As a JW on the field service did you ever find people that were afflicted by very difficult or even dramatic situations and problems? Was it possible to help them?
As JWs on the FS did you meet people with severe problems?
by greendawn 8 Replies latest watchtower bible
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blondie
JWs very rarely get involved in anything that takes up too much time and money without any guarantee of spiritual status.
I have seen paraplegics and quadraplegics given a rush of attention only to see it drop off when they did not zoom into the organization or it was too hard to get them to the meetings.
People with severe mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addictions, etc., had to have been pretty well cleaned up and on the road to "normalcy" before most JWs would touch them with a ten foot pole.
Street people, despite the nice pics in the WTS, are avoided like the plague. But when "worldly" organizations find them a home and clean clothes and a job, then the WTS might take a look.
Blondie
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greendawn
That's a great post Blondie it shows that ultimately the JWs will not go out of their way to help people in great difficulties contrary to what they claim.
My most important experience here was with a man whose son had been arrested for killing someone during a fight for a girl in a disco. I could clearly sense the disturbed atmosphere in the house as this father was so depressed over this issue. -
pratt1
As a teenager I remember while in field service with an elder, we knocked on the door of a family who were dirt poor. Their house was dirty and it smelled. The woman of the house mentioned that her husband left her and the kids and they had no money or food and they were going to approach Welfare for financial help.
The elder told the householder that spiritual food was as important as physical food and that if she accepted a bible study "God" would provide the rest.
I then offered her the magazines for free (back when they costed 10 cents) and and gave her 5 dollars, all I had in my pocket.
After we left the door, the elder counselled me that if she really wanted to learn about Jehovah, she would have found 20 cents and paid for the mags, and giving her the 5 bucks was a mistake because now she would think that all dubs would give her a donation.
Of course I was very disappointed by his comments, but it taught me an important lesson: The Dubs only care about the success of the Borg. Anything else is unimportant and helping people is not part of their mission.
If you can't make a significant contribution to the borg either by money or your body, they couldn't care less about you.
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rebel8
In my local cong, the pioneers did pay attention to people with problems that we met. Our long term hope was conversion of course, but that didn't stop us from calling on them for years and years with no expression of interest or "progress". We were sincerely trying to be good people, following Jesus' example. We would give them literature for free, which I'm sure went right into the trash.
Sometimes we'd give them rides to the grocery store or to dr's appointments, even babysitting--counting our time but sincerely wanting to do a good deed. We were dirt poor ourselves, so it's not like we could help people financially--but I do know some dubs that do give groceries or even cash. I know one non-pioneer who does this stuff, all the while ignoring her own family's financial needs. In these particular situations, it was the blasted "householders" that were taking advantage, not the dubs.
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blondie
I guess that is the point too, rebel8, would JWs do it if they could not count their time? Would the elders encourage it if JWs could not count their time? I did see some JWs milk service time this way but then I saw elders tell them to drop these people when they did not make "progress." I would say that 99% of those who did try and help these people were women.
Blondie
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rebel8
I agree most would probably not do these things if they didn't get something in return. My group was probably an exception to the rule. I really don't know if we would have done that stuff if we couldn't count our time. Probably but not sure.
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TallTexan
After we left the door, the elder counselled me that if she really wanted to learn about Jehovah, she would have found 20 cents and paid for the mags, and giving her the 5 bucks was a mistake because now she would think that all dubs would give her a donation.
Yeah, now the society is out $5.20 - her $0.20 and your $5 that you SHOULD have given as a donation.....
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Low-Key Lysmith
One time when I was about 15, me and one of the old Elders went to a door. I to this day don't know why the guy even answered the door in the first place, but when he did, we saw inside, a crying, bloody, bruised woman who immediately began screaming at us for help. We went immediately to the closest phone and called the Police who came really quickly. They questioned us for a minute while they dragged this guy out of the house in cuffs. He kept calling us "nosy motherf##kers" and yelled that we should have minded our own business. Anyway, the Elder who was with me at the door found out what hospital she was taken to and went there to try for a study. The story has a sad end friends. She was baptized not long after and has now drug the rest of her family in with her including the abusive hubby.