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  LostGeneration

  Of course its not universal. I once found $20 in a parking lot as a fully mind controlled JW and stuck it straight in my pocket. Where is the dollar limit set? $50? $200 $1000? It all depends on the JW.

  Sure they may be slightly more honest percentage-wise compared to the world at large, but I've come to find out it isn't by much. And the only reason they are honest in cases like these is out of fear - that their sky-daddy is gonna zap them dead at the big A because they didn't give that $10 bill back that they found laying on the ground.

  And don't get me started on this part:

  Some of Emilio’s colleagues were so impressed by his conduct that they became interested in the Bible and started to study. As a result, seven people from two families have accepted the truth. Yes, behaving honestly from a pure heart really can move others to praise God.—Titus 2:10."

  So what, even if it is true, compare that to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions who have been turned off by their cultish behavior. Shunning, no birthdays, silly 144k doctrine, the list is endless. So many have been turned away because of their cult rules that Jesus would condemn them for their silly pharasiacal actions.
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  stillin

  I know that in my own case, the world became a slightly better place to live when I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses..if you don't consider a brief visit on a Saturday morning to be absolutely horrible. I learned the value of personal integrity and though my belief system is slipping, I will always value honesty more now than I did before.
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  palmtree67

  Am I the only one who believes that MOST people *would* try to find the owner of a wallet containing $680?
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  Ryan the Shaman

  I'm with you palmtree67, I think most people are pretty decent and value honesty.

  Which sort of means that Emilio's colleagues wouldn't be going "Wow! That guy is SO honest, I wanna join his religion!"

  Silly, silly stories they make up.

  Basic honesty is not THAT unusual.
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  blondie

  What about this story, it would make the WT or Awake.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/social/current/43532/1/2-Elders-steal-6-million-dollars
• 

  CaptainSchmideo

  I was reminded of this scene from "The Simpsons" from twenty years ago...

  At the Flanders' dinner table...  A fella came into the store today and asked for change for a dollar? Well, sir, I gave him three quarters by mistake. Took me the whole afternoon to track him down! -------------  Rev. Lovejoy is about to dig into his chilled dessert. Mrs. Lovejoy  comes in, ``Ned Flanders is on the phone.'' Rev. Lovejoy mutters, ``Oh,  if this about that stupid quarter again...''  Rev.L: [reluctantly, to phone] Hello, Ned. Ned: Sorry to bother you, Rev. Lovejoy, but I'm kind of in a tizzy. My son Todd just told us he didn't want to eat his damn vegetables. Rev.L: Well, you know kids and vegetables. What was it? Asparagus? Ned: No, no, Reverend, the point is, he said a `bad word'! Rev.L: [realizes] Oh, oh, right, yeah. Well, kids usually pick these things stuff up from <someplace>. Find out who's doing it and... direct them to the Bible. Ned: <Where> in the Bible? Rev.L: Uh... Page 900. [quickly hangs up] Ned: But Rever--- [click] Rev.L: [looks down at his dessert, which has melted] Damn Flanders. -- ``Bart the Lover''