The Watchtower Superstore,Paradise For Sale (page 3)

avengers

Let's make money off of these poor sheep. As much as possible befor Armageddon comes. Money money money.

I am not sure if you've ever been inside a kingdom hall but all the literature they provide to the people is FREE. They do not charge a fee for every book, magazine or any other type of other literature. Everything is done on a voluntary donation basis. Unlike some religious organizations which literally make millions of dollars off thier memebers.

Room 215

Millenium, a confirmed reported gross annual revenue total of $935 million ain't chickenfeed. Do you really think it takes that much income to keep the WTBTS solvent?

Nosferatu

I WANT A TED JARACZ ACTION FIGURE!!!

Welcome aboard Millenium! You might want to take a look at this link here:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/4653-.html

The WTS is demanding $142,000 from one woman for legal fees. I thought everyone at bethel were volunteers??

Anyway, I WANT A JEHOVAH ACTION FIGURE!!! And with all this good stuff, we could have a Kingdom Hall Playset! A place for all my action figures to attend meetings. Then I'll toss in naked Barbie and Ken dolls for fun... and SMURF ACTION FIGURES!!! YEAH!!

Millenium

I don't know if that figure is true or not, but in any event this organization does alot. They help people even not of their own faith when natural disaster's occur, their traveling speakers go around the world are not paid like clergy, they provide free literature for thier over 6 million members , they build Kingdom halls throughout the world.......It cost money to do all these things. You know, even if the figure you mentioned earlier was true, it is very little compared to Christendom's clergy who live off the poor.

Nosferatu

You know, even if the figure you mentioned earlier was true, it is very little compared to Christendom's clergy who live off the poor.

Now, tell me that a pioneer who has a part-time cleaning job, a 4 door K-car, and his/her own place isn't poor. Yet they're expected to put something in the contribution box at the kingdom hall.

PurpleV

Uh oh....

*settles back with popcorn*

NeonMadman

how can anyone not see, that there has to be some hypocrisy there. Even if the Watchtower could prove that there was no kick backs, they still are decieving the public, and using Gods Word to do so.

I don't think anybody in this thread is denying that the Watchtower is a deceptive organization, or that it is a money-hungry one. But others besides the Watchtower are money-hungry. You are assuming a relationship between Stoops and the Watchtower, without offering any proof that such a relationship exists. And then you are demanding that the Watchtower prove that Stoops is not giving them kickbacks. I have no doubt that the Watchtower will engage in whatever sleazy relationships it can in order to gain and retain assets. Nonetheless, anyone who accuses them of having such sleazy relationships needs to offer some evidence. The burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that such a relationship exists, not on the Watchtower to prove that it does not. My saying this is not defending the Watchtower, but is defending the very concept of justice: no one is guilty until proven so by reasonable evidence.

And, unfortunately, the "proofs" you offer are no proof at all. That Stoops offers products geared for use by Jehovah's Witnesses merely means that they have found a market niche and have endeavored to fill it, rather successfully, it appears. That is something any good business person would do. Doubleday publishers is not a Christian organization, but they have a book club called Crossings, that offers Christian books. Is there some insidious relationship between Doubleday and the leaders of various Christian groups? Or is it more likely that somebody at Doubleday said one day, "Hey, I've got an idea how we can sell lots of books to all these Christians out here!" For the record, Doubleday also has a book club that features New Age and occult books - clearly, they will sell whatever kinds of books they can, as long as they're making money on it.

If there are some who feel that there is nothing wrong with this, then fine so be it,

Wrong with what? You haven't demonstrated that there is any relationship for us to see something wrong with. Even if Stoops were affiliated with the Watchtower in the sense that they were paying licensing fees to use copyrighted Watchtower materials, would there be anything wrong with that? Business is done that way all the time. Most of us here already know that the WTS is more a business than a religion, so that's no great revelation. Why would their licensing their stuff be any worse than, say, Disney doing so? And I hasten to add that such arrangements would not constitute "kickbacks," a term you have used repeatedly, but that is usually used to refer to illegal payments. If a relationship did exist between Stoops and the WTS, there would be no need for it to be illegal, or even clandestine. Licensing agreements are perfectly legal and ethical ways of doing business. The WTS could easily justify such a relationship to its people by saying that it had licensed Stoops to produce all these useful products on a commercial basis for Jehovah's Witnesses, in order that the WTS could focus its resources on spiritual matters. The rank and file would eat it up, and Stoops' coffers would swell.

the Watchtower is handing over Biographies of jws, and then Stoops is selling them

Biographies of individual Jehovah's Witnesses are not the property of the Watchtower. They belong to the individual authors, and if an individual chooses to publish his autobiography (or a biography of another person) he is free to do so through whatever publishing and distribution means are available to him. Most of the books Stoops sells are self-published works, that have nothing to do with the WTS. The individual authors have arranged for their own publication and distribution. If Stoops carries these books, it is because they believe they can make a profit on them.

shotgun

I'd rather have the Victoria's Secret catalogue

Hi millenium..welcome to the forum you said

but in any event this organization does alot. They help people even not of their own faith when natural disaster's occur, their traveling speakers go around the world are not paid like clergy, they provide free literature for thier over 6 million members

This organization does do alot, they teach falsehoods to millions, they indoctrinate people with fear and reward tactics and they hide and coverup anything which would put the organization in a bad light.

They do help ones who are not dubs during natural disasters but they make sure to print that in the literature you mention. How many other organizations are there doing many wonderful things around the world on a daily basis without publishing articles to highlight thier good deeds..which BTW is contrary to the principle Jesus layed out.

The figure of over 900 million is a real one...go to freeminds and check out the article from the NY newspaper which had them in the top 10 or 20(can't remember exactly) for corporate earnings.

And remember the literature is not free, it comes with a price! Beleive it or die at armageddon is clearly marked on the price tag!

Millenium

The things I mentioned earlier are made possible through VOLUNTARY donations, like in the case of the first christinas (2 Corinthians 8:12; 9:7). They never pass the plate around to collect money at the meetings nor is money asked for pubicly. The love that they have for their neighbor is what impels them to go door to door teaching people about the bible.

The Watchtower Superstore,Paradise For Sale

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