They may be Bethel boys, but they are still victims. Most are brought up as JWs from birth. They and their parents know nothing else. The religion keeps them in a very tight bubble so they know little of the outside world. At least once they are out of Bethel they can begin to get their lives back on track, and hopefully get a job and start a family.
Watchtower/Bethelite Volunteers and US Self Employment or FICA Tax?
by EnlightenedEphesian 22 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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SadElder
At one time the SSA tax was paid from the annual PEA (personal expense account allowance) and the Society had to pay matching funds. As I understand it this was one of the reasons for instituting the Vow of Poverty, so that Crooklyn would not be required to make payments any longer.
A pock on all their houses. Cheap bastards.
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AnneB
The "volunteers" cannot pay self-employment tax, they don't meet the IRS requirements for self-employed people.
I seem tp remember a case a few years ago where a Bethelite filed a claim for some kind of benefits and won, WT had to pay. Maybe there's a thread about it in the archives. I don't mean the one about the auto accident, this was for health benefits or similar, maybe even for unemployment, if anyone cares to look it up.
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Crazyguy
It's my understanding that they fill out a contract of poverty and nothing is paid to the government. When thier let go they go home broke poor and destitute to live in someone's garage until they die and are forgotten.
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fulano
Nothing is paid to any government. I will have a 20% less state pension when 65.
Yes Steve, Bethel and missionary-homes are a jungle. Nobody cares for each other.
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Pete Zahut
When I was in Bethel, we got a W2 statement at the end of the year but there wasn't enough earnings to have to pay any taxes nor was there enough to earn credits toward social security benefits when you're old enough to retire. I'm not sure how it is for Bethelites today but both my wife and I have been working for decades making above average wages and paying into social security and even with a paid for house and no bills there's no way we could make it on the benefits we are to receive from Social Security. Thankfully we didn't listen to the advice to count on the new system being here by now and we have pensions and IRA's to use.
There's an elderly former circuit overseer in our old Hall who had to leave the circuit work due to health reasons. The last time I talked to them he was working as a school bus driver at 72 and she's a perfume sniper down at the local mall, giving out samples to passers by. They have no Social Security and need to work a number of years full time in order to get benefits.
I can't imagine how an older Bethelite would survive if they were suddenly put out to pasture. We are related to a a couple who have been there since their late 20's and are now approaching 50. If they get laid off, they have nothing. Out of principal, it's going to be very difficult for me to help them if they come knocking on my door one day. I don't want to clean up after another casualty of the Watchtower, in my lifetime.
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blondie
Pete, they have to work 10 years full-time to accumulate the 40 credits they required to qualify for social security.
That's what Ray Franz had to do; he left Bethel at 60 but he worked for a brother in his congregation who helped him out. There was an elder's wife that had to work that time period too at a department store to qualify, some criticized her for not regular pioneering. Yah, right.
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sparky1
I just checked my Social Security online account. 1975 was smack dab in the middle of my Bethel slavery. My account says that I earned $1,069.00 that year! How does Watchtower accounting work? Like Compound Complex, I only received $14.00 plus $6.00 travel a month. I wasn't working a G-job either. Rather suspicious, I think. At any rate, as I posted before, I gave up the religious slavery in 1976 and left Bethel to seek my fame and fortune. I semi-retired at 47 years old and qualify to collect almost the maximum social security available at 66 and 6 months old. The Watchtower Society promised a 'better retirement plan' (the New System) which they didn't have to put a dime into! The corporate religious monster just keeps on existing off the backs of the religiously gullible and naïve. Slavery is the least drain on capital expenditures! Anyone that becomes a Bethelite, automatically participates in a zero sum game and the individual Bethelite is always the loser. The religious/political/spiritual/corporate game known as Jehovah's Witnesses has only one winner. The corporation itself!
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NewYork44M
Thank you for your information. I recall hearing (from a highly unreliable source) that the Watchtower paid a minimum to SSI for Bethelites. It would be interesting to hear from others. Just to clarify, you had no other income from anyone else?