There was something else that really bothered me at them time we were at Bethel. There was a natural disaster somewhere in the world and during morning worship the GB who conducted tried to guilt all of us Bethelites into giving just one dollar each to the disaster out of our small amount of money that we had just received.
I remember just being shocked and very hurt. My husband and i were not privileged to get green hand shakes and we had no family to help us. The small stipend that we received was all we had and it truly did not go far. A dollar to the GB I am sure meant nothing but to those of us who had to make 90 dollars last all month with driving to meetings, buying toiletries, etc it was hard to make it. We never bought cloths it was the hopper for us. I remember one sister, when I was in the 50 building going through the hopper looking down on me like I was scum and telling the bother who was walking next to her that she would never stoop so low as to go into the hopper.
This was coming from a sister who's family had MONEY and she dressed in designer cloths that cost a fortune. She also had an office job, no working in construction for her in 90 degrees and no AC with all the widows closed and paint fumes installing closets like I had to.
I remember feeling so hurt and so belittled that day as she walked by looking at me with pure disdain.
We just never had any money but I never made a big deal about it, I never talked about money. So many were always talking about how poor they were and then they put me down for living like I did. I was just amazed at how rude they could be. Like that sister really, what was I doing that could make her that mad at me? I was not in her way or telling her she had to use donated cloths but she knew I heard every word she said and she just glared at me. Why? I remember a brother who spent money like water one time put me down because I said I could not afford to do something that they were, usally it was buying a ton of junk food for breaks. I just could not waste my money on the stupid junk food that most of the pioneers sucked down. A lot of them were fat and then they got mad at me for not being heavy like they were. I never asked anyone to pay for me, or tell them that they should not do it, I just told them I could not afford it or I was not hungry. But many of them would just berate me for being cheep. Why is it cheep to admit that I could not afford something instead of going into credit card debt like so many pioneering JW's were doing. Then they file bankruptcy and feel its OK. I think that is rude and uncaring to expect the stories and society to pay for their bankruptcy. I know of a couple of elders who have filed bankruptcy and its like its no big deal.
Anyway I am getting off the point of how stupid and hateful this religion can be and how money truly is a big deal to most JW's and to ask bethelites to give up a dollar is just so wrong on so many levels.
LITS