|  Author | Topic: JW no charity James 1:27 (Read 368 times) |
dannyhaszard
Lurker
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://commontruth.com/avatar/PinkSunset2.jpg)
![[homepage]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif)
Joined: Jan 2006
Gender: Male 
Posts: 2
Location: Bangor Maine
|  | JW no charity James 1:27
« Thread Started on Jan 25, 2006, 10:25am » | ![[Quote]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/quote.gif) |
In my home town of Bangor Maine every church except Jehovah's Witnesses have abundant charities.
My mate belongs to the UU church and 45% of her membership fee goes to programs for the poor.
The local Salvation army has a gourmet soup kitchen that feeds many.These aren't 'rice Christians' these are people who are destitute some helpless from severe mental illness.
If i beamed down from outer space naked and asked for help every church in my town would be there in a heartbeat to help me.
If i knocked on the Bangor Kingdom hall and did the same they would call the 911 emergency services,the police would then direct me to these church charities.The point is,the watchtower uses resources,pays no taxes same as the other churches but gives nothing back to the community.They hoard billions in a vast real estate empire.
James 1:27"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress " (note:James didn't say anything about going door to door with the magazines,and directing followers to trust in an "invisible" government put up in 1914)
-----
Danny Haszard- born 3rd generation JW 1957 to a devout hard-core JW family
|
Tell the truth and don't be afraid-Danny Haszard Bangor Maine |
|
melancholymuse
Global Moderator
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://commontruth.com/avatar/Tami.jpg)
Joined: Jan 2006
Gender: Female 
Posts: 271
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #1 on Jan 25, 2006, 7:50pm » | |
You're correct: there are no JW charities out there. Anyone can do a google search to see this for themselves. I think their idea may have something to do with a misguided attempt to not be showy about giving. I get this impression from one of their older articles I dug up:
1950 Watchtower, 12/15 p. 507
Religious Charity versus Good Works
GOOD WORKS, NOT ADVERTISED CHARITY
The gaudy practice today of bestowing honor and praise on heavy contributors to charity drives is directly opposed to Jesus’ counsel. “But take care not to do your good deeds in public for people to see, for, if you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you are going to give to charity, do not blow a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and the streets, to make people praise them. I tell you, that is all the reward they will get! But when you give to charity, your own left hand must not know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.”—Matt. 6:1-4, AT.
However, I don't see that the JW are against giving to charities in general practice. Their own published comments show they realize some give to other charities:
1964 Awake 6/1 p. 324
Are You an Opportunist?
When making out your income-tax return, do you deduct more in contributions to charities than you have actually paid?
1998 Awake 12/8 p. 26
The Wisdom and Benefits of Estate Planning
Additionally, you may want to remember certain friends or charities in your estate plan. It is important to write down who is to be included in your estate plan and your objective with regard to each.
1993 Awake 6/8 p. 27
Charitable Contributions—A Christian Obligation?
Do not assume that all organized charities are either wasteful or fraudulent. Examine the facts, then make a personal decision whether to give or not.
Beyond all this, although it would be nice if the JW's started soup kitchens and homeless shelters; we need to remember to not wallow in what they don't do, and start remembering what we ourselves can do for others. Do we ourselves give donations to the poor? Do we volunteer at the soup kitchen? Send donations to disaster victims? Give to the March of Dimes? Focusing on what others aren't doing for others doesn't really help anyone. It 's our own individual responsiblities to do what we can for others, in spite of what others aren't doing. #wink#
|
Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6, ASV) |
|
melancholymuse
Global Moderator
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 271
| |
archangel
Associate
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://commontruth.com/avatar/Rainbow.jpg)
![[msn]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/msn.gif)
Joined: Jul 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 99
Location: Hampshire, UK
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #3 on Jul 26, 2006, 7:16am » | |
Quote: You're correct: there are no JW charities out there. Anyone can do a google search to see this for themselves. I think their idea may have something to do with a misguided attempt to not be showy about giving. I get this impression from one of their older articles I dug up:
1950 Watchtower, 12/15 p. 507
Religious Charity versus Good Works
GOOD WORKS, NOT ADVERTISED CHARITY
The gaudy practice today of bestowing honor and praise on heavy contributors to charity drives is directly opposed to Jesus’ counsel. “But take care not to do your good deeds in public for people to see, for, if you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you are going to give to charity, do not blow a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and the streets, to make people praise them. I tell you, that is all the reward they will get! But when you give to charity, your own left hand must not know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.”—Matt. 6:1-4, AT.
However, I don't see that the JW are against giving to charities in general practice. Their own published comments show they realize some give to other charities:
1964 Awake 6/1 p. 324
Are You an Opportunist?
When making out your income-tax return, do you deduct more in contributions to charities than you have actually paid?
