spiritual stupidity is more like it
or perhaps spiritual suicide
instead of "wt" standing for "watch tower"
it should stand for "what the...?"
Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower provide Shelter and relief to poor of NYC...by leaving...
by Balaamsass2 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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LongHairGal
BALAAMSASS2:
All kidding aside. The many needy JWs could use REAL social programs like the churches in Christendom have (food pantries, etc.)
There must be many thousands of Witnesses who followed the religion’s faulty teachings to be in the ministry because ‘the End was near’ - instead of having a decent job/paying towards retirement.. Unfortunately, those JWs back then wouldn’t be caught dead in a full-time job like me... I was scoffed at and considered ‘unspiritual’!
Meanwhile the religion did away with their counting of time in 2023.. What are those JWs supposed to do who rang doorbells for 30+ years pushing the religion’s magazines, etc.?? Can you imagine the state of things in congregations now with needy older people waiting for the End to save them..??? Glad I am not around this - not to mention how happy I am that I never fell for the pioneering fervor all those years ago!!
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NotFormer
LHG, the bible actually says that people to work to provide for themselves and not to be a burden on others:
But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thess. 4:10b-12 ESV*)
WT, on the other hand encourages people to be a burden on others, be they government welfare organisations, mainstream Christianity's churches' charity arms, etc.
*NWT, of course, waters it down to not sound quite like that.
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LongHairGal
NOT FORMER:
Yes, tell me about it.
The Bible says to work and provide for yourself, but too many Jehovah’s Witnesses somehow think they are going to get ‘around’ this and attempt to be a burden on others.
But, I would never tolerate them coming near me... Call me hard but I don’t have any pity for these people deceived into ringing doorbells who didn’t work at a proper job because ‘the End was coming’.. Not my problem.. They imagine they are going to target people who worked and who got criticized!!!... I could not be around these JWs now because I wouldn’t give them so much as a dime. Anybody made a snide remark there would be an altercation.
Let these goddamn fools go ask the religion for money since that’s who they were working for.
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Balaamsass2
When I was at Brooklyn Bethel I was astounded by the callus attitude of Bethel leadership toward the abuse of public aid/welfare. Zone overseer, and Pres. GB N. Knorrs' assistant Dave Mercante, encouraged local congregation members to sign up for all public welfare programs to Pioneer full-time. Some in our Brooklyn congregation did. NYC had great Job training, free educational opportunities, and plenty of employment opportunities...instead many local JWs pioneered on the public dime.
Using their religious tax-free status deprived the City of much property tax revenue needed for public schools, public safety, and local aid programs used by JWs. "..The city’s Independent Budget Office estimates that the return of the three properties to the tax rolls could generate $2.2 million to $6.8 million annually."
In addition, individual JWs' "interest-free loans" for the construction of the Watchtower buildings frequently were never repaid. Per Bethels' direction, traveling overseers pressured publishers to forgive or extend the loans.
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LongHairGal
BALAAMSASS2:
I had heard that too about JWs who pioneered and collected while claiming they ‘cannot work’.
So many things about the Witness religion I learned to hate but the biggest one is how they frown on working at a responsible job and push the ministry instead. This leads to dishonest people who cannot differentiate between right and wrong.. They think any means will justify the end of them getting their ‘hours in’ in this phony religion so they can have their silly title of ‘pioneer’..🙄.. I wasn’t impressed.
I never, in the years I was there, aspired to it.. Don’t know if this was because I wasn’t raised a JW… But, when the religion did away with the counting of time in 2023, I was overjoyed that I never listened years ago.. Even if somebody didn’t get pioneer hours, they still spent time that they can never get back. This is why I am grateful today that I spent my hours in a secular job!
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LV101
Longy -- YES -- I couldn't believe all the slugs living off the government (actually taxpayers!) and conning every one they possibly could inside the hall. A couple of the clergy class (elders) solicited for them -- makes me sick thinking about it! I heard many JWs lie and claim to have mental issues to qualify for government aid/handouts and peddle for WT. Many individuals will do anything (pioneer) to fit in/be accepted. It's the norm for JWs throughout US to use the gov.
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NotFormer
I heard many JWs lie and claim to have mental issues to qualify for government aid/handouts and peddle for WT.
I'd be interested to know how many pioneers in Australia are on Disability Support Pensions (DSP)*. Of course, such details are covered by confidentiality legislation, so we'll never know. I imagine that the little old lady JW pioneers that I knew back in the day were on the Age Pension.
* You only have to demonstrate 20% incapacity for any** disability, including mental health issues, to get it.
** There're probably strict definitions as to what constitutes a disability.
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LongHairGal
LV101:
Back when I was a believer I saw a few of the types you mention that “tried to con everyone they possibly could inside the hall”. They were mixed in among the decent types.
I stayed the hell away from Witnesses like this and really had no patience for them. You had to wear boots and watch where you stepped because they were so full of shit about everything really. They usually had pretensions of great ‘spiritually’.🤮 Maybe they fooled some, but I saw through it and considered it a ‘gimmick’ possibly to get what they wanted
But, because they were pio-sneers they got invited to dinners and special gatherings that I was not invited to because I worked full-time. But, I’m retired so it was worth it to be avoided back then.
It’s too bad that some JWs either don’t know or don’t care that they are viewed as undesirable con artists to be avoided, by me anyway.. But, I am Out so I don’t have to deal with these people ever again!