Meeting announcement for emergency contact info of non-JW friends & relatives (?)

by LongHairGal 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  LongHairGal

  I just saw this post on Reddit and can hardly believe it.

  If I remember correctly years back they told you not to have anything to do with non-JW friends or relatives. They discouraged you from bothering with non-JW family and to avoid them on holidays!! I needlessly missed out on some delicious holiday meals with people who genuinely cared about me. And, for what?

  So, what is the reason for this new direction and what kind of message does it say to people still in the religion?

  Is it because nobody can count on their so-called spiritual brothers and sisters to be there for them when things get bad? Is it because too many Witnesses are leaving and the rest are too old or just plain irresponsible? If I remember correctly, JWs weren’t necessarily ‘there’ for you even when things in general were going well. Some never said hello.

  This puts many active JWs in a bit of a predicament. What if they have been shunning their non-Witness family for decades and there are hard feelings? Also, what if the non-JW relatives are Out and don’t want to be contacted. They certainly would not want their name, address and current phone number on any form given to the religion! I know I wouldn’t. Also, what about JWs who never cultivated non-JW friends because the religion told them not to (“Bad associations spoil useful habits” 🙄).

  I am Out and thankfully have no family there so this has no effect on me but the few JWs I know are in this situation. It really makes you wonder about what IS going on there.
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  FedUpJW

  Is it because nobody can count on their so-called spiritual brothers and sisters to be there for them when things get bad?

  IMHO that is it in a nut-shell. In my own case I saw that my parents were kicked to the curb, ridiculed, and ignored entirely by those who for so many years were always there, usually with their hands out claiming, "We looove you," Had it not been for my retirement savings to allow me extended care-giving trips, and a very kind DF'd family member who lovingly gave me relief breaks every couple weeks caring for my parents in their final few years they would have had no one. Not one single person from their congregation could be bothered to do anything other than tell me that I should put them in a home somewhere! Sorry (expletives deleted).
  
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  LongHairGal

  FEDUPJW:

  I’m glad your parents had you and that other kind relative. Forget about the people in the congregation.

  In another Nutshell, this is what the real problem in the JW religion is as I see it:..The Witness religion (UNLIKE Christendom) has NO programs to help anybody!! Therefore, the wrong ‘message’ is that Other people in the congregation are going to be hit up for money. They never tell this to new recruits because I’d never tolerate it.

  The BIG problem with this is that the religion discouraged college and careers so many are low income. Also, there were hateful attitudes towards people who did get careers! Much of the vindictiveness was on the part of people who NEVER wanted to work but preferred to be in the full time ministry with part time crappy jobs..These people also got invited to special gatherings that I was never invited to….SO, what makes anybody think people who got criticized are going to give money to people who didn’t want to work??? This would also extend to what you said about your parents getting help. I mean, what kind of ‘help’ would you imagine they were going to get from people in the congregation?

  No offense, but I think this is a wrong expectation that people in a congregation are going to care for anybody’s aged parents. Really? (Hospitality here and there and barbecue invitations are one thing: caring for somebody else’s relatives is another thing entirely.).. Just be glad You were there for them and that you had enough sense to plan for your retirement.
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  Disillusioned JW

  LongHairGal what you read on reddit seems to be true based upon what https://avoidjw.org/announcements/ar-2022/ says was included in the May 2022 announcements, but it might have something to do with "Disaster Preparedness". There it says "Emergency Contact Information" in regards to "For the Secretary". My attempt at home to download the associated pdf failed.
  
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  pontoon

  My guess is the money guys in the organization know that property and money may inherited or left to relatives unknown to them so by having close contact names gives them a head start on going after anything of value not willed to the society. They can be ruthless when it comes to claiming rights to a dead witnesses' property.
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  Foolednomore

  Thank God I have strict dealings ( no Jw's) involved with any disaster or family issue. In fact all our faded family have clear orders if Jw's come around if their is a death / incident. It's bad enough they come in the deli/bakery of my sisters and ask for euros. Or the ones that show up at my business asking for money or to pitch and ideal to make an investment. What's bad is some of them are clients. I have to give them advice after listening to their story.
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  Hellothere

  Yeah get a feeling it's to get family Into org. Or telling jws to have good contact with non jw relatives. Why? Because no one in congregation gonna help you in the future. You only have your blood family if something goes wrong. This is what happens when you teach congregation that only true Jesus brothers are the GB and all help should go too them. Creates a "dont help anyone in congregation" environment.
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  LongHairGal

  HELLOTHERE:

  Yes, but it’s too bad that the teachings of the JW religion denouncing college and careers led to the situation today of too many people in one place with their hands out.

  When I was there I was in the midst of major criticism because of my full-time job. Thank God I paid no heed.

  If the religion instead encouraged college and careers - you would have self-sufficient, responsible people there who wouldn’t have to worry about needing help from anybody in the congregation.

  The bad situation there today is largely a direct result of decades of knocking decent careers and the gullible people who followed this. Elderly affluent people are dying off; intelligent and/or fed up younger people are leaving the religion. Who are the ones left? I’ll bet a significant portion are needy..And, now these ones are apparently being encouraged to have contact with their non-Witness relatives. 🤷🏻‍♀️
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  Biahi

  Pontoon, you are so right. At my previous job, a co-worker converted to become a JW. I told him not to, but he did it anyway. Well, he died suddenly of a massive heart attack. This was in Chicago, and his mother and other relatives were in Mexico. After his funeral, some witnesses showed up at the workplace to inquire about any life insurance, 401K, etc. what nerve! Anyway, the boss was smart enough to throw them out, after informing them that everything was going to his (worldly) mother in Mexico.
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  Atlantis

  This site is a little slow loading the documents.

  Non-JW Emergency Contact Information.
  

  
  

  Page 4 in this PDF is highlighted. Emergency contacts do "not" have to be a Jehovah's Witness.

  
  

  https://pdfhost.io/v/ebCRRaxtk_202205S147_sBi_E_AR

  
  

  Page 3 here is highlighted which shows "relative" emergency contact information.

  
  

  https://pdfhost.io/v/kRz0Y8QZG_Microsoft_Word_EPP_Publisher_filedoc

  
  

  
  

  Atlantis!