JWs and Retirement

[Da Blonde]

Got this from a 'recovering survivor' of a JW family: JWs do not save, or at least are strongly urged not to, for retirement, because, the point of doing so is moot for them because "the end is near". Anyone care to confirm or deny? Sounds kind of like racketeering to me, considering how they otherwise exert control over their members' lives.

[Sparko]

I don't know about retirement, but there have been times where they even suggest to their children why bother with college for the same reason (time is short).

Here is a scan:

http://www.jwfiles.com/scans/AW5-22-69p15.htm

If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. .....all evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ....as a young person you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!

...this is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling.


So keep 'em dumb and brainwashable seems to be the goal.

[Krusader]

I don't know about retirement, but there have been times where they even suggest to their children why bother with college for the same reason (time is short).

Here is a scan:

http://www.jwfiles.com/scans/AW5-22-69p15.htm

If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. .....all evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ....as a young person you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!

...this is why parents who base their lives on God's prophetic Word find it much more practical to direct their young ones into trades that do not require such long periods of additional schooling.


So keep 'em dumb and brainwashable seems to be the goal.

You're right John, the Society used to discourage any kind of secondary education. However, after the 1914 fiasco and the backtracking by the group, it appears that they are not discouraging education as much as they used to.

As far a retirement goes, I have a friend (actually the husband of my close Christian friend) who is now in retirement. He zips all over the country in his RV - so, I suppose he has made some provisions for retirement.

When he's home, however, he usually goes out once a week to keep up his stats on visitation - and especially when he knows the "overseer" will be in town (sounds like a cotton plantation to me!).

[barryrob]

Got this from a 'recovering survivor' of a JW family: JWs do not save, or at least are strongly urged not to, for retirement, because, the point of doing so is moot for them because "the end is near". Anyone care to confirm or deny? Sounds kind of like racketeering to me, considering how they otherwise exert control over their members' lives.
Here are some suggestions:-

AWAKE! 1975 11/8 p. 13 How to Make Retirement Rewarding
Planning Financially

Planning for retirement involves a number of factors. To begin with, there is the matter of income. Today most persons living in developed countries can expect to receive some form of "Social Security." This may be enough to live on even though it may amount to only half of what you had been earning. Can you exact a pension? That will help. Planning ahead may also mean having savings in a bank, investing in insurance and in stocks or bonds or real estate. All such aids are in keeping with the Biblical injunction to consider the ant, which makes provision during summer and harvesttime for the winter ahead.—Prov. 6:6-8.

Planning and preparing for retirement also mean conditioning yourself to getting accustomed to more modest circumstances. Prepare yourself to spend less on food, clothing, shelter and recreation. Take an inventory and determine what is more important to you and what is less. Here also the old saying applies, "It is never this AND that, but this OR that." Should you find that you will need added income, explore the possibilities. There are many of them, your kind being determined by your abilities, your resourcefulness and where you happen to be living. You might be able to start a small business, such as raising herbs or growing mushrooms, or you might be able to start a modest cleaning service, even as others have done.

Have you a hobby that upon retiring can be turned into a profitable business? For example, there was a railroad engineer who used to make violins as a hobby—he coming from a violin-making family. Now as a retiree he makes violins full time to his heart’s content. One retired woman makes rag dolls and sells them; a pair of retired oldsters make wooden models of old-time stage coaches and sell them. If you are an American farmer, you might consider the "Green Thumb" projects, as thousands of other retired farmers have done. Three days a week they plant grass and trees, clean out lakes and ponds and build picnic tables and fireplaces, for which they receive some $40 a week.

Truly many are the avenues open to you for solving the problem of income upon retirement if you will but realistically plan and prepare.
Barrryob