ON THE WAY OUT- It sounds like the elders around you had enough respect for you to let you be and make your own decisions. So that speaks well of you that apparently these fellow elders you were around may have been intimidated by you - which is a good thing. You may have put out a vibe to them that kind of said " I know what the hell I'm doing so leave me alone ! " I'm glad they have let you be so far these last 6 years or so as well. Believe me , as spoken from one with experience - you don't need these guys hassling you . LOL ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
Sept. 15th WT - WT Society Hypocritically Disses " Materialistic " JW's
by flipper 60 Replies latest jw friends
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hoser
@ Longhairgal
And that elder who gave you that advice, I wonder how HE lives? Probably makes a decent living, has a nice house, decent car, nice clothes, goes on vacations. But, he's pushing poverty for YOU . This is what I observed: the poverty being pushed was not for THEM - just somebody else. They wanted some poor sap in the congregation to do the experiment of living on the edge and buying clothing in thrift shops
I shop in thrift stores. I find some real interesting stuff there. not that I am forced to though I just don't mind buying things there.
The elder and his wife in question have led a very sheltered economic life. I've probably worked more hours in the last 10 years than he has in the last 20.
He's not a wealthy man but he hasn't raised a family, and I think they were helped a lot financially by her parents and maybe they got some inheritance I'm not really sure.
One thing I know for sure is that everyone that has followed his advice in the past(that I am aware of) has suffered financial problems because of listening to him.
hoser
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skeeter1
In the congregation I "grew up" mainly in, the elders were the ones with the biggest houses, own businesses, and cars/boats/motorcycles. One of the elders was a doctor. Of course, he got his degree before becoming a JW.
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wannabefree
FLIPPER: I have read both of Steve Hassan's books. When you were in the cult, did you defend it? Did you believe it was the truth and utilize some of the same tactics to defend "God's Organization"? For how many years did you think the "end is soon"? Unless someone actually sets out to start a cult, I doubt they realize that what they have become a part of is a cult, so I doubt the intention is to deceive to keep people trapped in a cult. Perhaps, just perhaps, they actually think the end is soon, perhaps they think they are helping people by keeping them focused on preaching, perhaps they truly believe they are God's Organization and are trying to figure out why things are the way they are. Do you think that it is possible that the Governing Body believes that the end is soon? If they do, do you think they might feel a responsibility, no matter how wrong we can see they are, that relaxing on the urgency might be something they truly think would be the wrong thing to do? Do you think they are worried about losing the youth because they are worried about donations?
I don't know. Maybe they are a bunch of charlatans, or maybe they are delusional, or maybe there is a mixture of both.
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Botzwana
Hey Designs! My father was an architect. Studied personally with Frank Lloyd Wright!
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LV101
Really, Botzwana about Frank Lloyd Wright/WOW! Not too many people can say that. My fav house is that one that's in the movie --- don't remember the name. Think artists have even painted it or I've seen pictures of paintings of it.
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Scully
Flipper
Every penny those crooks at the WTS "earned" was because of the generosity of anyone who donated money to them. In any other business venture, profits of that magnitude would be repaid to shareholders who invested in them. But not the WTS!! Oh, no, they come around with their hat in their hand, saying how the bad old system is depriving them of money having to defend child molesters etc, or having to defend the House-to-House™ work in courts all over the world, while at the same time taking a dump on people who are having to work two or three jobs in order to provide materially for their family!
It baffles me the rut they've dug for themselves - expecting their followers to be deprived of education that could earn them decent living wages, with extra to spare to support their own pocket padding World Wide Education Work™.
I have no regrets about being Materialistic™! I love having a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food on the table!! LOL Oh, and the pension, my savings, my car, my vacations, my hobbies! I don't have a speck of guilt over not sharing any of it with that money-grubbing bunch of fraudsters. Oh, and if my JW parents decide to write me out of their will and give my share to the WTS, it won't make or break me financially, so I don't really care what they do with their money. They're not going to manipulate me with it.
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LongHairGal
HOSER:
Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against thrift shops either. In these times many choose to shop there. My Aunt worked in one years ago and she got some real prizes she sent me. The ladies who work in these places get first pick. But I digress. I can shop wherever I WANT and this is not something that somebody who pursues the poverty the religion recommends can do. No, you won't see them in a high priced dept. store unless they have a gift certificate. But this is not the point.
