Did anyone accuse you of being materialistic?

freedom96

These days, it takes a lot of money to make ends meet. I live in Southern California, and it takes even more. Let alone if one wants to get ahead in life.

In order to do that, either one needs schooling, or must own their own business. Either way, it takes hard work. The WTS discourages schooling, and as I found out, when you own your own business, and are working to get it off the ground, you can be accused of being materialistic.

I for one, will not apologize to anyone for my wife driving a car that she is safe in, to live in an area that is not filled with crime. I have no desire to act better than anyone else, or judge anyone for choosing a certain lifestyle. But if one wants to achieve more than most, the WTS puts them down, chastising them for wanting more out of life.

The WTS pisses me off that they don't encourage the witnesses to do what they have to when trying to support their family. They would rather you go door to door than pretty much anything.

Ohhhh, don't want to stumble anyone.

Our presiding overseer, my nature of his job, made a lot of money. But, not to offend anyone, he left his nice cars at home, and bought an old VW Bug. But then he went around bragging about it, so that was pointless.

Anyone here try to achieve and get more, whether work or school, and got the "talk" from the elders, or the "eye" from others? What did you do?

I usually tried to park my Porsche closer to the front doors. Not to brag, it was not that expensive, but just to be a pain in their ass. Just an instigator I suppose! :)

minimus

ANSWER.....ALL THE TIME.

Coqui

Exactly Freedom96,

WTS pisses me off too!!!

Over the years I pursued a career that required me to work you know, Tuesday and Thursday nights on occasion and of course Saturdays and Sundays on occasion. How dare I miss a meeting in pursuit of worldly ideals.

I am a pilot for a major airline. Imagine the stereotype. Chasing hot stewardesses everytime out of town, you know how the flight attendants are today, average age 40 plus and at least 40 pounds overweight and 40% gay (really 80%). What a freak I must have been for some!!!

Freedom96, I would miss a meeting or two and what did I find on my return but their stupid ass comments "Brother we missed you", "Is everyyyyyything OOOOOOKaaaaaaY?

They would be delighted if I quit my job and became a martyr for their religion. You're right it is expensive to provide a modest standard of living for a family today. A man has to do what he has to do. F them!!!!!!!!!!!!

hamptonite21

Our area in NY is pretty afluent. Most of the Jdubs are too. There was a CO that would come and visit and lecture the congregation about materialism as a local needs talk, every time he visited. But of course would never turn down the money, myself or others would give him at the end of the week.

My Bmw fit in just fine with the rest of them, except mine was a little 3 series, I was modest.

A Paduan

How much you have / earn is fairly meaningless - what is given has an impact. Do the wts give money to people? - the poor / needy. They sure don't seem to have a name for doing it. Poverty or wealth doesn't change how you give.

paduan

Beck_Melbourne

I am accused of it now, but I never was as a JW. My ex was into poverty, he believed (and still does) that the less you have (materially) the more spiritual you were. Of course this meant the more material things you had, or the nicer your material things were, then you were investing too much time in acquiring them instead of storing up treasures in heaven.

He was such a mean old brute.

~Beck~

ozziepost

To the average dub, a person is materialistic if they are richer than we are!

Lady Lee

all the time

When I was married we bought a house - not because we had a lot of money but because we didn't. Buying the house was cheaper than renting and moving all the time. But we were still declared materialistic because of it.

I made my own clothes and for my daughters too including coats. I knit and crocheted sweaters and blankets - even curtains. I canned my own veggies and made my own pickles and jams. I did everything under the sun to save money because we were four people living on one minimum wage job.

and somehow they still called me materialistc as they walked away with jars of home-made jams.

RubyTuesday

I was accused of being materialistic after I left the org. I worked at a garage (in the office) and one day i bought my new jeep and was showing it off to everyone...All the machanics where looking at it. One of the mechanics was a JW (an Elder!!)that was constantly trying to hook me up with his wife so that she could teach me their garbage...(He did't know i used to be one) He didn't say much when all the other mechanics where checking it out.When they left he stayed and started preaching to me about how we should worship god and that storing up material things on earth is wrong...blah blah blah ....guess he expected me to walk 30 miles to work everyday. The last thing he said is...don't become a slave to your possesiions.

About 2 months later i notice all this commontion in the garage...He had just bought a Porshe and was showing it to all the mechanics. I went out and looked at it and as i was walking away i said (just had too) Be carefull you would'nt want to be a slave to your possesions now would you? when i looked back he turned a bright red and could'nt look me in the eye.

LB

Good shot Ruby, that had to feel good.

When I bought the Vette there was a little gossip about exactly that. Finally when one pioneer had the courage to bring it up to me I mentioned that there were "service rigs" in the parking lot that cost 3 times as much as I paid for my Vette. Service rigs owned by elders."

Of course when you leave it's always "I knew it, he loved his worldly posessions."

Did anyone accuse you of being materialistic?

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