Village Girl - well stated!
THE BLIND SPOT identifying the refuting target of Jehovah's Witnesses
by Terry 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Captain Obvious
Excellent post Terry.
Honestly, I see a lot more of the younger generation (25-35) JWs saving for retirement, even if only a little at a time. Those who aren't working the minimum amount to stay alive pioneering that is. It's often said that there's nothing to lose.seeing their parents and grandparents grow to retirement age without a nickel in savings will make even a Dub think. Some save, while their parents (near retirement age) tell them they're crazy, the end will be here before we know it! 5.. 10 years AT MOST.
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Ding
Now, where did we get the idea that the end was coming in 1975?
Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15
"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ... Therefore, as a young person,you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" -
Larsinger58
There's another depp slice for this topic. If you're a governing body member or elderly person at Bethel, then you have a great retirement. But I know of one case where a brother for years in full-time service, I believe as a circuit overseer, became ill and had to leave the full-time service. He lost that support and was then now forced to enter the job market. The ultimate burden ended upon on the local congregation. So why is it, with all the WTS' great wisdom, don't they provide health care and retirement for those in the full-time service, equal to that at headquarters?
Full-time service can be very fulfilling and the Bible says that you can live off the ministry, which is practical. But now that is not happening. Paul worked and took care of himself so that he was not a burden on others.
But this is also not a black and white issue. In the WTS' defense, who always encouraged full-time service rather than a career in this world, while discouraging a formal college education, they did encourage members to laarn a useful trade, such as typing and shorthand or accounting, etc. I had a scholarship to go to medical school but turned it down because I wanted to go into the full-time ministry and didn't want to spend all that time in college. But based on what the WTS suggested, I did learn shorthand and typing and it proved to be a wonderful skill choice. I always had a job. I later took up medical transcription and that was a very high-paying skill until voice recognition and outsourcing to India slashed salaries.
In hindsight, unless you are going into the full-time ministry and possibly planning to remain single, you need to get some skills!! Taking care of a family is not easy.
But the "blind spot" is very much a factor as well. People don't plan well into the future if they think the world is going to end in a year or two!
Of course, some in the congregation just totally ignored that advice and made sure their children were educated and had skills, and I don't mean like typing and shorthand, I mean like nursing and mechanics, etc. Some who faltered a bit and joined the military ended up going to college and getting a degree etc.
Even so, for those who tend to be very spiritually minded, we prefer a minimal amount of our time be spent making a living. We prefer our time to money. But for others who choose to have families, there is a clear message of hypocrisy. If you're spending 14 hours a day on a high-end career job that's making you rich, you're considered "materialistic", but if you have basic skills or less and have to work two jobs to take care of your family making minimum wage, you're admired.
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Julia Orwell
It's always bugged me the anti-education thing, because as a young JW with unbelieving parents, I went to university. They encouraged me, and to be honest, I couldn't see any other way to get a job I'd enjoy where I didn't have to scratch a living hand to mouth week after week. I could see you needed a qualification of some sort to get any stable sort of work in Australia, and that was in 2000 when I started university.
As for retiring: now I'm having to think about it. For years the Australian government has been running ads on adding to your superannuation fund so you'll have money when you retire, but I brushed it off thinking, "I don't need that, the end will be here!" Mother would tell me how rich I'll be when she dies, but I always thought, "I'm not interested because I'll never get the inheritance because she'll die at Armageddon." Now it's good to know Mum will live to a ripe old age surrounded by family and friends, and her monetary legacy will provide for her grandchildren.
An old elder who lives on the government pension and still does a little work on the side (like most JW oldies do in Australia) was telling me he was counseling people in our cong who have investment properties. You know, they've worked hard and bought another house to sell when they retire so they can live off the money. Mum-and-dad investors are quite common here, and some JWs do it too. The JW investors told him, "We will need the money to retire, because the Australian government is likely to do away with the Pension [true] by the time we retire." He told them, "That may be so, but you've got the wrong view of things!"
So what should they do, sell their assets and have nothing to retire on, except a pension that doesn't pay for food?
A CO came to my house and I told him how much rent we pay. He nearly fell off his chair. The fact is, the WTS high-ups have no clue how much it costs to live.
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Larsinger58
Like I stated, I'm glad some witnesses just were not listening or ignored the misguided advice. It's one thing if you've decided to be single, live modestly and go into the full-time service. It's another if you plan to marry and have a family.
I just want to add that some have been successful in business in lieu of a demanding career. But we all need to take care of ourselves.
I'm now retired and having to face getting a part-time job, but as well, I see this as a wonderful opportunity to start an internet business (i.e. like doing basic ancestry searches, etc. which I enjoy and have done before).
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smiddy
Good post terry,I consider myself one of the lucky ones.The last job I was in ,had voluntary superannuation which thankfully I joined and after 28 years retired and now have my own home and a little invested ,that helps in retirement.
smiddy
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konceptual99
Agree with everything you say Terry but I do want to point out that there are vast numbers of people who are not providing for their futures simply because they cannot afford it. Of course the culture of the WTS exacerbates this amongst JWs but the general economic climate can be used to obfuscate the issue you raise and deflect the blame away from the low secular aspiration message implicit to JW doctrine.
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Refriedtruth
Tens of thousands 0f Jehovah's Witnesses have died PREMATURE DEATHS for neglect of their long term health care.
That is a Fact!
In my own family I had a JW uncle who let his diabetic A1C get high cause the new system was coming any moment.Another aunt didn't care about her high blood pressure.
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Giordano
"I feel--and it is just my personal opinion--that time is better spent on the practical impact of JW belief on the QUALITY OF LIFE issues."
Don't get me started Terry........to late now....time for a rant.
Yes...I agree totally. Too many on this site are belaboring the odd scripture or working through an idiot doctrine that has little to no meaning....trying despertly to redefine a belief system instead of discussing how an Ex witness can cope and prosper.
The WTBTS has absolutely no affection for and holds no responsibilty for.......... it's human resources. They don't even want Crips at their assemblies.
During the Vietnam area they made sure that anyone leaving Bethel before their time was up couldn't pioneer for six months so they would lose their deferments and be subjected to the draft. Leave us and die in Vietnam or go to jail. When I learned about that it really brought it home. As soon as the draft ended a lot of people left Bethel.
Slave wages at Bethel and then starting to down size. Toss them out with no pension or SS or medical care if they are under 65.
Raymond Franz got a small cash..... get out of Bethel gift/hush money? Then lived in a borrowed trailer on borrowed land for the rest of his life after what........... 5 or 6 decades of quality service?
My Mom, ever the believer, had to stay in a very decent Catholic assisted living facility (it was open to anyone from any denomination) that we could afford. Every time she got into the elevator there was the cross to stare at. She longed to be with her brothers and sisters but spent her last years isolated for the most part.
I got to thinking one day why didn't the WT build retirement homes on the same grounds as their assembly halls? Retirement homes make money, Assembly Halls make money........ what committed witness wouldn't love to live in their own community? Instead they have virtualy disowned their greatest supporters opting to invest in Brooklyn real estate.
I need to take some blood pressure med's!