A New Trend for JW Baby Boomers?

NYCkid

I'm sure this topic has come up before but I'm new here :-) Since many of us are offspring of the baby boomer generation or of a generation earlier, I've noticed a trend. My parents and their siblings who largely grew up as Witnesses are now entering or have entered retirement age. Although my parents were generally hard working and responsible people, they have little retirement savings. Their JW siblings (also exceeding age 65) have little or no retirement savings. Many of their peers in their congregations have little or no retirement savings. I've noticed an unspoken panic (they wouldn't dare speak badly of the organization) among my parents and their siblings and peers on how they are going to live on their meager social security benefits especially as health issues are cropping up. For my parents and others who truly believed that they would never see retirement age "this side of Armageddon," the fact that "it" has never come is quite a blow to them. They really thought that they were among those "millions now living will never die" crap.

Anyway my concern is that the financial burden of caring for our parents is going to largely fall on me and my siblings which is not fair but I'm more than happy to ensure my parents will have what they need (regardless of how they treated me in the past).

Since the Society has sold the Furhman building in Brooklyn for something like 36 million dollars, it pains me that my parents who struggled, scrimped and saved while giving whatever extra they had to their religion now are facing a financially insecure future.

Am I alone in this problem? Has anyone else noticed this trend?

Thanks,

NYCkid

carla

It will be quite interesting to see just what happens to the org and all the baby boomers with the cash crunch, not so much for the org with all their real estate they own, stocks, and of course people they own. A guy on a different board seems to have just come out recently but is older and his anger is something else! Not just for all the lies, doctrines, loss of family but the financial burden put on him by not preparing for his 'golden years'.

Elsewhere

Yup, I'm seeing the same thing. Baby Boomers already have their parents living with them and now the baby boomers are starting to move in with their children..

Very sad.

"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the `last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: `This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.'
"Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way towards its finish, if not actually gone!
"This is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling....
"True, those who do not understand where we are in the stream of time from God's viewpoint will call this impractical. But which is really practical: preparing yourself for a position in this world that soon will pass away? or working toward surviving this system's end and enjoying eternal life in God's righteous new order?" Awake!, May 22, 1969, p. 15

ICBehindtheCurtain

Hi NYCkid, I'm a fellow New Yorker although now I live in Texas, WELCOME to the Board, Yes this is a very sad realization for all these poor people that sacrificed so much to this Borg, my mom included, today she is a regular pioneer thinking that she must do this because she already made this vow to Jehovah and can't back down. What is worrisome about her situation is that with as little as she gets from social security, she still feels compelled to donate money to those money hungry jerks in Bethel. My siblings and I help her with what we can, but it really irritates me that she sees herself as that widow that gave her last dime, and keeps donating money to this Empire.

IC

drew sagan

In my cong. the are many Baby Boomers that have no security. Most of them are still working, and will continue to work. They continue to go from job to job, painfully moving along holding ever true to the Watchtower. It's pretty sad. There are those I feel sorry for and those I do not. There are some indivisual Baby Boomers at our Hall that are also total bums. People who actually use the JW religion as an excuse not to do real work. Instead they float around, and make ends meet. But you know they are in the mode where they are just going to wait for Armageddeon, and not bother with anything else.

mrsjones5

My father will be turning 65 on the 7th of this month and last week my mother told me that he's waiting until next year to retired and collect social security so that he can collect the maximum of $1200 a month. My parents live in California and $1200 a month there aint much. My siblings and I are concerned that my parents mostlikely do not have much of a savings also.

Josie

jeanniebeanz

I have gone off like a bomb on this subject before. My dad is 87... He was still working when last I talked to him two years ago. Reason? Gave it all to the organization and there is nothing left.

Jean

garybuss

You wrote: Has anyone else noticed this trend?
I noticed it 40 years ago. Every Millerite, every Second Advent Christian, every Bible Student, every Jehovah's Witness, every human ever on the history of the planet has gotten old, gotten sick, and died . . . or is going to. The Millerites didn't even plant crops in the middle 1800's they were so sure they wouldn't get old and die. Fools suffer. It's a fact.

Groups like the Heaven's Gate group followed their delusions to death by poison. At least the Jehovah's Witnesses are just committing economic suicide. The Jehovah's Witnesses made fun of me and ridiculed me for working hard. My dad took the lead in that. Jehovah's Witnesses is a group where stupidity and gullibility are virtues. They deserve to struggle. They worked hard for that right.

Honesty

I feel sorry for them. However, I think about their situation and view it entirely from a spiritual perspective. Yes, the WTB$ has robbed them of their lives but didn't they have faith that they would be taken care of by the God of the Watchtower?

What happened to their God?

Doesn't he care about them?

Where are the blessings he promised them if they observed his commandments?

I'm sorry for them but I was in the same situation when I made my escape from the Lie. A year and a half ago I was broke, my health was so bad the doctors didn't give me more than a year, I was depressed from all the WT crap that I had so stupidly swallowed for over 15 years and I was at the end of my rope. That's when Jesus stepped into the picture. I give ten times more to Him in one month than I ever gave the Watchtower. Sometimes even when I don't have enough left over for lunch money or gas to keep my vehicle going. But I know my God and my Lord takes care of me no matter what because I trust Him explicitly. All that's mattered to me in the past 12 months is to worship and serve the Master, Jesus. The only thing from us He asks for is faith which is something no individual JW can give Him because no matter what they say to deny it, their faith is all wrapped up in the Governing Body of JW's. My health is... well all the bad problems are gone. I have found out that I can not out give God. The more I give Him the more He gives back to me. One of my local friends on this board has also seen what happens when a person trusts Jesus with their life. Sadly, too many people equate the demonised Watchtower Society with God and don't want anything to do with either when they escape. He is real and He is alive and well. Contrary to popular myths, He also is watching over His people. If all the JW's who love God, and I'm sure they number in the millions, would turn to Jesus and reject the apostate teachings of the Watchtower then they too could have peace and security in their hearts and lives. Some of the atheists and agnostics make fun of those of us who did just that but if they tried it with the real Jesus of the Bible and not the counterfeit one promoted by the Faithful Slave of the Watchtower then they too would have joy and peace in their lives.

daniel-p

"Jehovah's Witnesses is a group where stupidity and gullibility are virtues. They deserve to struggle. They worked hard for that right. "
Strong words, garybuss. Although I despise stupidity, I do not want my mother and father to suffer even if it is due to their own delusions. The great irony is, they think I am pursuing a life of riches or what have you, when the reality is I am working to take care of them in their old age.

A New Trend for JW Baby Boomers?

Share this