Posts by life is to short

21

'Seek the Kingdom First' Economics

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

has anyone else's family finances been victim to the 'seek the kingdom first' economic policy?.

for years, my husband and i have had our own business, my husband is not the most proactive guy, prefers to go in field service than to work, but he has always encouraged me to 'rely on jehovah and all these other things will be added to you', 'seek the kingdom first' etc etc.

there have been times, such as when i was heavily pregnant and we lost a big deal, that i have been begging jehovah on hands and knees to honour that promise, wondering why he wasn't helping us.

life is to short

I am in the same place. My husband has told me Jehovah only helps when you get to the very edge and have one foot over the cliff and are ready to jump financially. It also mean's that Jehovah will only give you what you need to just exist which means it could be just one slice of bread a day. It would be enough for you to live on and nothing more.

I am not joking that is how he truly feels. I stupidly bought into it. We pioneered where the need was great, other pioneers were buying new cars and parking them two blocks away so as to not get door dings on them and then squeezing their fat bodies into our Honda Civic. There were going to on date nights to restaurants that I could not dream of going to. We never even had date nights as my husband was to busy being an elder.

I got on my knees begging and pleading with Jehovah so many times, crying my eye's out, pleading for help. I had a key to the hall as I was a pioneer and there were times I would go into the hall alone and get on my knees pleading and pleading with Jehovah for help.

Nothing, I got nothing, but I was yelled at by the other pioneers for not having money. That is all I got. It is just so frustrating. Living on one slice of bread a day is just a joke and we have been down to that little at times. My husband just kept telling me to keep my blinders on and focus on the Kingdom. It's hard to when you are watching everyone else have a life in the religion and you are living on nothing.

All I can say is it is just crazy and I truly think it is a mental illness that causes people to think that way. It is not right and if there is a God that is not what he wants from us.

LITS

21

You have to admit, the carrot is pretty alluring.

by John Aquila in

there were several families that were visiting my mom today and i was sitting in and just listening to all of them talk..

they started talking about the recent shooting at the university.

and its so easy for them because all they have to say is;.

life is to short

You summed it very well. I never thought about it that way. I guess that is the very reason I stayed in also. I saw so much wrong, when I pioneered and was at Bethel but I always thought the new system would fix it and the new system was always close. It definitely would come before the year 2000, then it would definitely come before 2010.

Then one day I realized that it was not coming. It was horrible to loose that hope I still feel so empty and I wish sometimes I could go back to that way of thinking but its kind of like realizing there is no Santa Claus once you know you can't unknow it. You are so right that is why I stayed in for so long.

Love your posts and take on matters by the way.

LITS

42

1975 all over again!!!

by John Aquila in

wt study edition jan. 2015.

here is the bait:.

as the number of kingdom proclaimers increases and as we near the end of this system of things, there is an urgent need for more facilities.

life is to short

Oh and I remember one time Don Underwood went on a rant about temporary's expecting help. How the Society was not there to help ones get back to NY to work, and that the ones in charge such as himself expected them to pay for at lest their first time coming back to work and then and only then would the Society think about paying for airfare in the future. While we were there some very well do do elders came back all expenses paid. That NEVER happened to any of the rank and file JW's only those who were had money and were connected so someone at Bethel. None of those who had their way paid for needed money to get back. It really, really bothered me but I again tried not to think about it too much.

Also the very first week we were there Gill Nazoroff ( not sure if I am spelling his name right ) went on a rant saying how sick he was hearing from ones who had come back to work and then left and were struggling to make it on the outside and blaming Bethel for their problems. I so clearly remember him saying no one forced them to come and they should have counted the cost.

At the time Gill's comment really bothered me hugely but like everything I tried not to think of it and keep my blinders on like the good little JW I was raised to be.

LITS

42

1975 all over again!!!

by John Aquila in

wt study edition jan. 2015.

here is the bait:.

as the number of kingdom proclaimers increases and as we near the end of this system of things, there is an urgent need for more facilities.

life is to short

We did this in 1990. Sold everything, drove back to Brooklyn to work on 90 Sands with only what our 1984 high milled used Honda Civic could hold. The high miles came from driving 35,000 miles a year in the county pioneering. It was the same push back than with the same wordage in the magazines and from the stage.

What the car could hold was all we had to our name. We gave up everything. Two and a half year latter it was goodbye hope you make it somewhere but expect nothing from us,, don't let the door hit you in the butt. We took a vow of poverty, gave up some of the best money earning years of our life, years that cannot be replaced.

We came back to the congregation and everyone treated us like we were stupid, dumb and lower than scum for being so stupid as to not have jobs and a place to live. NO ONE HELPED US AT ALL. I totally felt like everyone in the "truth" felt we were idiots.

