Why do ultra rich jehovahs witnesses get a free pass when it comes to being materialistic?

by hoser 31 Replies latest jw friends

  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    I think you know the answer to that question!

  • J-DUBBED
    J-DUBBED

    I have no problem with any JW being rich. But don't condemn riches and the good life for everyone else while simultaneously building your own empire.

    I think what the J-Dubs don't see is they are all "Human" like everyone else. What goes with that is they are "Two Faced", "Brown Nosing", "Bag Licking", "Back Stabbers",..........................Just like anyone else.

    Double standard is good for them but wrong for the "Worldly's"

    Retards...

  • sparky1
    sparky1

    BRAVO!!!!! Well said,AndDon'tCallMeShirley!!!!! Someone finally 'called a spade a spade' and shined the light on a BIG problem within the Jehovahs Witness religion. YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS-Jesus Christ. I say that ALL wealthy people in this religion should put their money where their mouth is. There is nothing wrong with having money or building equity, but if a Witness persues riches in this system of things than he is 'just rearranging chairs on the Titanic'. His works belie his religious philosophy.

    A person is judged not by what they say but by what they DO.

  • Terry
    Terry

    If I stand on one side of a large aquarium and gaze through it to your side of the aquarium at you,

    you can do the same looking at me.

    Neither of us imagines for a fleeting second the other person is actually immersed in water tickled by swimming fish!

    But--Jehovah's Witnesses have a way of looking at the world THROUGH a kind of aquarium-ideology, imagining

    water and fish ARE a part of the world.

    Whatever that mechanism is which REMOVES the aquarium barrier and prevents their mind from INCLUDING IT, is absent for them

    CONTROLLED CONTEXT

    Through a series of stages of learning, Newbies go through layers of indoctrination.

    1. Forced perspective comes in early stages of "studying the Bible" using WT literature. The questions at the bottom of the page CONTROL context

    for curiosity.

    2. Fewer and fewer opportunities for contact with non-JW's constricts the flow of outside information. Context tightens.

    3. Fellowship with JW's restricts agreement/disagreement which reinforces a singular perspective. A World View is instilled.

    4. Loyalty to GB POV becomes the only path to total acceptance, promotion and opportunity.

    5. Occasional DF-ing of the flock increases anxiety about non-conformity. Shunning signals the price of individuality.

    6. Cognitive dissonance allows a small compartment (double life) for holding on to sanity.

    7. Only by refusing to acknowledge the discrepancy can the JW hold on to their sense of safety in a cruel and evil world.

    ___________________

    What does all that have to do with WEALTH?

    When I was a JW and first started associating around the Kingdom Hall, I noticed the difference in treatment of wealthy witnesses.

    When I asked about it I discovered a weird perspective. Having a rich person in the KH gave the rank and file a sense of inclusion

    rather than exclusion. How so?

    They saw it as embracing diversity! A kind of lion and lamb scenario.

    The New World Society was equal opportunity for inclusion of races, backgrounds, economic status and sexes.

    Ha ha ha. I thought this was silly. Except, the longer I was around it, the more it normalized. I conformed by dint

    of constant exposure.

    Celebrity JW's, such as Mickey Spillane, could write books about sex and violence and remain in good standing! How?

    They showed that Jehovah's people weren't oddball Puritans--they were REAL people!

    The polarity used by a JW in filtering out discrepant facts was and is ASTOUNDING.

    ___________________________

    Every thought and behavior is being controlled.

    The GB seeks to be the puppetmasters and they are succeeding.

    Prince, Michael Jackson, and all the other JW celebs are seen through the aquarium and the water and the fish are part of the

    special status world. Don't doubt it.

  • pcop
    pcop

    I have written about this extensively. Money is at its roots.

    The congregation I was a member of had lots of wealthy business men. Mostly construction company owners who had big contracts and business. Almost all of these men and their sons were Elders and Ministerial Servants.

