Are JWs the most corporate religion?

by cookiemaster 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  cookiemaster

  I find it pretty shocking how corporate the JW religion is. I never saw it this way when I was in but now that I look at it from a different perspective, it seems quite clear. Much of the terminology used by JWs is corporate inspired. It's also the case for their dress and grooming code, the hierarchy of the organization, the conventions and the talks there, even the goddamn name tags. Most of the things JWs do seems to be corporate inspired. The GB is the board of directors, there's equivalent of company memos, brochures, etc.
  
  To me, it seems that in recent years JWs have been going even more corporate. The new style of conventions where talks often contain videos and presentations. The cart witnessing. The JW.Org pins. The entire re-branding they've gone through. The shift toward the focus on real estate money. The new style mid-week meetings. Everything seems to be going into an even more corporate direction.
  
  To me, when you compare this to most other religions, it seems very bizarre and absurd. All religions are absurd in my opinion but at least some religions try to create a most mystically oriented image for themselves, but JWs seem to strive to be a corporation in almost all regards. What do you guys think? Is there any other cult or religion that does this? (Maybe Scientology?)
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  steve2

  Yes, I agree with your observations. The organizational structure also reflects its American origins. There are parallels with Latter-Day Saints who are similarly very business-like in their structure and approach - although in that religion, there is also a generous sprinkling of "woo" thrown in. I'd say it's a fair comparison with Scientology.
  
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  venus

  corporate and individual mentality is same:

  Why do you live?
  To earn money.
  For what?

  So I can live better.
  What is better?
  To have things… and for that we need money…

  Corporates sell goods/service, religious corporates sell enlightenment!
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  jwleaks

  The ARC found that in Australia there was approx. one Watchtower controlled corporation / legal entity / charity per every 90 JWs. Over 700 in total.
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  Chook

  Yes they probably hold the title for the most corporations so as to protect their wealth, I bet they look at the Vatican with envy having sovereign status. No diplomatic immunity for the magic 7. GB wet dream would be to control the judiciary courts of a sovereign nation. I'm surprised they haven't try to purchase an island from a broke nation, I'm sure they would of discussed how to prevent themselves from bankruptcy. An offshore bank account sounds good but to establish wt org on their own offshore island would give big Tony an erection.
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  venus

  Corporate religions produce people of same mentality. The most fundamental error of all religions is that none of them was courageous enough to accept that there are things which we don’t know. They all pretended to know everything, they all pretended to know that they were all omniscient.... hence gave answers from their own minds. For example, Jesus linked diseases with evil-spirits. (Matt 12:22-28; Luke 13:16) He lamented on the behavior of other people (Mathew 11:21; 23:37), resorted to name-calling (Luke 13:32) ... etc., which are definitely not the evidence having divine/perfect knowledge of handling things effectively.

  Because religious leaders gave human answers there arose conflicted religions. What a chaos it could have cause if everyone followed same attitude—then we would have had an Islamic physics, a Hindu physics, a Christian physics …etc
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  EverApostate

  True, the JW religion exhibits more of a Corporate culture than a religion. Haven't seen this in any other religion, I know of.

  1. Calling preaching as "Field Service"
  2. Turning in time for field service. (American Corporate style of submitting time sheets for the hours worked)
  3. Ponzi Scheme to add members.
  4. Privileges (promotions in job) according to time worked.
  5. They boast that they don't take donations but have contribution boxes in all their facilities as well as ask for it in local needs.
  6. Dress Code. No beard for men.
  7. All revenue from the bottom are channeled to the top(Governing Body) for a luxurious life style.
  8. Claiming tax exempt, posing as a charitable Org, whereas hardly doing any charity at all.
  9. False advertising about themselves, that are wholly contrary to the truth.
  10. Hiding their real history to new converts. Like a car company that hides its faulty designs and related accidents in the past, to a new customer.
  11. Requiring unquestionable faith from its members. Shunning Ex members (This is more than a Corporate culture)
  12. Dangerous and lethal policies that kill their own members.(Blood ban and Organ ban in the past) Yet, shamelessly and without any guilt they carry on their own business without any hesitation
  13. Hiding child abuse cases, with corporate growth as their only agenda.
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  ShirleyW

  Are Dubs the most corporate religion? Of course they are.

  I remember thinking when I was a kid that why is a religion being referred to as the Society, or the Organization.

  The time sheets, keeping up with everyone's hours is equivalent to a Marketing Dept, keeping up with the monthly sales of their employees.
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  John Davis

  JWLeaks yes 1 corporation for every 90 publishers. That would be a corporation for the kingdom hall. A corporation has to hold the title of the real property.
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  cookiemaster

  Thank you everyone! Really insightful replies from all of you. I'm shocked by how blind I was to all this. The more you look into it, the more corporate it looks. Other aspects that seem corporate that I would mention is their affiliation with the UN and their stock investments in other companies, their greedy use of the JW workforce to create a real estate empire and others.