02.08.06
Jehovah’s Witnesses sell out to cash in
Posted in Jehovah's Witnesses at 1:56 pm by Rick Ross | Link
Jehovah’s Witnesses historically have predicted the end of the world four times. Needless to say nothing happened and they now insist that no such specific prophecies were ever really made. Now the organization claims the “end is fluid,” whatever that means.
But for a group that seemed so sure that the end was near the Witnesses made some pretty savvy long-term investments.
Prime Witness property with Manhattan view
For example, they bought up real estate in Brooklyn right on the East River opposite Manhattan, which has paid off quite handsomely.
Recently a huge windfall came to the controversial religion through the redevelopment of an old distribution center located in Brooklyn at 360 Furman Street. This building will be replaced by new luxury condos.
The Furman property will become 450 “swanky condominiums” called “One Brooklyn Bridge Park” reports the New York Daily News.
The developer says that it will have “exquisite waterfront views,” with a ”lush 85-acre park setting, meditation room,” “refrigerated storage for grocery delivery” and that ”residents may purchase their own … private riverfront cabanas.”
Most Witnesses probably couldn’t afford a cabana, let alone a condo.
And these luxury digs will be a far cry from the humble dormitory-like existence Witness full-time workers known as “Bethelites” endure. These ”volunteer ministers” survive on a small monthly stipend and work for little more than room and board.
However, that low-cost labor force combined with the income from the publications they produce and of course donations, enabled Jehovah’s Witnesses to amass a real estate empire. The Brooklyn development deal is just one example of how the organization has cashed in on its member’s hard work.
Did the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses ever really believe the end of the world was so imminent?
If this was so, why didn’t they just lease?
It seems they did believe that the “end was near” for the hot real estate market, so they sold short.
Note: CultNews previously reported that Jehovah’s Witnesses “see Jesus as an angel rather than the Son of God.” For further clarification they specifically don’t acknowledge Jesus as the “only begotten Son of God.” At times Jehovah’s Witnesses may parse their language to obscure or avoid this point.
Postscript: CultNews correctly should have said that unlike Christians who believe that “Jesus is also God” included through the trinity, Jehovah’s Witnesses deny this historical Christian doctrine (see comments below).