Jehovah's Witnesses requesting financial transparency in Spain

by JHK 49 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  joe134cd

  I accept that many of the people who do contribute don't actually care.  I agree that most of the complaints come from those looking at the WTS with a critical eye.  

  
  

  I totally agree with this comment. When I first become aware how mother was getting ownership of the halls, I made some enquiries with an elder to see if such a thing had happened locally.  The elder reply just flawed me really.  " yeah there was something like that but I don't like to get to involved in those sorts of thing".  I thought you total F/wit have you got any idea of what you have just done when you and the other elders collectively signed on the dotted line because you didn't want to get to involved. The guy was totally oblivious. 
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  konceptual99

  @konceptual i cannot comment on the situation and example you refer to simply because i am not familiar with that situation/location. As far as elders are concerned they are responsible for their congregation and should trust the brothers at the branch and international offices, just like all the other JW's should trust the brothers.
  within JW ranks there is not a real movement of people who think there is any reason to distrust the organisation. things are going fine as far as the majority is concerned. 

  Come on @insidetheKH - you don't get off that easily. 

  You are quite happy to spout off generalities about what the majority do or don't think but are not prepared to look at the principles involved.  It's fine to trust and, once again, I agree that for most things are going fine. That does not mean that you can simply brush away any debate with a simple claim that no one who actually goes to the meetings really cares therefore it's just the irrelevant bleatings of a few disaffected malcontents. 

  There are fundamental points about the potential abuse of scriptural doctrines around Jehovah's headship arrangement, organisational structure and the deference shown to the hierarchy when this is used to steamroller whatever financial arrangements HQ sees fit.  There are potential legal ramifications to those lower down who carry ever more responsibility on a personal level yet have little real power to manage their exposure due to having to listen to mother. For many of them the implications of the WTS's slippery shouldered tactics are completely lost on them and they are simply ignorant of the risks.

  Without wishing to draw too many emotive parallels, the events this week marking the liberation of camps in Europe should provide some cause for reflection on the fact that just because the majority are not bothered by the actions of their trusted leaders it does not mean all is well or that any criticism is diminished.  

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  JHK

  The photographs were taken on the bridge and the entrance of Assembly Hall.

  
  

  

  
  
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  _Morpheus

  With respect, the actuall location of the pictures taken dosent influance my view point expressed on page in anyway
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  JHK

  I think all of us have expressed our reasons on the issue of financial transparency in the Jehovah's Witnesses and legitimate "protest" peacefully.
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  _Morpheus

  Im sorry JHK, i misunderstood.  When you bumped the thread with another picture diagramed to show where you claim the original pictures were taken it appeared you were reopening the discussion by adding new information or what you may feel was proof of where the pictures were taken. I was commenting on that mistaken impression. 
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  Vidiot

  insidetheKH - "Besides that every congregation is transparent."

  The Organization, however, is not.

  And it should be, with regard to both finances and policy.

  That is the responsible - and, more importantly, ethical - thing to do.
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  JHK

  Morpheus:

  I just wanted to show where the photos were taken. For the brothers of Spain's photographic perspective was clear, not so much the brothers from other countries.

  Sorry, I did not want to reopen the issue.
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  redvip2000

  The Organization, however, is not.

  And it should be, with regard to both finances and policy.

  
  

  Exactly. That's the real issue. Transparency in the local congos is practically worthless. The real issue is how the money is being used once it's transferred to the Org's coffers.  Again, why should they ask for blind trust? If there is nothing to fear then disclose your financial statement.

  I donate to the RED CROSS, but guess what, If they refused to disclose their financial statement, i would not.

  This is what is interesting about the JW world. The logic becomes illogical, the sensible becomes nonsensical.

  Whereas normally the concept of "Hey, i'm giving you money to help others, show me how you're using it" would be a requirement, in the JW world is non-existent. In fact it is offensive.
  
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  konceptual99

  It can be difficult enough to establish if your donations to a charity that has plenty of documentation available for public consumption is actually spending your money wisely.  Aside from some of the UK charity commission documentation I don't know of anything that is presented by the WTS to detail how funds are spent.

  I repeat that just because few in the org really care it does not mean the entitlement should not be there.