Doing Good Humane things for Other People- Why Jw's Won't Notice It

by flipper 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  flipper

  One thing that always bothered me when I was a witness, was that the main thing you were admired for was how much time you got in the service each month, how many times you commented at meetings, whether you hung out with " spiritual " people, and your approval was based on how you were advancing in the faith based on your position, regular or auxilarry pioneer, ministerial servant or elder. If you weren't any of those things, even if you did good to or for others, it was not noticed.

  If joe publisher sitting in the corner went and mowed sister old ladies yard in 100 degree heat out of love it was not emphasized, because it didn't really fit in with the agenda the elders or governing body deems important as being for the advancement of kingdom interests. The governing body has a set list of certain things they consider makes a person a " christian " and believe me, it has nothing to do with how you act, or whether you are a loving , kind, christlike acting person. It has become all about what you put out production wise for the church, not real love.

  So it should not surprise us to see witnesses not acknowledging any good , decent things we do for others on the outside of the org. because they ignore a lot of good their no name publishers do on the inside of the organization. During Katrina and other disasters witnesses are so willing to pat themselves on the back about "helping" their people in need, as if they were the only humans on earth doing it. Thousands of decent loving people helped during Katrina, crossing over racial differences to do so. It just disgusts me they are so self satisfied in their assessment of themselves. What have you guys or gals seen over the years that back up what I'm saying here? I was raised in the org. and saw a lot. Would like to hear your thoughts please. Thanks, Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  anewme

  Thats because it really is a BUSINESS not a Christian religion!
  
  Think about it. When you are at work you are paid and praised for doing what you are paid for.
  Are you praised for offering a customer a chair because they are feeling faint?
  Are you praised for returning a $20 bill that fell out of a customer's wallet?
  Are you given stars by your name for being kind to your work mates and peaceable with the boss?
  Nope.
  Being a thoughtful helpful Christian rarely gets the pat on the back from anyone except the sweet person you are helping.
  
  You can knock yourself being a kind helpful person for years and years in that group, but one slip up and you are kicked to the road!
  
  
  
  
• 

  anewme

  Thats because it really is a BUSINESS not a Christian religion!
  
  Think about it. When you are at work you are paid and praised for doing what you are paid for.
  Are you praised for offering a customer a chair because they are feeling faint?
  Are you praised for returning a $20 bill that fell out of a customer's wallet?
  Are you given stars by your name for being kind to your work mates and peaceable with the boss?
  Nope.
  Being a thoughtful helpful Christian rarely gets the pat on the back from anyone except the sweet person you are helping.
  
  You can knock yourself being a kind helpful person for years and years in that group, but one slip up and you are kicked to the road!
  
  
  
  
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  cognizant dissident

  This is my experience, coming from a JW family that was in the "thick of things" in the congregation. My father was a PO and my stepmother a regular pioneer. (still are). My parents were very active socially when I was growing up. I hardly remember a weekend going by where they were not going out with JW friends or having them over. Even as a teenager, I was aware of poor people in our congregation, handicapped people, elderly ones, depressed and sick ones, discouraged single moms or ones with unbelieving mates who never got included. My parents never socialized with any of those people. I mean never! They were nice and friendly to them at the hall, would say hello, but that was it. They actively discouraged me from being with friends with any but the other elder's daughters.

  When I was 21, I was reinstated, and I auxiliary pioneered on a regular basis and was friends with the elders and ministerial servants and their wives. I noticed that many of them thought they were "better" and more spiritual than everyone else. I always hated this superior attitude even when I was part of the "in" club. I naturally tended to gravitate to the "underprivileged" in the congregation. I liked to invite the poor ones over for dinner and send them home with care packages, or the single sisters and brothers who I know never got invited. I always visited whoever was sick in the hospital. I often babysat for moms so they could have a break. I always felt more authentically Christian when I was doing a little something to help someone in need then I ever did out in the ministry.

  I'm not saying all this to "toot my own horn". I'm just telling my experience how I observed it. When I became sick and depressed, guess who were the ones who sent me cards and came to visit me? Hint: it was not the elders, their wives, or the pioneeers or the people with money. It was the other "lowly" people in the hall, the "misfits" who knew what it was like to be looked down on and feel like they were never doing enough. Those people would always be considered spiritually weak by the elders but very little was ever done to help them.

  You got it right Mr. Flipper. The only thing that counts with the JW powers that be is how much time you put in and how much you donate financially or in work. The, poor, the sick, the elderly, the crushed in spirit, have to look out for themselves and each other! I considered many of them as more spiritual than the elders or pioneers.