We did have a few elders offer us jobs working for them minimum wage which was $ 4.00 an hour where we were. $32.00 a day or $640.00 a month. Just to get a cheep rental was $800.00 a month.

It was so scary and terrifying. I was still a believer stupidly and I prayed and prayed and prayed my brains out. NOTHING from Jehovah. I worked three jobs and my husband got a full time job so much for going back into pioneering like we were told to do from Bethel.

All I can say is these stores are either made up or those people are in for a huge, massive let down.

LITS

17

Pioneering

by Sabin in

i`ve heard many pioneers claim that they are deserving of material things because they are the ones who make all the sacrifices.

one claimed that jehovah had made sure that she got absolutely everything she wanted right down to shelfs so she could put up pic`s of her family because, to quote "we are so deserving, we`ve made the sacrifice".

mind you this is the same sister who told me "it`s harder for me having my son d.fs than for a mother loosing her child in death".

life is to short

The whole time i pioneered Jehovah never gave me a dime, through I never EVER, EVER, went around begging either. I would have rather died then to do that. We never got anything from anyone.

I felt and still feel pioneering is a choose that one makes and it is up to the pioneer to take care of himself.

That being said looking back I think the other pioneers must of felt that my husband and I had money because we never whined and complained about how broke we were. We had at one time ten pioneers in the hall, we were in the hall because the need was great for elders and my husband was any only elder for over half the time we were there and I never saw him as a newly wed. But that was OK because as the CO told me Jehovah needed him and I could have my husband in the new system which was going to happen very, very, very, very soon.

Oh the stories I could tell about the free loading pioneers it's just amazing. One couple who had NO MONEY for gas or a car to use in service because they bought a new one that they parked two blocks from the kingdom hall so as to not get door dings on it and just could not use in service because they could not afford to get it damaged as they had payments to make but like I said they also could not give anyone a cent for gas either, somehow this very, very broke couple could scrape the money to go to eat every day at the fast food restaurant and suck up all the fating food and then stop at all the convenience stores they could find and suck up sodas, chips and candy bars while they squeezed their fat bodies into our car. Then the wife got jealous very jealous because for one I just could not afford to eat like that and second ridding around in a car eating such fat foods would make me very car sick. So this wife HATED ME because I was thin. You just can't win.

That was just one example of many just as bad. The pioneers were selfish, rude, offensive, arrogant, self-centered, jerks. And I was unfortunately stuck in the middle of them.

I had every pioneer over for dinner, always had coffee after book study, NEVER once were ever invite to any of their homes for dinner though they did go to each others homes because I would hear about it in the car groups about how much fun they had and it was to bad I was not there but I was NEVER invited. We always used our car in service, sometimes my husband would even loan out our truck when no one else would have a car so at least three or four could squeeze into it for service. WE NEVER got a cent for gas, expect the twice I flipped out and this sister counted out five dimes and dropped them into my hand telling me that was all she had.

Even now it is just so upsetting to remember back on those times, such a sad time in my life. I hated every minute of it.

LITS

83

What woke you up?

by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

in march of 2014, i was a very active jw, a ministerial servant, gave a public talk, was an attendant for the memorial, and one of 4 cleaning captains for an international convention of 40,000+ attendees.

so what woke me up?

an innocent comment from a co-worker about the candice conti court case rang a bell that could not be unrung.

life is to short

For me it was pedophiles. I was a very true believer who would have given my life. I pioneered while living on nothing and I mean only $200.00 a month and serving where the need was great. It was beyond hard, than I went to Bethel and saw a lot of bad things but still came out of it with my faith very intact. Now I am a sister in the religion my husband was an elder and put the religion ahead of our marriage and even his life. He conducted the school while having a major heart attack because none of the other elders would fill in for him. That's how die hard he was and I was not far behind.

Than a pedophile moved into the hall we were attending and it was unbelievable how it was treated. From that one pedophile I learned that there were two more pedophiles in the hall one who was mentoring a young brother who happened to have a mentally challenged little sister who this pedophile eventually was able to watch alone at the meetings taking the little girl into the backroom alone and outside all with all the elders blessings.

To make this short my husband was deleted after being an elder for 32 years and putting being an elder ahead of our marriage. Like one CO told me I when I was falling apart once I can have a husband in the new system Jehovah needed him now. So my husband was deleted because I was not in subjection enough because I refused to take one of the pedophiles door to door. Everything fell apart after that.

LITS

59

Introducing Myself

by Peony in

i've finally got round to joining the site (after over 2 years lurking!

i was born into jws, pioneered for 10 years (met my husband at pioneer school).

had health issues that saw me catapulted away from 'the centre of the cong' and wow what a different place that was!

life is to short

Welcome

I can totally relate about the panic attacks, I used to get those along with unbelievably horrible head aches and my heart used to race sometimes while I was just sitting at the meetings so badly that I thought I would pass out.

