by hambeak 13 Replies latest forum tech-support
I am curious about this because as I was growing up I attended a very poor cong. benches for seats and light bulbs hanging from wires from the ceiling and mostly black folks. Some of the best people I ever knew never stingy alway kind. After I married moved away and attended a hall where everyone was middle class or above very snooty and materialistic
Any one else experience this?
...there are wealthy congregations?
Yes, I was in one hall that wasn't too bad - and it was in one of the poorest, high crime areas of the city. The people were actually half normal, and people getting df'd for immorality was frequent. They usually didn't have to wait long for reinstatement either - usually 3-6 months. That might be because they usually were the elders kids.
The most anal JWs I knew were in the wealthier congregations.
W
Yes there are many wealthy I mean really wealthy congregations for example Lafayette Ca and Orinda most of the Jw's have million dollar homes. Swimming pools Always a new expensive car European vacations cruises etc. very pious and self riteous folks.
I went to a materialistic cong where people were having diamond ring size / fur-coat price competitions with each other.
However, Wealthy congos are probably good for faders. Many times there people would ask me "Where've you been" when I never missed a meeting. They were too self-involved and the cong was too big to notice you.
- SG
hi hambeak,
The best cong. I attended was a country congregation of fairly poor folks. They were friendly, shared what they had, helped the old, took an interest in the widows and orphans. I remember them fondly.
The congregation I grew up in was like the one serendipity described. Dirt poor and down to earth. Too bad it is defunct. The wealthiest hall I attended was in Scotsdale, AZ. Lots of luxury cars in the parking lot and people dressed nice. Seemed like the congregation wasn't very inclined to get out in service. That congregation wasn't nearly as friendly as my home congregation but I think that is more a city folk vs country folk comparison than a rich vs poor comparison. One similarity I noticed at the various halls I attended was that the double lifers pretty much did the same things. Drink and screw.
I have always been in middle class cong.'s. One main cong. Everybody wore tacky JW clothes. after Bibles and bookbags, houses were prob. the biggest status symbol, and none were 'all that'. i met lots of nice people, and lots of power hungry jerks. People are people, even JWs.
Hi hambeak
The hall I visit occasionally is poor - middle class. I notice that there does appear to be some seperation between the poorer and better off members. They're all nice to me as I'm probably still classed as an 'interested one' so I don't know whether my observations are entirely correct!!
I do however find your suggestions apply to the mainstream churches though. Every year here, there is a door to door collection for Christian Aid and it has been noted that the largest amount of donations comes from the poorest areas of town.
I think maybe when you are/have been poor yourself, you have more empathy for others in a similar or worse situation. The empathy pulls communities together. Whereas if you've never had to ask anyone for help, you don't need to make those connections and can remain superficial.
There's trouble in both. I was in a poor congregation both in the Da Bronx, NY and Jersey City, NJ. The wealthy congregations are stuck up, but the poor are just as bad, particularly with the body of elders and annyone with a position. Give a poor uneducated person a title and they think they are king and begin to throw their weight around. Something they could never do or achieve in the real world.
