Volunteering at a house of evil

by tergiversator 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  tergiversator

  I did something new today. My college arranged for several different volunteer projects in the area that you could sign up for, from trail clean-up to working at a homeless shelter to visiting elderly people. Through the vagaries of fate, I ended up on one that visited a small clothing and food pantry operated by the area churches' Ecumenical Council.

  So there I was, sorting packages of donated socks by children's sizes, not ten feet from where there were *religious* pamphlets (one of them mentioned God once, I think) in a small, discreet display, on such false religious topics such as how to deal with the violent death of a loved one. I bagged pinto beans and rice into one cup packages, knowing full well that the people using them might be subtly influenced by such evil members of Babylon the Great as Frank, the man who ran the place and kept saying how glad he was to have everyone who showed up, because it meant they finally got caught up on all the odd bits of maintenance required to run the pantry and its sister shelter.

  Y'know, it's nice to not have to think that all of these good programs, such as food pantries, shelters, old folks home, etc, etc, are polluted and evil, just because they happen to be run by religious organizations, which give aid regardless of whether people agree with their beliefs or not (unlike, say, what we can imagine a comparable - and very hypothetical - Witness program would do).

  I realize a little better how toxic the Witness attitude is: just because God hasn't solved every problem perfectly right now means that we can can wash our hands of trying to do anything at all. What's the point in feeding someone for a day if God's just going to wipe out hunger completely, Real Soon Now, and anyhow these cans of pork and bags of rice are tainted because the building is owned by false religion? Much better to spend your Saturday out in service.

  I didn't do very much, really, and I've never volunteered before. But it felt quite a lot more ultimately useful than all those thirteen odd years I spent knocking on doors on Saturday - and unlike field service, I might actually do it again some time.

  Anybody else have similar experiences?

  T.
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  AuSet

  I have been volunteering, not at religious organizations, for a few years now after I decided not to go back to the hall. It leaves me with a wonderful feeling that I am really being of use to someone, and doesn't come with all the guilt and icky feelings that going to the doors used to leave me with (please let no one be home! please!!)Of course, all the rest of my family seem to think this is a waste of my time, especially since I am choosing to make helping others my career. This topic, helping others in a real and meaningful way, is something one can spend a lot of time thinking about after leaving the WBTS. I think of it as a kind of spiritual redemption. Any other thoughts?
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  Tina

  Hi T,
  WTG!!!
  I volunteer as time allows at one of the veteran's administration hospitals....I love the people I meet,I learn so much from them. They give me more than I give them...... I know you're going to get so much out of your volunteering too! hugs,Tina
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  Flip

  Tergiversater,

  Although every point you made was encouraging and succinct, I thought the following struck with the most impact,

  “just because God hasn't solved every problem perfectly right now means that we can wash our hands of trying to do anything at all.”

  I’ve always wondered why the WTBTS fostered, and still does, the above attitude you mention when I was a Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  As you well know, millions of issues of Watchtower and Awakes! And millions of special publications, supposedly used for personal spiritual edification are produced in factories dependant on the advantages the presiding government affords the WTBTS.

  Whether these publications that have been spewed out by the WTBTS for over a hundred years are of any value, is not as important as understanding that one way or another, each and every publication is bought and paid for with cold hard cash by six million Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  What happens to those books and magazines after they have been unboxed at the literature counter and delivered into the black hole of obscurity is undoubtedly not the concern of the WTBTS but more likely, how to keep Jehovah’s Witness motivated to buy the next batch two weeks from now.

  If Jehovah’s Witnesses were gallivanting all over “hell’s acre” volunteering to help religiously or otherwise sponsored human or animal aid organizations, when will Jehovah’s Witnesses have the inclination due to time constraints and a sharper understanding of the world in which they live, to fork over their hard earned cash to buy, or using the "politically correct" term, “donate” to this weeks WTBTS drivel.

  Flip
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  orbison

  I hate to admit it,,more embarrased than anything,,but when i left the org,,my ex , still a bro, was making over $100 K a year,,,and i had to go to food banks,,,i will not go into it now,,,just all i could put on a resume was that i knew how to go door to door and keep an mean house:) i am so very thankful the food banks were there,,,i lost a lot of weight walking looking for a job, needless to say, things are on track now,,,but i am very thankful for the churches that helped me,,,btw
  the jw would not help in the community i moved into, and they did not know i was df