1998 Awake 12/8 p. 26
The Wisdom and Benefits of Estate Planning
Additionally, you may want to remember certain friends or charities in your estate plan. It is important to write down who is to be included in your estate plan and your objective with regard to each.
1993 Awake 6/8 p. 27
Charitable Contributions—A Christian Obligation?
Do not assume that all organized charities are either wasteful or fraudulent. Examine the facts, then make a personal decision whether to give or not.
Beyond all this, although it would be nice if the JW's started soup kitchens and homeless shelters; we need to remember to not wallow in what they don't do, and start remembering what we ourselves can do for others. Do we ourselves give donations to the poor? Do we volunteer at the soup kitchen? Send donations to disaster victims? Give to the March of Dimes? Focusing on what others aren't doing for others doesn't really help anyone. It 's our own individual responsiblities to do what we can for others, in spite of what others aren't doing. #wink# |
|
I think a point is being missed here. WTS teaching is, and always has been, that people with physical and social problems will be sorted out (destroyed, therefore no more problem) at Armageddon. If they were truly God's chosen people, there would be much more social and humanitarian awareness and desire to do something! That there is not is significant. It is not 'charities' that are needed but 'charity' (KJV) 'agape' love, which is totally absent from WTS teachings, but not from JW's, thank God!
|
God is light: in him there is no darkness at all |
|
melancholymuse
Global Moderator
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 271
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #4 on Jul 26, 2006, 2:48pm » | |
Yeah, I do see your point, Archangel. The Jw's tend to take that scripture at 13:35 a little too territorially. The scriptures says (New World Translation) "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves".
The problem with this scripture is, they consider that to be the primary criteria for being the true religion. Sure, they do have a lot of love among themselves, but the scripture doesn't say this is the only criteria. Heck, the Mormons have a lot of love amongst themselves too -- so are they also the true religion?
Whatever happened to love of neighbor? Love isn't conditional, therefore love should be shown freely to all, not just to your own.
Tami
|
Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6, ASV) |
|
archangel
Associate
member is offline
Joined: Jul 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 99
Location: Hampshire, UK
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #5 on Jul 26, 2006, 3:28pm » | |
For that matter, what happened to 'Love your enemies'? Or does that mean shun your former friends if they disagree with your viewpoint? #icecream#
|
God is light: in him there is no darkness at all |
|
Clear Water
Guest
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #6 on Aug 20, 2006, 7:29pm » | |
Reading through the discussions around here, it becomes quickly apparent that you\'re a negative person with a chip on your shoulder against the Jehovah\'s Witness beliefs. What gives?
| |
|
melancholymuse
Global Moderator
member is offline
Joined: Jan 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 271
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #7 on Aug 20, 2006, 8:59pm » | |
I'm not sure which person you are referring to, so it's hard to make a direct response. However, I would like to clarify that this isn't a Jehovah's Witness discussion board, nor is it an anti-Jehovah's Witness discussion board. It's just a discussion board for bible topics. Yes, we do happen to have a membership largely made up of those who are/were affiliated with JW's in some way, however we welcome everyone from all denominations. We allow all points of view so long as everyone is respectful towards one another and can disagree in a civil manner.
If you found this message board through the link at CommonTruth.com , I'd also like to clarify that CommonTruth.com is not a Jehovah's Witness site either. It is simply intended to show biblical truth regardless of religious affiliations. Yes, some of those articles happen to agree with JW doctrine, and that seems to confuse people sometimes.
The primary administrator of this message board is my husband, "Myndlon". He has never been a Jehovah's Witness and was raised in a church-going home. I myself am the global moderator of this board, and I was raised a Jehovah's Witness, but have been disfellowshipped for the past two years.
There are a couple of JW's in good standing that have visited this board: Atalaya ("Atalaya" is spanish for Watchtower, he is from Puerto Rico) and I believe Juan are two of them.
I'll let you chew on that information and decide for yourself what you want to think of all that. #coffee#
With Christian Love,
Tami
|
Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6, ASV) |
|
archangel
Associate
member is offline
Joined: Jul 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 99
Location: Hampshire, UK
| | Re: JW no charity James 1:27
« Reply #8 on Aug 21, 2006, 12:56am » | |
Wow, Good answer, Tami! I have the distinct feeling that I was being referred to there, and I am not anti anyone - but I am very pro Bible! I do object to anyone mishandling the Bible to suit their own ends, whether they are JW, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox etc. etc. ad infinitum! I'm convinced that, through thorough discussion on this site that there is no-one here who deliberately does that, very much unlike on some other DB's. I LOVE this place!
|
God is light: in him there is no darkness at all |
| |
|
![[Search This Thread]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/search2.gif)
![[Reply]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/reply.gif)
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/sendtopic.gif)
![[Print]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif)
Logged