Looking through the 12/12 WT, I noticed this section on why people celebrate Christmas. One reason given is that they use it as a time to give to the needy. Notice their sly question that would prick up the ears of JWs to realize their need to give money to the Watchtower:
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“Every first day of the week let each of you at his own house set something aside in store as he may be prospering.”(1 Corinthians 16:2) The apostle Paul gave that advice to early Christians who wanted to help the poor. Could you ‘set aside,’ or budget, some money that you can regularly give to individuals or to an organization that uses its funds wisely? In this way, you ensure that you care for the needy while still giving within your means.
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Reading through this I also asked myself "Is the Watchtower practicing what it preaches?" I don't EVER remember being encouraged to help the poor. Especially if they are not JWs. I remembered only hearing things like "We don't want to contribute to a world that is already going down."
This article also seems to take away from those that DO give at Christmas time. Notice this section of the article:
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A reason why some celebrate Christmas.
Because Jesus helped people who were poor, sick, and afflicted, some want to follow his example. They feel that the best time to do that may be Christmas, when charities often put forth extra effort to collect donations.
Why is it a challenge?
During the holidays, many people are preoccupied with shopping, entertaining, and visiting friends and family. All of this leaves them with little time, energy, or money to attend to the poor and needy, other than perhaps making a donation.
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Those that give during this time are shown to not be attending to the needs of the poor and needy other than making a donation. The church that I go to does a HUGE amount of volunteer work during the holidays. Every week there are food drives to help the poor. Next week we are collecting clothes to send to the needy around the US. There are gifts for veterans children programs. We volunteer to go to the homeless shelters to serve food.
If the Watchtower is going to sit there as a judge, I would like to see their record of helping the needy and the poor. The reason they can't? They have no record. It is evil Christendom that has set up hospitals and causes to help those in need. The Watchtower wants no part in that. Instead they condemn those that use various times of the year as a motivation to help others. If they were actively helping with the poor, the sick, and the needy, then I could understand them being an authority and when and how to give.
But no, instead they encourage those that read the article to give to an ORGANIZATION that uses their funds wisely. I ask them this: How can they POSSIBLY imply that they are using their money wisely? They are using their funds to pay off child molestors and their victims to stay away from court and tarnish their "good" name. They are using their funds to send GB members around the world to stay at 5 star resorts, drive new cars, and fully pay for their expenses. If only JWs knew what they were really contributing to when they put their money in the Worldwide Work box...