Now I am a very healthy person outside of the religion and this only happened when I was at the meeting ts or around a JW's. The panic attacks still do happen when I am confronted with a JW who was hateful to me say at the store. I will have an attack shortly afterwords.

My husband was an elder also for 32 years and deleted because I was not in subjection enough because I refused to take a level 2 child molester door to door in our car.

It was such a dark and horrible time for me when I left. I am sorry for the pain you have went though and glad you found this sight. It is wonderful to be here. Thanks for sharing your story.

LITS

37

Go on welfare!

by life is to short in

i am going to make this short.

i ran into a older jw women who i have known my whole life.

she is pushing 80 and will never change.

life is to short

Also I feel so good working. I always felt like a slug pioneering. We just drove around and around aimlessly not accomplishing anything. I would come home from pioneering wiped not because of being truly tied but because of the gossip and hatefulness of the ones I was in the car group with. I would come home sometimes and not be able to move off the couch just because I was so stress out for the backbiting.

I love working, making money. I feel so good about myself. I love the fact that my bills are paid on time and that I can save some if I squeeze myself some. When I pioneered all the others wanted to do was stop at McDonald's, or a convenience store and buy sodas and chips and candy bars and they were so expensive plus they packed on the weight and as I said we just sat in the car. Plus no one wanted to use their car so it was usually our car's gas that we were wasting.

I just do not get how you do not want to take care of yourself. I even get some what of a high from working. I mean I truly wish I had saved more and not pioneered and went to Bethel but that is said and done there is nothing I can do to change it but I can now take care of myself.

I guess I just do not get those who are able to work who would rather take from the government. I just do not understand where their self respect is. It's OK for a hand up but nothing more.

LITS

37

Go on welfare!

by life is to short in

i am going to make this short.

i ran into a older jw women who i have known my whole life.

she is pushing 80 and will never change.

life is to short

Thanks rebel

I totally agree to report those who are taking advantage of the system. Especially if you can get pictures of them like Magmum said.

It just makes my blood boil when I see and hear of ones taking advantage of the system.

When we pioneered we did qualify for public aid and there was no way in Hades I would take it. I felt and still feel that I made the chose to pioneer or go to Bethel, etc and there was no way I would ever take from anyone.

If Jehovah was going to pick up the slack it would never be though taking advantage of others who pay taxes and work. I have always felt so strong about this.

I actually felt hurt at that sister for suggesting it to me. Her own daughter is on public aid and she gets horribly treated by her doctors, This sister and her husband help pick up the slack for the daughter so I was kind of blown away when she told me to go on welfare.

Every hall I have been in there have been ones who are on welfare and it just seemed natural to me growing up. There was one sister with kids my age who was divorced. For some reason she could not find work until the system cut her off when her youngest turned 12 and they told her there was no excuse for her not working. Then the system paid for her to go to collage and she got a job making $60,000.00 a year. It was so unfair.

Then in the hall I was in before I learned TTATT there was a sister who spit out three kids by different fathers. She somehow knew how to work the system and worked part time but got public aid to go to collage. She was one credit away for getting her degree when there was an assembly and she realized that Jehovah did not want her to go for higher education and that she should pioneer instead. The strange thing is Jehovah revealed this right when the system cut her off. So she sucked the system for years and never got a dregree but she did get a ton of praise and was used as an example at the assembly for dropping out of collage to pioneer. Isn't that sweet.

The more I read and know about this religion it is so wrong on so many levels.

LITS

37

Go on welfare!

by life is to short in

i am going to make this short.

i ran into a older jw women who i have known my whole life.

she is pushing 80 and will never change.

life is to short

I am going to make this short. I ran into a older JW women who I have known my whole life. She is pushing 80 and will never change. Well anyway the subject of retiring came up and I mentioned how pioneering and going to Bethel did not give a 401 plan and that I will probably have to work until I am at least 75.

Now this women in all fairness is a really nice person and is just totally mind controlled by the cult. She really does not have any true reasoning ability. I totally got that from talking with her last week and it made me sad. Her husband is not a JW and they have a pension and SS money, They say they struggle but they do fine.

So without missing a beat she said just stop working and go on welfare. I was just blown away. She said that at least one JW lady get better care than those who support themselves.

I tried to argue with her about how taking from the government was wrong when I had chosen my life and I had made the decision to pioneer, etc and that it was not fair to expect others to support me now through taxes but I just let it go realizing that it was impossible to reason with her. She was going to think what she thinks and she sees nothing wrong with using the system.

I just could never take like that but that truly is the JW mind set.

Speaking of which it is off to work for me now.

LITS