What is the Watchtower view on donating to charity?

by HereIgo 27 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Tallon
    Tallon

    I remember a comment made to me once by a brother; 'a bowl of soup never makes a christian'

    My response; 'a magazine never filled an empty stomach'.

    If looks could kill, I would have been dead!

  • blondie
    blondie

    But James said words were not enough:

    James 2:14-16New International Version (NIV)

    Faith and Deeds

    14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

  • James Mixon
    James Mixon

    10 reasons why people don't give to charity. 1)I already give enough. I prefer to invest in my own community. 2) I need to save money for myself and for my family. 3) My donation is too small to make a difference. 4) Poverty can't be solved. 5)Poverty isn't the problem it's the symptom. 6)Donations don't help the people who need the most aid. 7)Poverty relief is the responsibility of governments. 8) People should solve their own problems. 9) Giving aid makes developing countries dependent upon foreign resources and funding. 10)Giving leads to overpopulation. Number 10 I'am clueless how giving can lead to overpopulation, but which of these reasons apply to the WT?????

  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    Firstly you need to define the question - What do you mean by 'charity'?

    I ask, because in the UK they have a 'Charity Commission' and that lists all registered charities. Do they all count in your question? If not, why not? Would you be happy donating to all of them? After all they're all charities, and that was your question wasn't it? Yes?

    It is an issue - in the UK I believe the majority of fee-charging schools registered as charities - I mean what about Eton College for example?

    A Very Unusual Charity: Eton College

    Eton College is the principal fee paying school in Britain. Surprisingly, it’s also a charity. As a result, those who attend Eton are subsidised by the taxpayer.

    https://oedeboyz.com/2014/08/29/a-very-unusual-charity-eton-college/

    Is it right that public schools have charitable status?

    (note, in the UK the term Public School, means Private Fee-Charging School

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_school_(United_Kingdom)

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/29/is-it-right-public-schools-charitable-status
  • Nihilistic Journey
    Nihilistic Journey

    This was always a source of cognitive discenece for me. We were supposed to follow Christ's example while not helping anyone outside the congregation.

  • LongHairGal
    LongHairGal

    The JW religion doesn't believe in giving to other charities except themselves. If a JW were known to be giving to a certain charity I'm sure some nervy JW would comment that they should be giving to the religion instead.

    I have probably given thousands of dollars worth of stuff to Goodwill. But, that's material goods, not money. I'd never give money to the Witnesses or any other religion.

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    It's a one-way street for witnesses!

    The money only goes one way...and that is to the society...never to people who actually need it.

    Not even witnesses are helped out by a charitable gift from the orgniaztion!

  • Zoos
    Zoos

    Type: CHARITABLE GIVING into the search engine at jw.org and you will only find articles that tell you how to give money to Watchtower.

    https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=charitable+giving

  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    Hey LongHairGal!

    I have probably given thousands of dollars worth of stuff to Goodwill.

    You mean they don't tell you???

    In the UK you donate clothing and other items to a charity shop - and at the end of the year they send you a letter informing you how much they sold your items for! Cool eh?!?!

    If you are a tax payer, you let them know when you donate the items, then the charity (hopefully!) sells the items for money and the charity then claims that money as a donation from you via 'gift aid' so they claimback the tax you paid from the government - increasing the donation by 25%! The charity lets you know at the end of the tax year - also if you are a higher rate tax payer you get a small tax break if you claim it.

    It works because charity shops are computerised and can therefore put a unique bar-code sticker on each item that they can scan at the till when it is bought - it's really kinda a 'loop-hole' (swapping your clothes for money which is then donated), but it is standard practise nowadays.

    www.thirdsector.co.uk/hmrc-changes-rules-gift-aid-declarations-goods-donated-charity-shops/finance/article/1165048

  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    Type: CHARITABLE GIVING into the search engine at jw.org and you will only find articles that tell you how to give money to Watchtower.

    Or try the Index 2001 to 2015, page 79


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