Change in WT Stance on Retirement? A qualified answer?

by blondie 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  I quit!

  The average life span of both men and women has increased by decades over the last hundred years. In the past I think a lot of witness could count on death to get the out of the financial fix that taking the Watchtower's bad advice based on their belief that the end of the world was just around the corner could bring. I remember when I was first married telling a life insurance salesman, we didn't need a financial plan because the end was coming soon. Fortunately, I got over that belief a year or two later while still a Jdub and started thinking long term and planning for the future.

  I personally know a witness who can't even afford a one-bedroom for him and his wife at this time in the neighborhood where they once lived and went door to door preaching that the end was near.
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  blondie

  I quit! I knew 2 elders who sold life insurance for a living and hit up all the jws they could. I asked them how they could sell life insurance to people who thought the end was coming in their life time and that they should rely on their god to take care of them. And then there was the elder that sold a pre-paid funeral package, to jws.
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  blondie

  I remember an elder telling a sister, that their god would provide. I later asked the elder, "Maybe your god is trying to use you to provide...and you aren't listening that he means you personally by action." Even the Watchtower Society applies James 2:15.16 that way "It means that it is not always enough simply to say “I love you.” We need to show that we mean it. For example, if our brothers or sisters do not have enough food or clothing, they need more than kind words. (James 2:15, 16)" from WT October 2017 p. 4
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  LongHairGal

  BLONDIE:

  I’m sure that elder didn’t like hearing that.

  Nobody wants to be targeted to give charity to needy people, especially people needy because they did it to themselves. I wouldn’t tolerate them coming near me.

  But he as an enforcer of the Witness religion’s teachings NOT to get college or career is on the hook to help these other JWs, in my opinion... In fact, somebody like him would have been instrumental in getting ME shunned back in the day because of my full-time job!!!

  I DO feel that the religion’s efforts now to get back ‘faders’ and ‘disfellowshipped’ is partly related to their concerns about TOO many needy in their ranks who were conned into not preparing for retirement! It’s too obvious to ignore.. Maybe in the past when the congregations were jumping with people this was less obvious. Also, all the ‘boomer’ pioneers hadn’t reached retirement age yet and there was still ‘hope’ the ‘nu system’ would arrive!

  Who knows if maybe the JW religion is afraid that if there were practically no other people in congregations - that there could be a scenario of all these needy and desperate people coming and banging on their door and otherwise making their plight public!?
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  Ugot2bekiddingme1

  I got this one elder and his elder friend who just creep me out everytime they come to my door to encourage me to return to the borg. This morning I was out washing my car in the driveway and here comes these two bozos. They tell me how much the borg is growing and all the changes. I'm just working away on my car. The see my cars, my house, my job, and commission, retirement. I can see the dollar signs in their eyes.
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  blondie

  Ugot2bekiddingme1, love that. No elders come to our door any more and we are just "faders." We just wave them away at the door through the window. Finally, stopped coming, until recent change in policy and I got 2 phone calls and a letter, after no contact with the senders/callers for 25 years. What hypocrites!
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  FedUpJW

  For example, if our brothers or sisters do not have enough food or clothing, they need more than kind words.

  I agree. We should inform them that they obviously need to PRAY MORE, donate more $$$$, STUDY MORE, spend MORE TIME door knocking, and for good measure we could always tell them, "remember we loooovvve eewwwe." LOL