    I remember one Elder (a poor man) give a talk one Sunday morning that no one was expecting. He came down on the wealthy Elders who would harp on persons missing meetings or not putting in enough Field Service hours.

    The gist of his talk was the wealthy are at an advantage. They have stay-at-home wives who have plenty of time to Pioneer and prepare meals and care for children. The poor do not have that luxury. Often times there are single moms with children who have to work, take care of house, prepare meals, find time to study and get to the meetings. Often times not having a car. Poor married couples find they both may have to work and still find time to study and get to the meetings many evenings tired and worn out.

    The Elder was showing how arrogant and insensitive the wealthy within the congregation can be.

    I saw a lot of people nervously quirming in their seats. It was a great talk.

    Needless to say, that Brother was asked to step down. He gladly did and moved several miles away to another congregation.

    I have seen hard working and deserving poor Brothers passed over for Ministerial Servant and Elder to the children of the wealthy who have been in and out of trouble. Disfellowshipped and reinstated and become Elders!

    I have seen young 19 and 20 year olds become Ministerial Servants and Elders stand up on the podium giving talks about marriage and child rearing while qualified older men (who are poor) with families sit their and listen to a child counsel them!

    The excuse I heard was, "Well, the older Brothers are not reaching out?" That was not true. The older Brothers had other responsibilities such as work and families to take care of. Those young single 19-20 year old children has wealthy parents and no responsibilities.

    Yet, most sit in the Kingdom Halls with fake and plastic smiles and when the prayer is concluded each withdraws to their respective abodes talking behind each others backs.

    The Watch Tower's main problem now is that it's reputation and image is crumbling. Image is everything to the Watch Tower. Young people are leaving in droves; especially African American youth. This is an alarming statistic that the Watch Tower cares not to discuss.

    Most of the African American youth within the congregations are their because of they are under the care of their parents. They play the game and go along with the program until they are old enough to get away. And get away they do.

    Sadly, many of them do not know what to get away to and they are left confused about life because the "sheltered" life within the organization is all they have ever known. As a result, quite a few of them go bad and are find themselves in a violent and crime ridden world that sucks them in.

    Rich kids are protected for the most part. They have mommy and daddys money to live off of. They are given "privileged" responsibility as Ministerial Servants and Elders and this keeps them within the organization.

    The organization does very little for youth; especially those of color. One must understand what it must be like to open up publications each day only to see Adam, Eve, Angels, Jesus, The Prophets, The Apostle and other portrayed in the likeness of the European. Yet, the Watch Tower does not want this understood. And, it wonders why it has lost so many young people of color.

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    I so appreciate this topic. Just reading all the thoughts given, I began to remember feelings that i had squashed down for many years. This subject was never allowed to be discussed, even the griping complaining sister who thought of herself as NON hypocritical, would not allow me to say anything about the obvious class system. She said it showed I was spiritually weak, if I thought wealthy jw were taking advantage of their status.

    Marina

  • skeeter1
    skeeter1

    Why should wealthy JWs show humility by giving up their material possessions? The WTS doesn't believe hte world is going to end soon. The WTS is investing in new headquarters, Kingdom Halls, Assembly centers, technology?

  • prologos
    prologos

    free pass? it does not matter,--because they rich have their reward now?

    the sad part is that the hardworking time-starved poor think that "god' will make an equalisation,-- very soon. -- NOT. never has, is not in the scheme of the universe at all.

    Predatory behaviour is rewarded with hardly any empathy shown.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    hoser - "Why do ultra rich jehovahs witnesses get a free pass when it comes to being materialistic?"

    The answer is imbedded within the question.

    The richer the JW, the more shit he gets away with.

    The Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince is a textbook example.

  • AndDontCallMeShirley
    AndDontCallMeShirley

    The Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince is a textbook example.

    Don't forget the tennis players currently known as the Williams Sisters and George Benson.

    .

    Sincerely,

    The poster formerly known as Shirley

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