What Would You Have Done?

Dutchie

There was a middle-aged woman in our Kingdom Hall who was a long time pioneer. She was a very warm and loving woman and so when she announced her plans for a family vacation one year some of us got together and took up a little collection so that she would have some extra money to spend. After all, she was working hard for Jehovah and werent we supposed to show our appreciation?

When she returned we all waited expectantly for her to regale us with stories of her great vacation adventures. Well we got a story all right.

It seems that she and her family were walking on the beach one day and they found a wallet containing $570.00. I thought she was going to tell us about going to the police to find the person it belonged to, or at least how she herself looked for the owner of the wallet. However, thist was not the case. It seemed that what she did was take the cash out of the wallet, put the cash in her pocket, and then put the wallet in a mailbox.

I could hardly believe what she was saying. She was smiing and was not at all embarrassed as she told us that she and her ministerial servant husband, supposedly Christians, found money that did not belong to them, made no attempt to find its owner and kept it for themselves. In fact, she mentioned the phrase "Jehovah provides."

I know that if it were me and I found a wallet with that amount of money in it I would have searched hi and lo for the owner or at least taken it to the police department. The wallet had identification in it and that was why she put it in the mailbox. It seems to me it would have been a simple matter to find the owner of the wallet, especially if I had the name and address.

But then that's me. What would you have done?

Perfection Seeker

You are kidding, right? I don't know ANY christian that would have kept the money- whether a witness or not. That is such a crock! Jehovah provides- so he provides with someone elses hardship? Will he provide when she has to go to jail for stealing? What a crock. That is ridiculous. Also, what other organization would take up money for someone to VACATION with!? Heck- take up a collection for me- and I'll vacation too! What a crock

Matty

That's extraordinary! 570 bucks wouldn't be worth my peace of mind. I'd feel absolutely grubby if I took it. Besides, I would imagine how bad I would feel if I had lost the money myself and how happy and grateful I would be if I had it been returned to me. I often get shocks like this when I talk to witnesses. Some witnesses have no idea about basic morality.

I think someone's thankfulness and appreciation of your act of kindness gives you a buzz that's worth more than any money.

Edited by - matty on 29 June 2002 12:36:29

Dutchie

No, I'm not kidding. They weren't kidding either. They absolutely thought it was okay. They just took the cash, not the credit cards or other identification. I found it hard to believe too, but there are al kinds of people in the world and all kinds of people go to the Kingdom Hall. In fact that's what comes about when you have "legislated morality". If every little thing is not spelled out for you, you really don't know how to react in an unfamiliar situation.

Edited by - Dutchie on 29 June 2002 16:1:28

rmayer32

Now that is some of the most insane behavior I've ever heard from any so called christian, even a damn JW! The fact that she would "gleefully" tell this to others is sickening.

-Rick

SpiceItUp

Whenver I am faced with one of those dilemmas...I always ask myself..what if that was my wallet and all the money I had in the world.

I would turn it in----in fact I found $20 bucks in a work bathroom once and turned it into the supervisor letting them know which stall it was in so they could properly find its owner. Sure enough they did and she found me later and thanked me. It did indeed happen to be her last $20 and she needed it for gas.

I didn't think that any person would even have to ask the question. It should be soo very obvious.

Shame on that "sister"

Spice

Matty

What you said about "legislated morality", really struck a chord, and explains some of the crazy ways that witnesses apply their logic to moral dilemmas.

Edited by - matty on 29 June 2002 12:39:40

safe4kids

Hi Dutchie,

That's incredible! Hard to believe someone would do that, and then act as if it were perfectly normal and right!

About 2 years ago, I found a wallet with around $300 in cash. It was right before Christmas and the kids and I were out shopping. Anyway, we took it to the police station and turned it in. I might add that the officer who accepted receipt of the wallet looked at me rather strangely. The next afternoon, I received a phone call from an older man who thanked me profusely for returning the wallet, with cash intact. Seems he had just cashed his paycheck and it was all the money he had with which to buy gifts for his family.

It made me feel great that he got his money back, and it was an excellent lesson for my kids, as well. They were excited and happy to do something for a fellow human being and kept remarking "What if it had been us that lost that money?!"

I don't understand how someone could do something like the "sister" in your hall...legislated morality for sure.

Dana

gsx1138

When I was younger I would have taken the money and probably trashed the wallet. Of course I was going to die at armageddon anyway so why bother. Now, I would be going straight to the cops. Money is a pain in the ass to come by these days and I'm sure that might have been someone paycheck that they just cashed. Knowing me when I was a witness I would have ridiculed her in front of everyone else.

gsx1138

ashitaka

If I found a wallet with some kind of identification, I'd return it to the owner, but If I just found a wad of money, I'm not going to bring it anywhere, because any Joe Shmoe could claim it.

But WITH an ID? That's pretty f**king low for them to take the cash and say that GOD stole it for them.

ugh

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