XPost: alt.religion.jehovahs-witn, talk.religion.misc   
   From: Mark.Sornson@hp.com   
      
   Frank wrote:   
   >   
   > > > Question to Mark..   
   > > > Why would it be so wrong for a JW to get involved with "Doctors without   
   > > > borders" ?? Why would the GB discourage such activities?   
   > > > Why would it be so wrong to help some child walk??   
   >   
   > "Mark Sornson"  wrote in message   
   > news:3F5E1B3F.A3E16672@hp.com...   
   > >   
   > > I assume this is for me.   
   >   
   > Yes..   
   >   
   > > I never said it would be "wrong" for anyone to get   
   > > involved with "Doctors Without Borders".  Without knowing   
   > > more about them, I have no opinion of whether it would   
   > > be "right" or "wrong" to do so.  Believe it or not,   
   > > there are JWs who are doctors and nurses.  You'd have   
   > > to ask them directly if you want a more expert opinion.   
   >   
   > But certainly not encouraged , right?   
      
   Jesus didn't encourage his disciples to become   
   doctors and join Doctors Without Borders, either.   
      
   It's generally accepted that Luke was a doctor,   
   but what he wrote didn't document Christian charity   
   from a medical perspective (all the people who were   
   healed either miraculously or by means of his   
   personal medical expertise) but from a spiritual   
   perspective.  He primarily documented the spread   
   of the Christian evangelizing work.   
      
   >   
   > >   
   > > If there are no political overtones or spiritual overtones   
   > > that might connect them directly with what JWs might   
   > > view as the promotion of false worship or nationalism, the   
   > > JW GB would probably have no direct opinion on whether   
   > > individuals so qualified should get involved with those   
   > > organizations.   
   >   
   > What about something like the school PTA... Would that be discouraged? I was   
   > told that it was.. I could never figure out what could be so harmful about   
   > getting involved with the schools..   
      
   Speaking only for myself, if PTA meetings were   
   held on Tuesday and/or Thursdays (which they usually   
   are), I'd have to forever not join PTA because I   
   prefer to be involved with JW meetings on those   
   nights.  That's my choice.  [I also don't think   
   I'd have time for PTA, anyway.]   
      
   Now, that's not to say that I've never not gone   
   to a JW meeting because of a school-related function.   
   There have been certain school-related meetings   
   that I (and/or my wife) felt were important enough   
   not to miss.  But those meetings are one-ofs --   
   they aren't regular.   
      
   Is PTA "harmful"?  I don't personaly think I've   
   ever said that.  However, I've never been to a PTA   
   meeting, so I don't know whether they are always   
   peaceful and happy, or ever get a bit heated.   
      
   PTA isn't a priority for me.  I don't criticize   
   those who feel it is a priority for them.  I might   
   have an opinion on whether others are "seeking   
   the kingdom first", but I'm not the judge of another.   
   Each one has to stand before God for their own   
   choices.   
      
   >   
   > >   
   > > The focus of the JW GB is to help people follow Jesus'   
   > > admonition to 'seek first the kingdom' (Matt 6:33).   
   > > To JWs, those are spiritual pursuits.  Putting 'the kingdom   
   > > first' isn't an argument against the absolute value of other   
   > > pursuits (such as any material charity work), but it ('the   
   > > kingdom') is the only pursuit that the JW GB has authority   
   > > to promote.   
   >   
   > No one would disagree with that.. But many charity groups dont have any   
   > religious affiliation, but do good works.. why wouldnt that be encouraged??   
      
   No matter how you slice it, "encouraging" others to   
   do XYZ is often as good as actually authorizing it and   
   and giving it the big fat A-OK.  The only thing the   
   JW organization can in good conscience give its A-OK   
   to is what every critic is complaining about, namely,   
   the pursuit of spiritual things via evangelizing.   
      
   Plus, there is simply no end to the list of non-spiritual   
   things that one might "encourage" others to get involved   
   with.  What makes one thing more appropriate to "encourage"   
   others to get involved with than others?  And, who gets   
   the blame when something that 'the church' "encouraged"   
   a person to get involved with goes terribly wrong?   
   Some people are very quick to transmute, "You encouraged   
   me to do XYZ" into, "You told me to do XYZ."   
      
   The bottom line is that people have to be fully   
   responsible for their own decisions.  The JW organization   
   only has one charter, to provide people with a basis   
   (a Bible-based, spiritual education) for making spiritual   
   decisions.  Everything else is up to the individual.   
      
   >   
   > >   
   > > To go back to a point another poster took note of,   
   > > Jesus pointed out that the poor would always be present.   
   > > Christianity wasn't a solution to material poverty,   
   > > it was primarily a solution to 'spiritual poverty'   
   > > (cf. Matt 5:3).  In the first century, certain Christians   
   > > (according to the NT) had the ability to perform   
   > > miraculous healings.  Given the outcome of history,   
   > > it certainly doesn't appear that first century Christianity   
   > > made a big splash in the world helping crippled children   
   > > walk, and helping everyone get healed from their various   
   > > physical maladies.  Evidently it too focused primarily   
   > > on spreading its message about the Kingdom of God ruled   
   > > by Christ, not its ability to do charitable works.   
   >   
   > We don't live in the stone age anymore.. We have the material means of   
   > making the world around us a better place.. lets do it, collectively and   
   > individually. I think God will take good works wherever he can get them..   
   > Religious intentions or not.   
      
   I agree with you when you to a certain extent when   
   you say 'we have the material means for making the   
   world around us a better place', but material means   
   alone don't make the world a better place.  It   
   takes good spiritual/moral policy to effectively   
   use those means for good, and not waste them or   
   let them be used for evil.  So that puts the need   
   for spiritual/moral values back in first place.   
      
   We now live in an age when the taxes government   
   collects have the potential to serve more good for   
   society as a whole than taxes in ancient times which   
   mostly went into the private coffers of the ruling   
   powers.   
      
   JWs pay their taxes so that 'Caesar' might take care of   
   the material needs of those in society who need extra   
   help.  JWs donate to the WTS to help the WTS look after   
   the spiritual needs of others.   
      
   Governments can literally and legally take money from   
   my pocket, without my consent, and give it to 'the poor'.   
   With that sort of power over people and money, there   
   should be no one with a material need anywhere in the   
   world.  Yet, governments clearly aren't irradicating   
   poverty with the power they have.   
      
   The criticism against the JW organization is, "You   
   don't take the money donated to you for Bible education   
   and spend it on the poor."  The rationale seems to be   
   that to do so is a moral requirement, and to NOT do   
   so is a form of moral bankruptcy.  Well, does that   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)