Here in Oz we have registered clubs - for a membership fee of about $10pa you can join a local club (which is a non-profit organisation for the benefit of its members) and use their facilities - cheap meals at the bistro, cheap drinks and poker (slot) machines, among many other things. There are (Rugby) Leagues Clubs, (Lawn) Bowling Clubs, Workers' Clubs, Sports Clubs, Yacht Clubs and the one I'm interested in for the purpose of this post: RSL (Returned Services Legion) Clubs. They're like the Veteran's associations in the US, whatever their acronym is. Can a Dub join such clubs (esp the RSL) to gain the benefits of membership (and under our law, you must join a club if you use its facilities and live within 5km of it), such as use of the gym, the variety acts that perform there? Or is there an association problem?
Club Membership and JWs
by Stephanus 4 Replies latest jw friends
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OUTLAW
Hey Steph,it depends on whose running the club..I like to go to the gym..If I were to go to the YMCA that would be a no-no.If I were go to a gym with no poltical or religious assosiation,it would simply be frowned upon,because it would take away from peddling WBTS Crap..I could join,but they wouldn`t like it much.You`d hear about it,thats for sure,but there would be nothing they could do...OUTLAW
Edited by - OUTLAW on 24 January 2003 0:12:15
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Prisca
JWs can't (or aren't supposed to) join RSLs, because they are a Returned Services League - a club for war veterans. As you will know, RSLs have the pledge at 6pm every night - "Lest we forget".
A JW would reason that joining such an establishment would break their neutrality as regards nationalism, and also would be showing support for war - which is against JW rules.
Actually, it wouldn't be very prudent for a known JW to show up at a RSL as a member - most old diggers know that JWs wouldn't go to war or participate in any activities that supported the cause. Can you imagine the uproar that would result if a known JW walked into a room full of returned servicemen? I doubt he would get out of the place without a few bruises!!
As for clubs, such as local footy clubs, golf clubs etc, it is regarded as a "conscience matter" ie. don't join if you want to be seen as "spiritual", but you can't be df'd if you do.
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Wolfgirl
They even told us (when we were frightfully poor and receiving food stamps, i.e., on the dole) that we couldn't go to the only big thrift shop in the area, coz there was an AMVets donation box outside, and the owner of the store helped in a church.
WG (of the "I'm not anal-rententive; I'm pedantic" club)
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Ed
It's okay if you just want to use their library