Bangalore:
*** w51 11/1 pp. 643-644 Charity in Christendom ***
A train derails and crashes into the headlines. Or perhaps a factory explosion covers the front page. On such occasions or when flood, fire, earthquake or windstorm make many homeless and rob others of life or limb, as surely as the press is there to report it, so will other familiar figures turn up. The community chest will be there, the Red Cross with its blood bank will be there, priests fully outfitted with pious face and last rites will be there and politicians will rush back from a Florida vacation so that they can be there—all to offer charitable help.
But let the disaster be on a smaller scale where the returns in publicity are not so promising; then the widely acclaimed charitable organizations do not flock to the scene. It is clear that they choose the publicized tragedies, that their giving may be publicized along with the event. The motive of attention and credit perches plainly on their every “good deed”. Contributors to the community chest receive a red feather; to the Red Cross, a button; to disabled war veterans, a poppy. A religious cardinal is considered a particularly appropriate individual to open a charity drive. He is photographed performing his contribution act, then his benign generosity is re-echoed from coast to coast through the newspapers reporting it. Sometimes it seems as if such figures scheme to see how little they can give and yet receive the maximum credit, praise and attention. Finally, after all of the shouting is over, greedy charity racketeers move in to scoop up the lion’s share, leaving only scraps for the supposed objects of the “charity”.
It's ironic that the WT does not offer any physical help at all, yet criticizes those who do!
Jesus advocated using one’s substance for preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. (Matt. 19:21, NW) He specifically prohibited advertising his acts of mercy in curing the sick when the only return would mean self-credit to him personally. (Luke 5:12-14; 8:49-56) On one occasion the apostles Peter and John caused a lame man to walk rather than heed his request for money, which they explained they did not have for that purpose.—Acts 3:1-8.
They completely miss the point that Jesus & the apostles offered practical help - curing the sick, healing the lame, etc. What practical help do JW's offer to those in their community? The "preaching work" does not count as it is neither practical nor helpful. In times of crisis, people need immediate physical help, not delayed help that is supposed to come at an unknown time! Telling people that God would destroy 99.99% of the world's population to solve mankind's problems & that the only way to be saved is to become a JW but even then salvation is not guaranteed - that is supposed to be good news??? What a depressing message!