by tan 5 Replies latest jw friends
Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”
Fieldservice or a bible study...or maybe they (in my past experience) give to a selected candidate as long as that person comes to the hall on a regular. When do they actually give like NORMAL people give. What's your opinion?
Tan,
During our JW years, we gave at times throughout the year to our children and our relatives (non-JWs included). We did not give Christmas or birthday gifts, but we gave anniversary gifts, or we found other special times to be thoughful. I have been out now for almost 15-years, so I can't say what other JWs are doing ... but I am sure some do what they can.
Jim Whitney
We did likewise. What brought up this question or statement was the website of Paulawhite.org. She's preparing things for Thanksgiving. Just made me think of what the JW's actually call giving or helping. (Some of them.) Maybe they are just modest in giving and keep it quiet. In my personal experience I only noticed them giving to certain ones or expecting something in return. Some actually gave from their heart, though. My mother was one of them.
We always told our kids they wouldn't have to wait for a birthday or Christmas to get gifts like those of the "world", and on Christmas, always gave them a few gifts the next day or so, so they could go to school and not feel left out! SO HYPOCRITICAL!!!
As for other kinds of giving...unless it was within the org, which we did do for those in need...if it was to the "world" we did little. Kind of like the parable of walking on the other side of the road.
I feel great NOW, giving whenever I can. If I see a youth trying to make his/her way to a sports whatever, I'll give a couple dollars. When charities ask for money, I pick and choose of course, but will help out here too. I contribute to the "white cane", and even when our local VFW has a table set in the grocery, to aid the locals, I give. As a JW, I was so afraid of supporting something of Bab the Great, or something political, never using my conscience, but concerned what others might say or think.
This freedom is wonderful!
Bo Peep
Well in order to avoid giving for real, going door to door technically counts as giving, so a selfish witness could get away with nothing more than that and still feel superior to 'worldly people' who give gifts all the time.
But obviously they are not all like that, some acctualy do give real gifts and help out, but nobody can even be counseled for being selfish... Pretty pathetic
Beards: Not condemned in the bible, but will get you in trouble and will prevent you from getting privileges or positions of authority.
Masterbation: Not condemned in the bible, but will get you in big trouble, and prevent you from getting privileges or positions of authority.
Selfishness: Directly condemned in the bible, but will not get you in trouble OR make you lose privileges/authority.
LtCmd.Lore
I believe the amount of energy you spend spreading the jw bull, you will have an equal amount of negative energy come back at you. Its called karma, what goes around comes around.
