As a JW did you "take a turkey" or accept the Xmas Bonus?

by confusedjw 40 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Gordy

  Yes I acceptted a Turkey at Christmas. Mainly because I worked as a butcher and was part of our bonus. Plus we did get a bonus as well.

  It was always explained to me that it was perfectly OK to accept such thing at Christmas time because they were viewed as rewards for work put in through the year. Its just that Christmas time is usually chosen because thats when people need money etc the most.

  I never met a JW who didn't refused his/her Christmas bonus.

  Even one of the "anointed" in our congregation accepted his when he worked. His excuse was that everything in the world, food and the gold, belongs to Jehovah so we would be rejecting something Jehovah had provided if we reused
• 

  Redneckgurl

  YES, I always did, and it is because of following the wonderful example of my father who is an ELDER, who said he deserved it and called it "end of the year" gifts. This is also how he reasoned going to the Christmas Parties, he said another name for it would be "End of the Year" party when they give out the service awards. Not sure that he spread that one around the hall, that he and my mom were going to those, but I figured it was ok if he did it! My parents also let us accept birthday gifts from our grandparents too, since after all, we didn't get anything else from them all year. My mom can't wait for Xmas time to see what kind of gifts she will get from her students at work either! How funny, hah?

  Seems like there would be so much hope for them to see what they are really involved in..........(sigh)

  Krissy
• 

  minimus

  YUP! And I was happy about it, too.
• 

  crinklestein

  Even one of the "anointed" in our congregation accepted his when he worked. His excuse was that everything in the world, food and the gold, belongs to Jehovah so we would be rejecting something Jehovah had provided if we reused

  So why reject birthday and Christmas presents given on each respective holiday?
• 

  crinklestein

  Yup, just give it a different name and its ok to celebrate it. Year End Celebration instead of Christmas or New Years. Just like Christmas replaced Saturnalia, Halloween replaced Sam Hain etc etc. Those changes were wrong but theirs is right. Funny how the actual celebration stays the same with them though, isn't it?
• 

  ConcernedMom

  My husband used to work with a JW who made a big stink every Christmas about being forced to take the day off so they had to let him work, even though the plant was shut down and it was a stat. holiday under their contract...he seemed to have no problem taking the double time and half for sitting there by himself all day though. A friend was telling me the other day that her husband can't get time off at Christmas because the 4 JWs he works with all take that week off and they have more seniority. Go figure...
• 

  Country_Woman

  I've always accept every bonus, was it for my birthday, Chrismas, the New Year or wahtever: I saw it as part of my salary.

  in this part of the world they never give turkeys....
• 

  sandy

  I always accepted the turkey certificates and christmas bonus as well. I did feel a little guilty and hipocritical but that never made me give any of it back.

  I know of a company owner that employs only j-dubs minus a few exceptions of the Boss's friends and family. Every year they close the office for a certain amount of days during the holidays, or at least they used to.

  They'd have a big feast and call it a end of the year party. I used to go and think how hipocritical all of us dubs were for celebrating christmas yet pretending it was something else.
• 

  sandy

  This got me thinking and I may have told this story before.

  One witness that worked for the employer I just spoke of above quit that job because they asked her to date packing slips a few days prior to the actual ship date. This bothered he concience. She spoke to the elders about it and one elder (who at one time worked for this employer) said it was fine and she had nothing to feel guilty about, it was a commen practice in the business world.

  She still felt guilty and left the company. Some of my friends would make jokes about her saying she was off balanced, still new in the truth.

  I forgot the saying dubs used when somebody newly baptized in their opinion is over-zealous. There was a comment many would make regarding these ones whenever they wouldn't do something that the average jw would.
• 

  jwNOT

  Several years ago I started a job as a bus aide a few days before Christmas. At the time i was a single mother with 3 children. All of the women took up collection of food items and cash to give to me the day before Christmas. Three of the women in the group were witnesses. One was my Aunt and her sister-in-law and her best friend. They contributed too. It was clearly meant to be a Christmas present. I was kind of embarrassed to take it since my witness Aunt was there. But she pulled me aside and said "Girl, you better take this food. You know you and your girls can use it. And you can get yourself something with the money."

  These 3 witnesses were all bus drivers and they accepted the gifts the passengers brought them for Christmas.