If a JW were severely injured and needed immediate, emergency care.............?

Question

and they recognized the ambulance person who came to their aid to be a disfellowshipped, ex jw, would the injured JW be required to turn down their assistance, since they're not to associate in any way with disfellowshipped people?

Diane.. so basically, they can accept life saving assistance, but they can't say thank you?

Arthur, that explains their stance perfectly. thanks.

i know JWs cannot do business with disfellowshipped persons.. emergency care is the "business" of the disfellowshipped ambulance person.. how could the witness accept their help in good conscience? I don't get the disparity.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses do not socialize with those who are "bad association".

(1 Corinthians 15:33) Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.


Jehovah's Witnesses continue to behave in a polite and humanitarian manner toward all, including those who nevertheless work to demean and disparage their religion. A Jehovah's Witness who made a point of refusing to use niceties such as "please", "thank you", and "excuse me" during an incidental encounter with anyone (including a disfellowshipped person) would be wrong. Any "emergency" would be entirely immaterial.

(Matthew 7:12) All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm

Answer 2

The association is in the form of social interaction only, not anything else like medical situations. If a "JW" did turn down the assitance they would be doing it off thier own back.

Hope this helps.

Addendum: As per you question to Diane (and I do hope that I don't overstep my bounds here, I appologise if I do).

This is only about social situations, so yes you can say 'Thank You' in any manner you wish. In fact it is encouraged that a Thanks is convayed to the person (whoever it is, disfellowshiped or not) for thier assitance (in medical and other large things) as thanking others is a sign of the 'fruits of the spirt' , you know, love for you fellow man and alike. What is not considered acceptable is inviting inviting them out to dinner and othe social situations .

The reason for this guideline (it is not infact a hard and fast rule) is to prevent bad habits rubbing off. If the person was disfellowshipped for stealing constantly a person spending time in social situation may either be hurt (by having something stollen) or may begin to start thinking stealing things less unacceptable. This can lead to other problems. I hope this explains things clearly for you.

Second Addendum: When talking of 'not doing' business with disfellowshiped persons it is talking about private business ventures and not larger multi-employee business concerns. In the example above, the ambulance driver is the employee of the larger company and no direct bussiness transaction takes place between the "JW" and the disfellowshiped person since the disfellowshiped person is acting as agent for the company. If however in another situation a "JW" wished to conduct business with a disfellowshiped person who owned their own 'from home' small business, this would be looked on as unfavourable.

While it is true that some "JW" do remove all contact with a disfellowshiped person (even going to the extent of changing banks and business associations and cutting off friends of friends ties), it is not the norm, nor is it expected or required. The guideline on business relationships only extends to personal and private business relationships and not to employees of larger concerns. I hope this helps to clear things up.

Answer 3

My mother-in-law is JW I asked her a similar question.. She answered, "That is an instance of extreme need and accepting the assistance is acceptable... One would just have to speak with an Elder and report the contact asap."

This is the same women who refused to attend her own sons wedding for fear of associating with a disfellowshipped member (namely her son, my brother-in-law)...

Some of the things JW's do in the name of their religion are baffling to me..

Addition... Didn't ask about saying TY, sorry.. I was too floored about reporting the contact to an Elder I forgot any follow up questions I might have asked..

Answer 4

Yet another example of the hypocrisy that is that cult. Along the same lines of that. When I was still selling beer in Va. I had an account that was run by a devout super witness. This person also was in my old congregation. When i went by there to sell her some beer (bar and restaurant btw) she said she no longer wanted to sell my beer because she said due to new insight it is not appropriate to do business with disfellowshiped people. I told my boss and he was LIVID to say the least. She stopped selling the brand that I sold. I am not exaggerating here when I say that her bar business dropped by 95%. It ruined her. Then she called back and requested another salesman. My boss told her HELL to the NO, that if she wanted to do business with the company I needed to be her salesman. So she did and then 80% of her business came back. She was still down overall in sales though,due to moronic thinking. I asked her a few weeks alter why she asked for me back, and she said maybe she was" overreacting" and to please not tell anyone from the congregation she was doing business with a disfellowshiped one.That is just one of many examples of blatant hypocrisy by this cult.

Answer 5

I had no idea that JW's did this however reading the other answers, I think I will say this- it is ok to associate with people who have left the fellowship if it for their benefit, like for their health? But a woman did not go to her own son's funeral, because she might run into someone that left the fellowship? That is crazy- and people call Christians fanatical.

Answer 6

If its an emergency, it would be OK. Its not like they are associating to be friends. The ambulance personnel is doing their job taking care of the injured.

Answer 7

conscience receives "new Light" in cases of emergencies......When I Quit being a JW...I was working in a fine dining restraint....My mother and another Witness came to my restraint and were seated in my section....
My mother asked the manager if another server could handle her order due tho the fact that she was unable to speak with me...

My manager(God Love Him) invited my mother to leave and dine elsewhere......I wish that I was able to wait on this table with my chin high, but the truth of the matter is, i was so devastated by their behavior, that I had to go home ....This was my Mother, coming into my world, KNOWING that this is where I worked, to cause disruption in my life..I could go on and on.....


Those of you who are interested in following this religion, are to be cautioned....This is the stuff that they don't tell you about when you are studying with them..there is so much that they don't tell.