It is unimportant where somebody shops and what they pay for clothes. The fact is that the religion is totally hypocritical about their stand on college and materialism. There is trouble in congregations because of this and clueless people giving bad advice and bad counsel. I was criticized by MORONS because I work full-time - but yet I saw those living on the edge looking for handouts!
Well, they can GO ask the religion for a handout because that's the only one who owes them anything!
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flipper
Finally got a day off from work to answer your replies and bump this up. Thanks for your replies !
HOSER- Very accurate and great point that you bring out my friend - the WT society " pushes poverty for you ( rank & file members " ) ". So very true. If the WT leaders are able to keep Witnesses dumbed down, compliant, and poor financially they are more easily controlled and kept in check. It's a method of control for WT leaders. Really sad.
SKEETER 1- Good point. Isn't it ironic that sometmes the elders who are counseling rank & file JW's not to be materialistic were some of the most materialistic of all ? Once again they follow the lead of the WT leaders- " do as I say, not as I do ".
WANNABEFREE- When I was a JW ( not the " truth " - I refuse to use that term , it's not accurate ) no, I didn't really defend it from 1989 until about 2003 when I finally exited because I was having doubts those last 14 years . I just stayed in it to please my JW family. I admit I defended it when I was a young JW in my early 20's in the early 1980's but I started seeing the unjust policies and politics being played by 1989. By 1989 when I turned 30 years of age I started not believing that the alleged " end was soon " - I was really doubting and believing the " time of the end " was all a bunch of crap.
Your question to me : " Do you think that it's possible that the Governing Body believes that the end is soon " ? In all honesty- No I do NOT think they believe the " end is soon " . I think the GB is pulling a massive, deceptive scam in order to control JW's lives through financial donations and stealing away their lives with false illusionary promises of a false hope of " Paradise ". It's just a marketing tool is all it is. And I feel the WT leaders, including the GB know this. I feel they really don't believe their own $hit. What makes me feel this ? Because look at all the flip flopping they've done on the " Generation doctrine " , the " blood transfusion doctrine " , and switching from the anointed being " sealed in 1935 with no new anointed " to the current view of " the sealing of anointed hasn't happened yet " ! All with the motive of EXTENDING the WT scam game so they can keep the " generation overlapping 133 years and counting on into the middle of the 21st century and beyond ! It's obvious to me that the WT leaders are aware of the scam they are pulling, but many rank & file JW's are NOT aware of it.
I feel the ONLY responsibility the WT leaders feel is to their corporations financial pocketbooks and outcome. WT leaders have and do continually throw elders, rank & file JW's under the bus whether it involves child abuse cases, blood transfusion cases , etc. WT leaders are greedy for their own needs, not the members needs. And if there ARE some GB members who may still believe their own crap- they are outnumbered by those GB members who don't believe it. They're just delusional and don't want to face the facts that they are involved in a WT mafia organization.
BOTZWANA- Glad to hear your father was an arcitect ! Cool.
LV101- Lots of beautiful houses on the planet with great architecture indeed !
SCULLY- A good point you bring out that the WT society hAS dug themselves into a hole. On the one hand they condemn people for going to college to better themselves work wise- yet on the other hand they beg witnesses to donate estates, wills, inheritances, jewelry, life insurance policies , etc. to the WT society. It's quite a conundrum. I agree with you- WT society isn't ever going to get any of my material assets ever again as well. The WT society is a complete fraudulent money making organization masqerading as a religion. Pretty twisted.
LONG HAIR GAL- Very true- WT society IS totally hypocritical about their stand on materialism and college. I was criticized as well for having my own business and putting a lot of effort into it. WT society owes these W's so much, because they've taken so much away from them
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hoser
@ Scully
I have no regrets about being Materialistic™! I love having a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food on the table!! LOL Oh, and the pension, my savings, my car, my vacations, my hobbies! I don't have a speck of guilt over not sharing any of it with that money-grubbing bunch of fraudsters. Oh, and if my JW parents decide to write me out of their will and give my share to the WTS, it won't make or break me financially, so I don't really care what they do with their money. They're not going to manipulate me with it.
you read my mind