No Hope for the Handicapped/Sick/Retarded

by KennyC 10 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • KennyC
    KennyC

    Out of all the large religious orgs' in the U.S., the only one that I have seen without some sort of special transportation arrangements for the infirm is the Watchtower society. Not only that, the distributive help that normally comes in the form of monetary funds is nil. This they ignore although it was a service that was appointed by the Apostles for the sake of widows. Stephen was one of the men for the job in those days, as written in Acts chapter 6:

    1 Now in these days, when the disciples were increasing, a murmuring arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebrew-speaking Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 So the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them and said: “It is not pleasing for us to leave the word of God to distribute [food] to tables. 3 So, brothers, search out for yourselves seven certified men from among YOU , full of spirit and wisdom, that we may appoint them over this necessary business; 4 but we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the thing spoken was pleasing to the whole multitude, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and holy spirit, and Philip and Proch´o·rus and Ni·ca´nor and Ti´mon and Par´me·nas and Nic·o·la´us, a proselyte of Antioch; 6 and they placed them before the apostles, and, after having prayed, these laid their hands upon them.

    The WTS is usually predisposed to using their translation of "murmur" verse 1 solely for contentious purposes against supposed apostates who want help for the infirm while ignoring the subject of caretaking at large. Stephen was stoned to death later by Jews, so I guess he won't be around to take care of any more old folks, therefore the distriubution is no longer necessary, eh?
    ALthough the churches are better equipped for the job, it does not suffice to say that they are really any better, or that they really care more than the JW's. Granted there are sometimes (and I do mean"sometimes") some individuals who will go out of their way to help the infirm to get to meetings, it is usually another handicapped or sickly individual that steps up out of understanding and fear of condemnation. Yes "condemnation", as the all important meeting-attendance is the only thing that keeps a JW from slipping into apostasy, according to thier own interpretation of a verse in Hebrews:

    25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near.


    Many old folks and handicapped indivuals are forced to prove their faithfulness by driving over 100 miles to an assembly hall. My mother, a cancer and heart-attack survivor along with a few other infirm folks are forced to drive further and further in order to attend these circus assemblies at risk of life and lame limbs. They help one another without the aid of healthy people being involved.Myself being unwelcome and disfellowshipped, I believe that they may just be trying to make it difficult for us apostates to make waves by making the assemblies more and more inconvenient. Their fear of apostates is innately ridiculous and as they have admitted in more than one publication "apostates oftentimes frequent assemblies". This little problem of apostates, they feel, is solved by holding these assemblies in these non-public buildings, and is the real pupose behind their construction of such facilities. As a small child I recall several attempts by individuals to disrupt assemblies by taking over the mike during a talk, or picketing outside the facilities, but I now see it as peaceful protest. Back then I found it to be an entertaining break that kept me from falling asleep. JW kids are missing out due to their attempts at sheltering them from such things. Nor do they catch a break from all the boringly hot air.
    The JW's fear of men(good and bad) is a real problem that prevents them from fearing God freely and an excuse from performing duties that are distasteful to them. Anyone who complains about their lack of appointed caretaking and assistance, or their errors in doctrine will also be disfellowshipped as an apostate. I was one who did perform such distasteful but rewarding duties, and you see where it got me. Not to worry: I still feel confident that my efforts and deeds were not ignored, and as God has stated in his own words: "I owe you one.


    Proverb 19: 17 He that is showing favor to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah, and his treatment He will repay to him.

  • wednesday
    wednesday

    kenny, how did you post without all the usual stuff under your name?

    yes i it bad the way the infirm are treated. i recall an elder making derogatory remarks about a mentally ill man right to his face. he was just as mean as a rattle snake. the poor man just hung his head. what could he do? he was being judged by one of God's servants. As far as this elder was concerned, mental illness was evidence of lack of jehovah's spirit, or more correctly, evidence of satan's spirit.

  • parakeet
    parakeet

    KennyC:
    ***I was one who did perform such distasteful but rewarding duties, and you see where it got me. Not to worry: ..... God has stated in his own words: "I owe you one.***
    I salute your efforts to help others; so many JWs are conveniently 'busy' when their ailing 'brothers and sisters' need assistance. But shouldn't helping the needy be its own reward?

  • serendipity
    serendipity


    Hi KennyC.

    JWs don't seem to care much for the vulnerable, despite all the lip service.

    In my cong. there's a severely handicapped young man in a wheelchair. Some of the MS's fall over themselves to volunteer to roll him out of the main auditorium when he starts to make noise. (One of the MS's got his promotion to elder. He no longer looks after this boy. )

    I've never seen one of them offer to help his mother get him in or out of the van. I've heard that no one outside the family helps with him at home either, or gives his mom a break. It's a good thing that she's just middle-aged, but what happens in a few years?

  • headmath
    headmath

    The JW in Vancouver area no longer go to the Pacific Colliseum because it is too expensive to rent. This force the dubs to drive an extra 100 miles to Chilliwak where there is a second class convention center. The JW have not been to the P.C. for over 4 years now

  • KennyC
    KennyC
    kenny, how did you post without all the usual stuff under your name?

    Sorry, Bub, but I don't understand what you mean.

  • KennyC
    KennyC
    I salute your efforts to help others; so many JWs are conveniently 'busy' when their ailing 'brothers and sisters' need assistance. But shouldn't helping the needy be its own reward?

    I guess that is what I meant by "rewarding". You are right. If the reward of feeling good about helping them is all that is in store for me, then I couldn't give a sh!t whether I end up in a paradise full of JW's or not. Preferrably NOT, unless I could run each one of them through the ringer about what they have done for the sake of the friggin' Org'.

    Now THAT would be worth being resurrected for !

  • KennyC
    KennyC
    The JW in Vancouver area no longer go to the Pacific Colliseum because it is too expensive to rent.

    Well, I am sure that is their excuse, but their REASON is the "power of control" of a facility that is less proned to granting equality to the rights of JW's and dissenters who have a LEGAL right to attend.

  • KennyC
    KennyC

    Good questions, Serendipity.

    What happens to him in a few years?

    He will probably be institutionalized and forgotten as so many other mentally handicapped JW's. Those facilities are also very controlling on a fundamentalist "Christian" level and will not allow them to choose their religious preference even if (especially if) they want to go to a Kingdom Hall. JW's should fight for their rights in the legal dept' ; but no, we all know that the legal dept' is devoted to blood transfusion stuff, and solely for the sake of the society's rights itself, but not on the individuals level. Just as they have no distribution for widows, they also have no defense for the infirm in such cases.

    I will probably eat my words now, gladly, if they choose to act differently simply out of spite toward people like me who post on "apostate" websites. I would be happy to be proved a liar in this regard.


    Any takers ?

  • sosad
    sosad

    I have seen pioneers thrilled to "study" with a special needs son/daughter - easy time! But to sepnd time with them socially? You've got to be kidding! My older special needs brother was never included in anything socially- to quote one elder "you can't really expect the other kids to understand him"....no, not until the new system, of course. In my bro's case, he is not even "badly" handicapped - and now my husbands Catholic family are very close to him and love seeing him at birthday parties, Xmas etc.

    Oh, but it will be great when he is "better" in the New System....

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit