You're a good man pete zahut!
CO retirement severance?
by road to nowhere 33 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
pistolpete
PZ your,
Are a good person
-
LongHairGal
PETE ZAHUT:
That was a very noble thing you did for these people. But, I’m curious about the last sentence you wrote because I have heard this before. You address the fact that the brotherhood is imaginary - and I agree. Then you say ‘that if any tangible help is needed for any length of time - you are on your own’. Really? Does anybody there have a right to depend on anybody else? I never believed they did.
If JWs were taught to believe they should be responsible people, they WOULD be depending on themselves, just like responsible people in the world do. Instead, there is a fairy-tale fallacy you alluded to that ‘somebody’(?) will save the day with an envelope stuffed with $$. This bothers me because the religion gives nothing to anybody. Plus, the average member there is told not to pursue college or careers and is low income. Those that do pursue careers are ostracized..as I well know.. Question:..When did some ventriloquist act or magician make it sound like this burden should be on the average members (the rank and file)??..I always hated this fallacy..which refuses to go away it seems..and I am glad I walked away from this religion ages ago.
JAZZBO:
The religion is the one who ‘owes’ these people, in my opinion, because they were working for THEM.
-
Rivergang
That bloody lot always expect that you can somehow have things both ways.
ie. Insist all young persons condemn themselves to a life of poverty by forgoing any sort of an education, and instead enter the “Full Time Service” - yet, at the same time, expect the rank and file have cash to hand over whenever asked
( Whether that be to build a new Kingdom Hall, or to support a former Circuit Overseer who has been “kicked to the curb”.)
To use the vernacular of where I come from, “They ought to be shot with a ball of their own $h#t”
-
DesirousOfChange
The best "retirement" situation I know of for former CO's is when the Branch farms them out to a (usually rural) Congregation that has built an apartment onto their KHall. The CO and COW get free rent and utilities. The Cong gets an elderly but well experienced and respected elder and his wife. Since they are over 65 yo they have free Government health insurance (USA Medicare) and if they had secular employment before going into the CO work, they receive Social Security (thought perhaps a minimal amount ie, $1000/mo). They are likely assured of a few cash gifts from any JW family that has the funds and some kind and generous brother in the cleaning biz might toss them a couple "easy" office cleaning gigs if they are physically able to do light cleaning.
They actually are probably a lot better off than the typical elderly JW couple that slaved away for the bOrg pioneering and living a meager existence waiting for The End(™) that never comes.
-
Pete Zahut
Really? Does anybody there have a right to depend on anybody else? I never believed they did
No of course not but for goodness sake, weren't we were supposed to be willing to die for one another? Does anybody have the right to expect that or depend upon it happening? According to JW's, Yes they do.
The organization has no problem making people feel warm and fuzzy by leading them to believe that they're "Protected" within the Congregation and they're part of a "Worldwide Brotherhood". They give the appearance of being "Johnny on the Spot" when natural disasters hit when in reality they're after insurance money. Theres a mixed message. They advise JW's to quit their Jobs and Pioneer and Jehovah will provide. Then someones electricity is turned off, it's their own fault. We'll die for you but don't ask us to pay for your electricity because you decided to be a Pioneer and didn't earn enough money this month.
At least the Mormons have funds set aside for their members when they get in trouble and give them assistance in finding work when they're unemployed. An old JW couple in their 70 who have no Social Security because they were in the Circuit work their whole lives, without the help of the Congregation, are up a creek with no paddle.
-
LongHairGal
PERE ZAHUT:
Yes, the Mormons are a more sensible religion.
So much to say about this. You’ve heard the expression ‘sleight of hand’..Yes, it’s true about the impression the JWs try to give about a warm and fuzzy brotherhood. There must have been some serious ‘sleight of words’ at some point.. Never expected anybody to die for me though. Hell, many people didn’t even say hello!
As far as believing that ‘you are going to be taken care of’, this was a lie in general (even if some JWs once in a while help out). But, certainly it was not something you could stake your life on..Don’t know how the legend got started but it took off as the major urban legend in the Witness religion. Even when I was studying I was told ‘I’d be taken care of’ if I was needy. However, I worked full-time so this was never an issue for me. The problem arises when JWs start studies with ‘troubled’ individuals and then tell THEM this. We all know the religion gives nothing. So, the solution to this problem (and to keep up the phony legend) is to have somebody go around with an envelope cornering certain people for money!!! And, if I were sitting there NOW some idiot would come up to ME (who was criticized for working mind you) asking for money.. I wouldn’t be Retired if I listened to them. No forgiveness from me!
There are far TOO many ‘needy’ people in this religion and most are needy because they followed the religion’s dictates and never got a career - instead opting to be in the ministry. Now, to add insult to injury there are fired bethelites and CO’s (who worked for the religion by the way) - and yet this fallacy is floating around that they are ‘going to be taken care of’ by the average struggling Joe or Jane in congregations.
As the membership there decreases are the elders going to make cold calls in the community?..even having the audacity to call on disfellowshipped or inactive JWs asking for money??? Wow, would they get an earful from me.
-
truthlover123
One C O retired owning an apartment building and several houses... all from green handshakes - for any who are having a "hard" time, I do not believe it - unless they were really bad doing their job and pubs did not like him.
-
fulltimestudent
These comments apply to anybody stupid (lack of critical thinking skills) enough, to believe these stories of a loving god in heaven that provides for all, but who especially cares for those who forsake possessions to serve him.
I started pioneering around 18 y.o. got married (to a pioneer) around 25 -In the 10-12 years I pioneered I once calculated we could have earned a million A$ between us. But being stupid and believing in a god in heaven I had nothing, when my wife became pregnant and I had to think about 2 people who I cared for and beginning to think that bloody old YHWH didn't give a rat's arse about anyone or anything. Still lacking critical thinking skills I put those doubts to one side and kept serving where the need was greater as an elder, working night and day to fit all that bloody bible shit into 24 hour days.
My ever theocratic wife, still wanted to look smart and fashionable (and be able to serve the YHWH/Jesus fake gods). I scrimped and saved in my own life, learnt some design skills, brought work home to do at night, and eventually bought a house. Domestic bliss was not part of my life though, often criticised by my wife for not being theocratic enough - You can se where that was heading cant you?
And, when my wife wanted a divorce, I though of my kids and gave her the house, and she also forged my signature and took the few thousand dollars I had in my bank account.
But I got through it, no thanks to any imaginary god in heaven, In time another partner and another house, but here I am now, still working in my bloody eighties.
I do not think about all that much - it makes my blood pressure rise- I think positive. My life is not so bad, considering that I wasted so much of it being stupid - So stupid is as stupid does (Attested since at least 1862, but popularized (perhaps independently) by the 1994 film Forrest Gump.) which is much more accurate than the Holy Bible
Apologies -caught me on a bad day.
-
Rivergang
All I know is that of the congregations I was with, the CO would have received little if anything in the way of a “green handshake”. Nobody had the proverbial “two bob to rub together”, let alone to lavish the Circuit Overseer with gifts of cash.