I helped shovel my worldy neighbour's mailbox out; Elder did nothing!!

by WingCommander 13 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  WingCommander

  Ok, it was Sunday. This was the day after our large N'oreaster here in Pennsylvania. We got 16" of snow in one day. I kept up with it all on Saturday, so Sunday I only had to do my mailbox at the end of my driveway in my development. My retired neighbours across the street didn't keep up as much as their snow-blower didn't start up.

  My "worldly" neighbour and I were talking across the street with each other, and after I completed shoveling out my mailbox I casually walked across the street to shovel theirs out as well. The entire time, the "worldly" neighbour's next door Elder family were outside shoveling their driveway, and were nearly complete. The mid-40's Elder father was no more than 15 feet away and I was sure listening in. (I don't think they know I used to be JW, different congregations). Anyway, my "worldly" neighbour was going on-and-on as retired ladies do about things and was thanking me genuinely for helping her and her disabled husband out. I looked right over at this Elder as he stood around gawking and doing next to nothing as his family shoveled out. Oh he'd sling a shovel-full once in a while, but not much. I couldn't help but think of the irony of myself helping someone out, and here this "Prince among men" who is to be a "shining example" doesn't so much as lift a finger to help out his neighbours. My kids also came over and helped with the shoveling. His kids looked like the depressed social retards that they are. Actually, that goes for him and his entire family, who are known as "The Vampires" by the entire neighbourhood due to their absolutely reclusive behaviour and the fact that they let their house go nearly into shambles. Seriously, you probably only see his wife and children about once a year. He could slay them and eat them and no one would know!! The only time I see him is when he comes home from work, around the same time as myself.

  What a fine shephard indeed!! "By their love you will know them......." My neighourhood thinks they are pale-skinned freaks who don't even bother to wave, but they'll go into other neighbourhoods and knock on doors on Saturday morning; disgusting.

  - Wing Commander
• 

  alanv

  To be fair to them, they are not all like that. My mother in law used to spend a lot of time simply helping an old lady near where she used to live. When my mother in law died the lady was heart broken and said she had never known such a fine christian lady. Incidently there was no preaching involved.

  So the moral is that there are good and bad among the witnesses just like anybody else.

  The point you made was valid though. Certainly an elder should go out of his way to help, but as I say there are good and bad.
• 

  sacolton

  I've said it once ... I'll say it again ...

  Being a JW is like having a license to be a complete douchebag (and still sleep at night).
• 

  undercover

  alanv has a valid point...most dubs are not inconsiderate, selfish pricks.

  JWs are really no different than everyone else. Some people are more willing to be helpful than others. I think the percentage is probably similar in the JWs.

  However, their shunning the world in most areas of life does cause perception problems. If you have a JW family on the block and you never see them at block parties, holiday parties, their kids don't play with the other neighborhood kids and then they don't help the disabled couple right next door after a snowstorm, then the perception of them as unfriendly and stuck up is amplified.

  I think some JWs want to be more in tune with their neighbors, coworkers and non-JW family but the constant counsel about avoiding the world gives them pause...and it even trickles into their thoughts and actions when genuine care for their fellow man should take precedence over worrying about the possible side effects of 'bad association'.
• 

  chickpea

  good on you and your kids for being neighborly!!

  i never stopped being "a good neighbor"
  just because i was a dr0ne... but i DID
  do this idiotic thing... whether it was
  using my bigg-a$$ ford expedition to
  pull someone out of a ditch, or help an
  elderly woman to get her luggage off
  the carousel at the airport.....

  them: thank you so much for helping....
  me: you are welcome... please, next time
  a JW knocks on your door, listen to what
  they have to say...

