If Cash Flow Ends, What Then?

by metatron 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  It's worth thinking about - what will they do if their cash flow virtually dries up?

  Would they "turn on" the friends and try to "punish" them by threatening to close assembly halls and drop the Awake completely?

  Could Witnesses in western nations fade away from the "ministry" if there is almost nothing left to offer at the doors?

  If they have failed to maintain their 'scheme of doctrine' across many years, could we see a rapid deflation of the organization's

  structure? Would they switch Circuit Overseers to once a year visits?

  If they really think like a corporation, could they quietly shut down, after the income's gone?

  I have little doubt that they could survive for many years by selling off assets, but can they face this tactic without their morale

  collapsing? Is their morale beginning to ebb, if we hear elders and circuit overseers making comments about the "Society

  being bled white" or losing 160, 000 publishers a year?

  Can they continue effectively with third world expansion, if their cash flow dwindles, coming from rich western nations?

  Could, one day, they just give up, like Armstrong's church?

  It's getting interesting - and clearly, something is happening......

  metatron
• 

  Scully

  With some of the older folks, particularly those who have children who have Left The Truth™, the WTS has been quite good at getting them to bequeath their estates to the Society. I'm sure this is a trend that will continue as long as there are families being destroyed by the Organization™ and its policies.

  It's the one final slap-in-the-face to the unfaithful family members, and the last hurrah for the WTS toward Apostates™.
• 

  blondie

  The WTS will just keep downsizing in ways that eventually JWs will convince themselves it always was that way. I can see congregations combining under one roof and selling off property. The WTS has quite a bit of money invested in the markets and if any knows something about "wealth" in the vocabulary of money, this tends to be self-sustaining as long as they don't dip into capital. I think the WTS has dipped into capital with its building projects (the useless Patterson complex, good only as an elite retirement community, and for the education of the approximate 200 Bethelites yearly (although there is space for more) and the indoctrination sessions they have for the COs, DOs, and BOs. With the tax due to the French government and the WTS on its last leg with the EU courts, that will take another chunk. Will the average JW donate more, not in my experience. The congregation had to practically beg each month to pay the utilities, let alone send anything to NY.

  Blondie
• 

  james_woods

  Maybe they are kind of like the future Sun - i.e. their Hydrogen >> Helium fusion cycle is about up, so now they need to start fusing Helium etc. on up the chain to Iron; ballooning out into a huge gas giant star. Of course, this eats up all the inner planets (i.e. their rank and file) but they will still have all those buildings all over everywhere. Then, they can just collapse back down into a cold and dead little neutron star. (sadly, not really big enough to superNova after all).

  Where is poster Sagan when we need him to explain my analogy?
• 

  Scully

  ballooning out into a huge gas giant

  What a poetic way of describing the old farts in Brooklyn.
• 

  minimus

  The WTS has tons of property, cash and wills. The downsizing could continue but no big deal! Their's a sucker born every minute! GUILT will always be used to make JWs give. If they don't give, they'll make fewer KH's and no one will see the difference because they'll still indoctrinate the cult members.
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  stillajwexelder

  start selling assetts - have the magazines printed by outside company - shut bethel homes
• 

  drew sagan

  I really don't think it will. As long as people believe in their ideology, they will continue to receive funds. One article about how the work is in danger and the money would flow in like a great flood.
  
  On the other hand, if something happens that affects membership and weakens their argument of "Gods Approval" and selection of them, then the money may stop flowing. It's really hard to say.
  
  If the money stops coming in, they will simply keep making the call for more to be given. When that has been exhausted, cutbacks will appear. This has been the cycle of things for some time now.
• 

  metatron

  Ah Yes, but what is the internal effect of them selling off their assets, their history? If having an outside firm publish magazines

  is cheaper, then why wasn't the Awake sent off in that direction?

  I do think they may start consolidating branch offices. The real fun starts when they have to cut Gilead or C.O.'s or the Watchtower

  itself. One good lawsuit and it could happen.

  metatron
• 

  Pole

  They have already figured out that it's possible to delay cash flow problems by focusing on recruiting immigrants in wealthy countries. Immigrants are relatively easy to convert since, they are typically in need of finding a congregation-like setting with "true friends" caring about them. And once an immigrant finds a job, s/he will onate much more than dozens of JWs in 3d world countries. Jehovah's blessings must be paid off.
  
  Besides the WTS is a classic BCG cash cow, so it won't collapse that easily unless there is an Enron-like internal shake-up.
  
  The best everyone can do to ruin the WTS is stop making donations.
  
  Pole