Living the JW 'simplified lifestyle'

by truman 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  truman

  Though I haven't heard as much about this concept in the last few years, during much
  of my tenure as a JW ('74-'01) there was frequent mention in the pages of the WT urging
  witnesses to live a simplified lifestyle. This was usually backed up by scriptures about
  'keeping your eye simple' and not being caught up in materialism ala 'the desire of the eyes,
  and the showy display of one's means of life.'

  While I don't object to a lifestyle of simplicity, it can be a beneficial thing, I observed a rather strange phenomenon in the reaction of some JWs to this admonition. This seemed
  to manifest itself primarily in two forms to me.

  The first was the way that the 'friends' have of casting aspersions upon whichever
  member of the congregation has been the latest purchaser of ...... a new car,....a new
  home....., fancy electronic equipment....., frequent vacations....., and so on. Of course,
  one's own decision to make one of these acquisitions was always made in the best of
  conscience, and in full harmony with furthering kingdom interests. "It's a 4 door; it will be
  a great service car." "Now that we have a bigger house, we can host the book study."
  "Those kingdom melodies sound so good on that new stereo." "Travel certainly makes a
  person appreciate the creation." But if someone else did it, there were often those
  sideways glances and clicking of tongues.

  The second thing was the decision of some particularly devoted families to chuck it all
  and live in a travel trailer. I knew a local family, parents and one teenager, who did this.
  They lived the travel trailer lifestyle with the kid for a couple of years, then moved into a
  house till the kid left home, at which time they again returned to the travel trailer for about
  3 years. Finally, they went back to owning a home. During the trailer years, they did not
  go to other places, but remained local. She was a pioneer, he was an elder.

  The thing that always puzzled me though was that this way of life seemed to neither
  lessen their financial burden (it was a new trailer), nor the amount of time it takes to deal
  with the routines of life. It has been my observation that it often takes even longer to do
  things in a very small residence than otherwise. Everything must be planned, and things
  have to be shifted around constantly to move from one mode, such as cooking, to another,
  washing dishes, getting beds ready, and so forth. The whole thing seemed to be a lot
  more about (to selves or to others) appearing simple and non-materialistic rather than
  actually being more truly efficient.

  Does anyone else know of those who did this? How did it turn out for them? I think
  these people found that they got on each other's nerves a lot more. There was just no
  place to go to get any privacy or peace. Was this the JW equivilent of self-flagellation? If you are miserable for God, it must mean you are more righteous.

  truman
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  SYN

  Good post Truman. Yeah, the JW "simplification" is a crock of note! For instance, the selling of food from Conventions was eliminated to "simplify" things, but actually recent discoveries have shown that the Tower was only interested in "simplifying" the work of tax auditors looking through their books for undeclared income! HAH!

  It is a good point that the "simplification" of your life is the Witness equivalent of self-flagellation. Dubs, it appears, have NUMEROUS methods of self-flagellation, but this has to be one of the big ones.
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  YoursChelbie

  ..

  Edited by - YoursChelbie on 14 September 2002 7:37:3
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  Gopher

  The suggestion of "simplifying" seems to amount to an unholy effort on the part of WTS leaders to further their control over their followers.

  "Simplifying" one's job may mean working at near-minimum salary, living check-to-check, so that one doesn't appear "too materialistic" or so one doesn't appear to lack faith in the Society's mantra that "soon this system will end".

  Further, simplifying may mean one is unable to afford decent quality clothes and household items such as furniture. Poor-quality items need to be replaced far more often, and thus the cycle of economic slavery is amplified.

  Once again, the Society has butted into people's lives where they ought to let them decide for themselves. The "simple" thing to do would be to teach the WHAT's of Christianity, and leave the HOW's up to the individual members.

  But I forgot, we're dealing with a group of people who like to have their decisions made for them, and their thoughts and feelings dictated to them.

  So I guess people who follow the WT Society's financial/lifestyle advice pretty much get what they deserve.
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  mommy1

  I know my JW family do not live the simplified lifestyle. The have every new thing that comes out, they just charge it on the credit card, second mortgaged the house and then cry we have no money to my non witness Grandmom. My Grandmom called me one day saying how much my Dad was in debt. She couldn't figure out why they where so far in debt. I said Grandmom they think the end of the world is coming, so they won't have to pay it. My Grandmom still doesn't believe her own son could be so irresponsible, or that he actually believes in armeggedon is coming any minute.
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  dsgal

  That JW "simplified lifestyle" is a load of manure.The witnesses in my old Hall were some of the most materialistic people you could ever meet.When one pioneer sister got a new car everybody went out to the parking lot to see it after the meeting.I also noticed that a lot of them look down on others who are less fortunate.I've known some sisters who have had to quit pioneering so they could go to work and help pay for their style of life.The Witnesses are just as materialistic as anybody else.
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  Introspection

  Yeah that sounds familiar. Of course, 'keeping your eye simple' doesn't mean keeping your house or car simple or barely functional, it means not caring one way or the other. It's not whether you have or not, or what you have, but your attitude toward it. In this regard the behavior you described reveals they did not keep their eye simple.
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  minimus

  If a JW could OWN their own home (house), but chose to live in a trailer or apartment because they thought it was less materialistic looking, well shame on them. The ones that lived in trailers and apartments that COULDN'T buy a house were usually the 1st persons to snipe at house owners because they were materialistic and not putting the kingdon 1st.
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  truman

  Thanks for your comments!

  SYN,
  I agree that the organizational 'simplification' procedures had little to do with enhancing spirituality, and every thing to do with business. Plus, stripping the food service and other amenities from the conventions took all the enjoyment (what little there was) right away.

  Gopher,
  It definitely is just another tentacle of the WT's controlling apparatus, and like all the rest, the net result to followers is generally not uplifting.

  Mommy1,
  I guess the "maxed-out-credit-card-I'll-never-have-to-pay-'cause-Armageddon's-coming" mentality is the flip side of the appearance-based asceticism I was referring to, but it comes from the same source.

  dsgal,
  Yes, I have seen the disdain for those financially disadvantaged. In a way, being too poor seems to be viewed by some as a little akin to being spiritually weak--- "you are just not making enough of an effort to keep up....there must be something wrong with you".

  Introspection,
  Yes, the image-conscious behavior I described does not embody the spirit behind Jesus' words about 'keeping your eye simple'. But it does fit with the general JW concern of greater stress on how things appear than how they actually function.

  minimus,
  In this case, the decision to live in a travel trailer(a recreational vehicle about 25-30 feet long and 8 feet wide) was not based on economic necessity. It was made in an effort to 'put kingdom interests first', feeling that this particular lifestyle would facilitate that. I know that the family in point had sincere motives, but the outcome of reality always seemed so incongruous with the stated aim. However, they were viewed by all and sundry as being the utmost spiritual, self-sacrificing people. Its own reward, I guess.

  truman