  ( i know, i know... how is THAT not
  being a total douche-bag???)
• 

  changeling

  Cheers to you for doing the right thing and being a good example to your children. I do agree with alanv, not all witnesses are "vampires". But you do bring home the point that the type of man selected as "exemplary" by the cong. is not always "exemplary" by the standards of society. I'll bet that all he has going for him is a publisher's card with lots of big numbers. Not a true measure of a good man. :)
• 

  changeling

  This reminds me of a time I was visiting with a witness friend who had a son the same age as mine. The boys we about 6 or 7 at the time. We were

  laying out by their community pool, and another family with young children jumped into the pool. The "sister's" son gave the children a dirty look

  and said:" I'm not playing with you, you're wordly". My son looked at me with horror in his eyes as he knew that was impolite. I looked over at my

  friend expecting her to take her son aside and have a little talk about manners, but she simply looked over at him and smiled.
• 

  WingCommander

  ^^^^^ To Changeling: Can't you just feel the looooove???? That is as digusting and cultish of a thing as I've ever heard, yet I've seen nearly identical myself.

  I have to disagree with Alan above....I grew up a JW. I was not allowed to do ANYTHING outside of the KH, could only play in my own yard, NEVER played with my neighbour's kids (Same age) because they were "worldly" and "bad association." Everything not of the WTBTS was "Worldly" and forbidden.....freakin everything!!!! Standard answers from parents on 99% of anything that didn't involve the JW's was "it's not necessary, it's just worldly pursuit and/or those people are bad association. Bad Association spoils useful habits....blah, blah, blah, blah."

  Who are you trying to kid? I'd take a guess and say 98% of the people and/or families I knew of as JW's were self-righteous a-hole douchebags who couldn't stop judging other people if they tried. I agree that most of this is subtly brainwashed into them, but still. Hell, even associating with other JW's was forbidden, because they might not be "Spiritual enough." What the hell?????

  I openly call them disfunctional social retards and my disdain for everything JW is getting worse the older I get and the more I read from their new and improved "WatchTowers" which spew nothing but hate and contempt for everything non-JW, rally against higher education in order to keep everyone stupid and non-thinking, and the ever-increasing elevation of the F&DS above Jesus (Idolotry) is so overpoweringly sickening that I nearly barf when I skim through some of the newer articles.

  But I grew up in a JW hell, so maybe I'm a little prejudice??

  - Wing Commander
• 

  miseryloveselders

  Wing, not that I don't believe what your saying about growing up in Dubland, cuz growing up in it myself, I've seen some extreme situations too firsthand, and heard some horror stories second hand. However, I have to present the flipside to what you're saying. I'm an active dub, obviously I've got some issues with the WT society and dubs in general, otherwise I wouldnt be on this board. But, this past weekend we got slammed with snow. I shoveled the sidewalk in front of my folks home, and two of their neighbors, including pathways from their doorways to their cars. "Worldly neighbors", that is. The congregation I'm in, lately is getting old to me.. About half of the people in there, I could care less if I ever see any of them again in life. But to be honest, I'd still say 90% of the congregation would shovel not only their property but anybody elses too without being prodded to, or even without "looking for an oppurtunity to witness." They would do it simply because it's the neighborly thing to do.

  Again, I grew up in this too. All of the kids that grew up in this with me, all played with "worldly kids". I played with "worldly kids", everything from street football, basketball, baseball, it-tag, off-the wall, etc.. Granted, I couldnt play organized sports throughout my school years, and dances, proms, all big no-no's. Despite the totalitarian atmosphere of it all, I don't think I turned out aloof. All of the youth I grew up with in this organization have left, except for one. And even he's a normal adult who would break his back for you if you needed something whether your're "worldly" or not, and he wouldnt be looking for "an oppurtunity to witness". He'd do it genuinely.
• 

  yknot

  Kudos for being a great neighbor!!!

  Maybe be one to those JWs too.......father sounds like one of those controlling jackasses whose keeps his family hostage (flashback of my childhood)... You could bring them (when father is at work) a set of mugs, some cocoa mix and sugar cookies......(after Xmas of course) saying such a terrible snow really makes you appreciate the need to know your neighbors.....