  Cog
• 

  flipper

  ANEWME- Very, very true what you said. However, I wasn't looking for brownie points when I was nice or decent to people in the congregation. I feel that if the popular ones in the congregations do it , it is generally to be noticed or complimented or given more privileges. It did not matter to me that what I did wasn't noticed. I would still be decent whether anybody saw me help others or not. But yes, they do kick you to the curb, nice or not.

  COGNIZANT- Boy, do I hear you loud and clear! My dad is still an elder from 1955. My older brother is more self righteous, however I was lucky to have parents that did consider some poor ones. There was a crippled brother who taught me how to play chess as a teenager and we would have him over for hot fudge sundaes on book study night. So I was glad my parents did that. But what you say for the most part is true. If you weren't in the "club " or clique of popular elders, servants, or pioneers, you would be standing there watching them conversate at kingdom halls. Then if I would try to inject a thought on something, they would kind of look at you like, " How dare you offer a thought up you normal one"!

  It got really frustrating at times dealing with fake people. That's why at meetings I too often gravitated to talking with the lowly ones or less popular people. At least they were real, not trying to impress for positions. Thanks for sharing Cog, good post
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  Reefton Jack

  It largely comes down to a case of you tend to get what you are always harping on about:
  - If you are forever bashing the R&F up about that column on the Monthly Report form entitled "HOURS",
  - If you are forever making everyone feel guilty that they are not doing "enough"
  (As I am sure happened to all of us)
  - Then, not surprisingly, the "HOURS" column is all that anyone will be interested in.
  
  While with the JWs, I could never figure out those that reckoned that they were drawn to "the truth" by nothing other than the love they saw in the congregations.
  (Believe it or not, I did know some individuals who claimed that)
  
  - I thought at the time that there must have been a point somewhere that I had missed!
  
  
  
  
• 

  sspo

  Why Jw's Won't Notice It

  Very simple: The Jw's have been brainwashed {as i was for 3 decades) to accept from the GB what Sacred Service is.

  Everything is outlined for them, outside that box is not pleasing to God.
• 

  WTWizard

  I never could see what's so humane about wasting gas and time, disrupting householders (and often making them late for work so they could be unemployed), holding them up for 15 minutes, and making them quit good jobs so they can start wasting their time and gas. Yet, that is the only "humane" thing that counts. And there's the threat that, if you continue to live a productive life, you are going to get destroyed at Armageddon.

  There is nothing humane about this. To destroy people for minding their own businesses and living their lives is simply cruel and wicked of Jehovah. There is nothing good about coercing people into spending and wasting their time and money doing something that is only going to make them do the same work. What happens if the whole world becomes Jehovah's Witlesses? Everything shuts down because everyone is out in service! We go back to the Dark Ages. And that is far from humane.
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  Bryan

  4 years ago, when my jw daughter was speaking to me, I gave a kidney to someone. She acted repulsed, discusted. I guess she thought she was still supposed to see it as canibalism. I suppose she was not up on her reading.

  Bryan

  Have You Seen My Mother
• 

  RollerDave

  Mr Flipper,

  You are spot on, my friend.

  My daughter has become something of a volunteer for various causes like juvenile diabetes.

  She works at Target, so they sponsor walks, nights out, and other activities for charity.

  I remember thinking what a waste of time and money that kind of stuff was. I thought, if somebody wanted to give to some charity, why not just donate instead of going walking or whatever. And of course I would never have donated because I felt that these organizations were simply tidying up the deck chairs on the Titanic.

  How different my thoughts on the matter now.

  When I was 'in' I felt like I was living the 'real life' and everything outside was just heat and noise. How ironic considering that I was never a very good dub from their standpoint.

  Now that I see that what issues forth from the reality distortion wormhole in Brooklyn is the REAL heat and noise, I know that the 'real life' is to be found OUTSIDE the kingdumb hell doors. Now that I have broken free from the chains of their delusional value system, I have discovered REAL charity.

  How silly I was to think that helping your fellow human, having a love for your fellow man, mankind in general could EVER be a 'waste of time!'

  How silly to think that an organization that thinks it has love but is eager to see 99% of the human race converted to bird poop.

  It is they who are tidying those deck chairs, but the Titanic isn't 'the old system,' it's the WTS that is sinking.

  I love my life, and I love being of service to my fellowman in ways that matter, and am glad to be free of the WTS's insidious mental rot.

  Ptui!

  Roller