What do JW's do to help the poor & needy at this time of year, or ever?

by Must obey! 23 Replies latest jw friends

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  Must obey!

  Just about every church I know of does something for the poor and needy around this time of year, who are not necessarily Christians or members of their church. From helping prisoners to delivering food hampers to visiting the lonely and elderly to helping poor people and children overseas, most churches I'm aware of do at least something to materially help the suffering in the community, home and abroad, regardless of their religious orientation. Many of these churches have programmes providing such assistance all year around, even many Catholic churches.

  But what do the JW's do to actually practically help the suffering and poor at this time of year, or ever? And I don't mean preaching & magazines & tracts or disaster relief.

  If Jesus helped the poor and needy whether they were his disciples or not, then what are JW's doing to imitate him in that respect?

  I don't get why the JW's are so meanhearted and stingy with helping the poor and needy in the community.
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  Abandoned

  I think this time of year they take part in the be warm and well fed campaign.
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  zeroday

  And this is where you are quite wrong...JW's don't want to help just anyone just the "sheep" that hear their voice...If you are a "goat" forget about it the great JAH is going to destroy them in the big A so what's the point in helping the lost souls in this worthless system of things...
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  Perry

  Field Service is what I used to give the poor.
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  AlmostAtheist

  >>If Jesus helped the poor and needy whether they were his disciples or not, then what are JW's doing to imitate him in that respect?

  It's not exactly "nothing", since they DO expend money and time in a volunteer effort. Since that time and money COULD be spent on actually helping people, and is instead spent annoying people, it's more like a negative form of imitation. A-imitation? Non-imitation? Anti-Christ? ;-)

  Dave
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  Happy Harvester

  I believe they sell or give away some very high-quality magazines . . . isn't that nice of them?
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  Bonnie_Clyde

  Last night Clyde, myself, our son and daughter-in-law attended a fund-raiser spaghetti dinner for a young man in our community who has cancer. We were amazed at the crowds that came to the dinner and contributed substantial amounts to help him pay his medical bills. They also sold tickets and there was a raffle with half going to the cancer victim and half to the winner. My son was asked to do the drawing. When he read the number on the winning ticket, no one responded. After a minute, he said, "Well let's draw another ticket." Then a voice from the back of the room (a 75-year old retired teacher) said, "Well I guess I have the winning ticket. I wasn't going to say anything because I wanted all the money to go back to the young man." The only reason this man spoke up was that he saw they were going to pick an alternate winner.

  Afterwards, our son and daughter-in-law commented, "So JW's think they are the most wonderful people in the world? Hardly!"

  Question - what do we do even for one of our own members in similar situations?

  Bonnie
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  chickpea

  dubs will keep their giving "in-house" (personally observed a "garage sale" for a sister with an ill child..... enough was raised to buy a washer and dryer).... but nothing i have seen was as far reaching or generous as the fund-raiser mentioned

  that is one thing i relish now that the scales have fallen!! being able to support, with my time and money, the people and causes that actually captivate me, be it the local animal shelter, grass roots legislative movements, suffering humanity..... my 5 year plan includes a stint with an overseas volunteer program ( learning french is part of the deal!) as soon as the youngest is out of high school..... a worldly twist on "serving where the need is greater!"
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  WTWizard

  I have never once seen any fundraiser that didn't end up in the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund. Not once have I seen a bake sale, car wash sponsor, or other fundraiser. Nor have I seen anything like a soup kitchen or shelter (except for the hounder-hounder and the hounder-hounder-hounder). In fact, all the poor in the community get are knocks on the door and hounded to go to the Kingdumb Hell.

  No, I am not suggesting that they have to feel bad just because they do not help the poor. It's their boasting that they care about the poor, their talking about it, and then not doing anything about it, that bugs me. If you are not going to help the poor, then don't go around bragging about helping them in the most important way when all you are doing is fleecing them even worse.
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  Robert7

  This used to always bug me. The argument is that the Kingdom will solve these problems, so we are basically 'wasting our time' fixing a sinking ship. We are doing much more good to humanity preaching the Kingdom as a hope in the future. What a croc.