WITNESS MENTALITY TOWARDS THE TSUNAMI DISASTER

by Mary 44 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  eyeslice

  I agree with many of the comments. The JWs only use such incidents to further their cause, e.g. for field service; "isn't terrible what has happened in SE Asia this week. Have you ever wondered how the earth could be if God's Kingdom was in charge?"

  On the other hand, such incidents do present a problem for many sincere JWs. My wife is still strong in the truth. She, however, has been reduced to floods of tears watching the TV coverage showing dead bodies, including those of small children being. Yet, she still believes that God will destroy a whole world of mankind at Armageddon. I am sure that she is not the only one affected this way.

  Eyeslice
• 

  GermanXJW

  Mary, I have to admit that I used to have this very mentality you describe. But I was raised as a JW... :-(
• 

  Mutz

  My mother went to the Sales on Monday with a friend of her's. She told me that they were queueing in a shop
  and her friend noticed all the people with bags and bags full of stuff, her friend made the comment that "it was such a contrast to see all these people with so much while those poor people in Asia now had nothing" and words to the effect that it was part of the sign of the end, the usual Witness bollocks.
  So I simply asked my Mum how much he friend had donated to the appeals for these people in Asia.
  She went quiet and then said that there would probably be a collection at the KH.
  I told her that if her friend was as concerned for those 'poor people' as she claimed she would have given
  something already rather than making pious declarations about how bad it was in the Time of the End.
• 

  lisavegas420

  My mother went to the Sales on Monday with a friend of her's. She told me that they were queueing in a shop
  and her friend noticed all the people with bags and bags full of stuff, her friend made the comment that "it was such a contrast to see all these people with so much while those poor people in Asia now had nothing" and words to the effect that it was part of the sign of the end, the usual Witness bollocks.
  So I simply asked my Mum how much he friend had donated to the appeals for these people in Asia.
  She went quiet and then said that there would probably be a collection at the KH.
  I told her that if her friend was as concerned for those 'poor people' as she claimed she would have given
  something already rather than making pious declarations about how bad it was in the Time of the End.

  Mutz,...... anyone....has the witnesses ever taken up a collection for a disaster? I had never seen or heard this before...just wondering???
• 

  stillajwexelder

  Is this really the general attitude of Witnesses or is this dickhead in the minority???

  Sadly many JWs think like him - whoooooooooo and it means Armageddon is just around the corner. One sister even said to me last night at the bookgroup - "ell earthquakes have been on the increase since 1914"- so I shot her down in flames , pulled out the March 2003 Awake and it actually shut her up thank God
• 

  OUT and about

  Lisavegas - If you are referring to the tragedy of a circuit overseer needing a replacement full size luxury car with all the trimmings, then yes! They do take collections for that. As far as anything to assist the general population, I can't recall anything in the 4 or 5 years I was with them.
• 

  blondie

  In the US, there is no longer a collection taken for the CO/DO car and medical expenses. I guess it was creating problems on the IRS front. There was never really a "collection" in that the WTS decided what the congregation would pay per publisher, the elders would quickly discuss it at a service meeting, put through a resolutioon, voting on it. No more though.
• 

  Doubtfully Yours

  I lived through a disaster in which the WTBTS provided help, but only for their own.

  While organizations such as the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and several other churches in the county gave it all with open arms, the WTBTS only through 'word of mouth' among its active members gave to their own. It's sad.

  After this disaster that my family endured in Southwest Florida, I have high respect for the Red Cross, Salvation Army and some churches in the county.

  DY
• 

  confusedjw

  GO MARY!
• 

  heart2heart

  I'm not sure of the local mentality, but I have to agree with everyone here that it is likely the usual "we're always the first to help" "how many JWs died?" kind of thoughts. In reality though, are they the first? Probably not. Are they even helping out? Maybe, but likely only their own, like others have said. After hurricane Juan in Nova Scotia last year, NOBODY helped anyone, except maybe to lend them their generator after their own power came back on. Kwin offered help to anyone who needed it (clearing trees, etc though we would have gladly helped in any way we could) but was never called to help anyone. Our book study overseer called us to make sure we were ok - likely other book study overseers did the same, but we don't think there was any kind of communication between them to organize help for those who needed it. With a lot of elderly people in the hall, as well as families with small children, that is really sad! We saw much more of a "community spirit" in so-called "unbelievers" than we ever did within the Witness community. I've never heard of a congregation collecting money to help anyone, except to pay for the CO's costs while visiting. Besides that, you never seem to hear anything about how the WTS is helping out after a disaster (except for a few articles here in there in the mags). It would have been nice to hear some kind of new along those lines. Instead, like someone already mentioned, you are witnessing for yourself how locally the brothers and sisters don't help those who need it, but you are expected to believe that they are the first to arrive with help after a disaster in some other part of the world. Yeah right... I'm sure what really happens is the closest JW's rush to the scene, briefcases in hand to tell everyone how near the end they are and that they need to start a Bible study right away if they want to be saved. lol

  Heart2Heart