by garyneal 14 Replies latest jw friends
The Society used to have a special booklet that was for a JC concerned with the draft and a section concerning a JW joining the military. Their hypocrisy was plain to see. The person joining the military was not treated like a person who had sinned.
We were to take no action.
An Elder who served and then became a JW was entitled to his pension and other VA benefits as far as I am concerned.
Good comments, everyone, I guess my main contention with this is that any active elder who is drawing a military pension has no business telling young ones not to serve in the military. They can keep their pensions but if they deny a young one the opportunity to join the military so that he or she could one day get the same benefit, then said elder should be willing to give the pension back. Anything less smacks of hypocrisy, in my opinion.
In the USA, doesn't this money still come from the Dept of Defense (DOD)? Seems like a true Christian would not accept money from such a wicked source.
That's precisely my point and I really appreciate this comment coming from DOC. Witnesses benefitting from the system that they abhor, such hypocrites. Of course, those witnesses who are on disability or some other public assistance but don't vote and discourages others from doing so are equally hyprocritical in my opinion. Don't participate in Satan's system except when it is giving you a hand out.
I don't really see it as hypocrisy. The pension is for work done previously. It's like a debt the government owed to the person. Most military people make far less than if they were working in the private sector, they accept that, knowing they will get a pension later on. I don't see a conflict, the service to the government has already been done.
To take the cheques (checks) no, to actively discourage or disfellowship another witness for wanting this same opportunity, YES. At least that is how I see it. I mean, I realize what is done is done and perhaps they would not do it again if they could do it over but I still don't get why they should discourage others. But I guess that is just me.
The person joining the military was not treated like a person who had sinned.
So would it be correct to ascertain from this statement that no JW who joined the military should be disfellowshipped? If that is the case, then perhaps I am making waves about this over nothing then.
My father was an elder and actually applied to VA for additional benefits in his seventies. He only served one tour in the army in his twenties but had no problem with asking for money. He was an elder when he did this and had done his fair share of lecturing young men to refuse to serve when there was a draft during the Vietnam war. Some of them went to prison for it.
My parents were mad that VA turned them down for assistance because they'd blown through their inheritance and now VA turned them down. How were they supposed to make ends meet?
I thught they should've been ashamed of themselves.
Well, the way I see it, if an elder can go about discouraging others from serving and tell them that "Jehoover will supply their needs," then they need to walk the walk. Give up the benefits and let, "Jehoover supply their needs."
Another example of blatant hypocrisy was a man who is currently an elder in North Little Rock, Arkansas. When I was a young elder there, he was in my book study as simply the unbaptized husband of a JW sister. He attended the meetings, went to JW gatherings and was generally treated as a person of interest. He was in the National Guard, not as a weekender, but full time with just a few years before retirement. When I gently suggested he get out of the military, he say "no way" as he was fairly close to retirement. He continued associating for two or three years, then finally retired from the military with a full pension.
In very short order, he was active in the congregation, appointed as a ministerial servant. He pioneered during the month that included the next Circuit Overseer's visit and was appointed an elder. Clever guy. His military pension enabled him to show some "kindness" to traveling brothers, always taking the C.O. and a large group out for a restaurant meal.
tms
