This is a true story of bribery by a JW business man who was a baptized witness. He was a regular publisher at the time, but he missed many meetings because of his business needs and because he was not “lettered.” He struggled to read and therefore to participate in the TMS, etc. His wife was a zealous JW who frequently “vacation pioneered.” – You can see that this was a long time ago.
Though limited in formal education he was very sharp in business and he and his family lived well (the wife never had to work, his business activities funded her pioneering). His work was seasonal and in the “off” season they would vacation in the tropics.
During one “off’ season period I was asked to handle his mail and I was instructed to open his mail from a certain business entity because he was expecting to have a contract issued to him for a job on which he had bid. When it arrived I was to call him. He did not count on what actually happened with his mail:
The expected contract never came, but several envelopes did come from that company and I opened them as instructed, in anticipation of the contract being in one of them. Instead, what three or four of these envelopes did contain was a note from each of several executives of this company along with cash – large bills in $50 or $100 denominations – I don’t remember now - it has been many years ago now. They were returning his money to him and saying that they found no reason to accept the money; they were appropriately paid by their employer or words to that effect
Why the cash? He had sent the money to them “thanking them for their help and cooperation over the past year. The money apparently was sent in December, a time when many “worldly” companies pass out bonuses, etc. He thought he could buy his way into next year’s contract!
So, where was the righteousness? Was it with the JW who sent what amounted to bribes or with the “worldly” officials who returned the money?
Sam Beli
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. Solomon