A weird dynamic I have observed in the JWs is that the people with money actually do sustain the corporation through their donations but are generally judged for working full time and succeeding in this wicked world. On the other hand, pioneers spend hours upon hours in field service with little results and some don't even give financial donations reasoning that their time is enough. These are praised as spiritual and the pillars of the congregation!
What are Jehovah's Witnesses' stance on home ownership?
by timothytha 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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TonusOH
In the congregation I attended in the 80s and 90s, many of the elders and ministerial servants owned homes. And this was in a relatively lower-middle class part of New York City, where there were a lot of apartment-dwellers. One of the elders was a long-time JW who knew many of the GB members pretty closely. He had a few interesting stories to tell.
I don't recall ever hearing a negative word about home ownership, aside from the usual warnings against "the love of money" and similar ideas. I can recall murmuring from people about the nice car that so-and-so owned, the nice clothes that so-and-so wore, and so on. But not about houses. I guess when the higher-ups in the congregation are home-owners, people know better than to judge.
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hoser
If you want good financial advice from Jehovah’s witnesses observe what they DO and not what they say. Does the Jehovah’s Witness organization own Kingdom Halls, bethel facilities, and speculative real estate in high end neighborhoods?
Kinda looks like they do, so individual Jehovah’s witnesses shouldn’t criticise home ownership. If the payment is similar to what you would pay in rent you should buy the house. Some markets the payment is considerably less than rent so it’s a no brainer.
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road to nowhere
First post? Be aware we are naughty JWs or worse. I would be under a bridge without having bought.
You are tied down more if you want to move for a job or such.
The experiences are people who had equity and money, not the struggling peons. You seldom hear of visiting " "princes" staying where the door is a blanket tacked up or sleeping on a hide a bed. Always above average homes, the same as depicted in the literature.
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HiddlesWife
@LongHairGirl=> I agree with what you posted about the dubs who now do not have anything financial to lean back on because of their listening and living their lives intently/exclusively for this cultcorporation. The Borg/WT wants them to give all of their $$$$ to them that would NORMALLY be given/paid for a house and other activities/ pursuits (higher education, hobbies, entertainment, and so forth). As the R&F/membership gets POORER and POORER, WT gets RICHER and RICHER, much more WEALTHIER by the minute; so much unlike other cults/ religions who want their members/parishioners to succeed in life (Scientology, Mormons, to name a few).
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FedUpJW
would it be considered being worldly and materialistic and an overall poor investment (spiritually speaking)?
This is the general opinion among JW's where I live. Comments usually follow the thread that the time maintaining a home could be better spent in field serve-us, if you have a home you should do what Jesus told the rich young man, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven" the poor being WT, JW's are going to lose everything anyway in the great persecution so why own a home you cannot keep, and many more judgemental statements.
Fortunately I was taught different by my parents, even though they were solidly PIMI before they got kicked to the curb when they were older and less useful to the WT. Work hard, save, purchase property, and I was able to retire comfortably in my late forties, and enjoy a paid for home.
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Foolednomore
Watchtower sure wants you to donate your property to them when you die.
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JW GoneBad
Simplify...Simplify...Simplify!
That has always been the mantra of the JW religion. This is also the reason why soo many senior JWs are in such a poor financial state as they reach retirement. JWs have repeatedly been told to put her/his own life on hold & instead...'Seek 1st the Kingdom'!
The recent upswing in the U.S. housing market has added hundreds of thousands of dollars (💸 💵 💲) to homeowners' networth. Sadly JWs, being discouraged from buying a home, are missing out & instead paying a hell of alot more on rent and further in debt!
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Anony Mous
Interesting thing is that in congregations/circuits where home ownership is looked down or even frowned upon, whenever the ‘specials’ come (circuit overseers, bethel speakers for the special talk), the PO always seems to pick the person with the biggest house to go have lunch, dinner and sleep at night.
A really long time ago, my mother made this remark when we were all still PIMI to the CO, we offer our hospitality every year and open our house to everyone, yet because you would have to sleep in a small room, you don’t accept our invitation.
My mother and grandmother have been in da troof since 1950s, my mom eventually left about 20 years ago but my grandmother still is, never once had they had a ‘special’ visitor overnight, even though they offer every chance.
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Konagirl
@Hosier - I totally agree.
I understand that there is at least one GB member who has personal investment properties. These leaders are humans, we are all humans. We make our own choices, but for any humans of an organization which invests in land to build compounds that provide its leaders comfortable housing, and which has confiscated every kingdom hall deed around the world…for such leaders of an organization to tell ANYONE what a person should do about buying a home, is hypocrisy. If I didn’t have this home I live in and the space it sits on, I would not have a place of respite for young ones who have been rejected by their JW parents; who also by the way, own their homes.
I have camped in a van for long periods of time, lived in apartments, taken a hovel of a house and remodeled it along with my ministerial servant husband at the time, to provide adequate housing for our little children, and doing the same changes over the years according to job opportunities. And all the while, making sure we “put the kingdom first”, which translated into slaving for a "beast" of an organization, run by modern-day Pharisees. (Rev 13:1,2,11,12)