by ithinkisee 34 Replies latest jw friends
Willy,
Great post. I agreed heartily with this line:
He makes it clear that the truly conscientious ones are those who leave.
I found that to be the biggest irony when I left. For all the talk about honesty and integrity at the Kingdom Hall, when they actually get someone with honesty and integrity once in a while, they leave because their conscience forces them to! How ironic is that?
SNG
I feel like I'm smuggling drugs or something.
You will need some drugs after you finish reading those books.
You will go through the whole gammit of emotions.
Enjoy your reading. These books are great
Wanna
I go this magazine with this article the day after I finished Crisis of Conscience. Can someone do me a favor and post this Questions From Readers in a new thread? I am only allowed two new posts at a time or something I guess since I am a newbie?
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WT 2005 4/1
QUESTION FROM READERS: Should A Christian give a government employee a tip or gift for his services, or would that be viewed as bribery?
Wherever they live, Christians seek to exercise practical wisdom in dealing with local situations, remembering that what is acceptable and legal in one land may be totally unacceptable and illegal in another. (Prov 2:6-9) Of course, a Christian should always bear in mind that anyone who wants to be "a guest in [Jehovah's] tent" must shun bribery. -Psalm 15:1,5;Proverbs 17:23.
What is bribery? According to the World Book Encyclopedia, "bribery means giving or offering something of value to a ... person in a position of public trust, who in return violates his or her duty ot the law in order to benefit the giver." This, regardless of where one lives, it is bribery to give money or a gift to a judge or a police officer to pervert justice or to an inspector to turn a blind eye to a defect or a violation. It is also bribery to use a gift to get preferential treatment, such as getting moved forward on a waiting list or bypassing others in line. Such a course would also betray a lack of love. - Matthew 7:12;22:39
But is it bribery to give a gift or a tip to, say, a public servant in order to obtain a legitimate service or to avoid unfair treatment? For example, in some lands officials may be unwilling to enroll children in school, admit a person into a hospital, or stamp immigration documents until they receive a tip. Or they may procrastinate in processing applications to renew licenses and permits.
Tipping practices and the general attitude toward them vary from on place to another. Where such payments are customary or expected, some Christians may feel that within the law, they are not violating Bible principles when they tip an official to perform his duty. In some lands people may even view such payments as a gift to supplement a public employee's otherwise low income. Keep in mind that there is a difference between extending a gift for a legitimate service and offering a bribe for unlawful favor.
On the other hand, when making legitimate requests, some of Jehovah's Witnesses have declined to give tips to inspectors, customs officials, or others even where such gift giving is routine. Because the Witnesses are known locally both for taking this conscientious stand and for their honesty, they sometimes receive treatment that most people get only through a payment. -Proverbs 10:9;Matthew 5:16.
In summary, each servant of Jehovah must decide for himself whether he will extend a tip to receive a legitimate service or to avoid unfair treatment. Above all, he should pursue a course that leaves him with a good conscience, that brings no reproach on Jehovah's name, and that does not stumble others. - Matthew 6:9; 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; 2 Corinthians 6:3; 1 Timothy 1:5.
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Funny, I got this the day after I finished Crisis Of Conscience. Go figure.
-ithinkisee
ithink, that is quite timely isn't it.
Funny, do they ever use that analogy with other things?
"The general attitude toward" Christmas in the "new world" in the 20th century may "vary from one place to another." [ QUESTION FROM READERS: Should A Christian..... or would that be viewed as.... WT 2005 4/1 ]
quite possible in the USA.... regarding law suits against large corporations, bribing judges might be a necessary legal and theocratic war strategy, to keep the whistleblowers silent, and the lambs silent.
will
Excellent post willlowman and very true!!
For any lurkers out there, these 2 books are a must read and can even be purchased in PDF format from:
http://www.commentarypress.com/Publication/English.html
It is seldom mentioned, but one of the many great things about Ray's book is the title, itself. He had a crisis of conscience. In other words, his conscience would no longer permit him to keep on doing what he was doing so he HAD to quit.
That describes my own journey out of the org. I was really "wired" for many years, elder, special assignments, talks and parts at conventions and assemblies -- where I usually sat in the glass enclosed private rooms on the upper tiers with my "administration" badge on my lapel, sipping gourmet coffee and sending out for "real" food instead of hoagies and burritos from food service (you just had to be on a "special diet" and no one gave it a second thought -- they were going out for lunch anyway).
I got to the point I couldn't give a 10 minute part of the service meeting without altering the material to eliminate the bullsh%@. That's when I realized my conscience was telling me to take a hike.
This is why the WTS just HATES Ray, and loathes his book. He makes it clear that the truly conscientious ones are those who leave. Think about all the posters on this forum we've gotten to know who left, not because of pride, arrogance, or immorality, but because their CONSCIENCE drove them out of the Watchtower. We're called apostates, but the real apostates are back in Bethyl, running the show, and in the congregations, taking orders and passing out the intellectual Kool Aid.
