Who pioneered with the promise of having 'Jehovah provide' and ended up dirt poor anyway?

by Julia Orwell 66 Replies latest jw friends

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  notjustyet

  Any coincidence between " Miracle wheat" and the more common " miracle we eat"

  NJY
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  Quarterback

  Not everyone who pioneers ends up poor, though. Me and my wife did very well. I did need to go off the Pioneer list for 6 months in the 70's, but, rejoined. We were considered more wealthy than many in our congregation. We had things that the majority in the congregation couldn't afford. i.e. cable, colour tv, nice vehicle, nice clothes, took trips, etc.

  I did go off when my family increased.

  I remember some that did struggle, though.
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  Scott77

  	"I liken the religion telling people to pioneer as telling somebody to jump from a plane without a parachute. Also, we are not living in the same world as Jesus and the disciples did and it is unwise to pretend otherwise..."
  	LongHairGal

  I thought that was a good comment. Let me add. The Watchtower leaders have anough dollars to feed themselves. Living off on donations and interests on investments, they do not know what it means to live as a poor person. If you are poor, you cannot marry because you do not have ability to meet the qualification of a husband, a family head who supply bread. Pioneers are conditioned to wear nice ties, nice jackets, polished shoes and a bag. The excessive emphasize on one's public appearance, a fact also presented in courts to win sympathy, is a shame.

  Scott77
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  Julia Orwell

  I once saw a box of fruit at the kingdom hall, obviously been picked from one of the congregation members' fruit trees. On it was a sign saying, 'for pioneers only'. See how Jehovah provided oranges for the pioneers that week!
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  wannaexit

  My hand is raised too. Pioneered for 20 years on a shoe string.
• 

  blondie

  I regular pioneered for 5 years, stopped to move home and take care of my alcoholic, divorced mother. I had jw roommates so the rent was we shared cars and gas expense. At that time too brothers would not consider a sister as wife material unless she was pioneering (or movie star looks). As soon as a sister hooked one, she stopped pioneering.

  I did not expect God to provide. I remember brothers and sisters used as "examples" who lived at home rent free, did no chores, parents bought them a car and paid for insurance, gas, repairs/upkeep. Mom shopped for food and cooked for them, did their laundry, etc. They got on the convention parts. Oh that had a job but to pay for new clothes, travel/trips (except for the annuall family cruise).
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  Julia Orwell

  " (or movie star looks)" probably a topic for another thread, but what is it with young JW men and the shallowness? Guys I met in the 'world' were far less interested in appearance. They went more for personality.

  I knew a chick who pioneered at home, married another pioneer, mum put the couple up for free in her investment house, then they went to Bethel. They would be held up as ones who Jehovah cared for materially, but then why didn't he care for the pioneers who didn't have family to mooch off and really did go hungry?
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  yadda yadda 2

  If Jehovah doesn't prevent millions of good, god-fearing Christians dying of starvation, disease, war atrocites etc, down through the centuries, why would he 'provide' for a few dumb JW pioneers?
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  Heartofaboy

  Young JW women are just as shallow believe me.......................it's a JW thing.

  They are already looking for perfection...............Film star looks, well educated, holding down highly paid part time work in order to pioneer, an elder......or the minimum he should be is a ministerial servant & reaching out.

  Normal, socially secure 'worldly' young people were far more accepting. I found they liked you for who you were rather than dislike for who or what you were not
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  ?evrything

  Every. Single. Pioneer. Ever.