by osmosis 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
OK the story I get from my JW relatives is that bOrg "isn't making money off them", but that never sat well with me. I've always wondered how much money she contributed to the bOrg.
Since I don't have the nerve to ask them, and they probably won't tell me the "truth" if I do, I'm asking you folks.
How much money DOES the average JW contribute to the cause? How much do those silly magazines cost anyway? The money has to come from somewhere, right?
i often wondered to where the money comes from. Call me an ignorant-never-been a JW, but it seems that they are giving these mags out for free. Where does the income come from? From what I can tell, it's from congregation donations and I am assuming the books that are published are bought by the members of the congregation. But it looks like they've been resorting to selling real estate though I've seen they own a hefty amount of stocks.
If you have to ask, you can't afford to be one!
Actually, they get a ton of money in various ways. Donation boxes (saves them from passing a plate), wills, selling property, stocks, literature sales donations.
Swalker
The conscience of a regular dub moves them to "pay" a reasonable contribution for the literature that they take, knowing full well that they will almost certainly give it away or let it accumulate at home in the cupboard.
They are also moved to contribute enough to keep the local Kingdom Hall going. As our old overseer used to cheerfully remind us"Where else can you take your wife out for 3 nights a week , saving on home electricity , and then expect it to be free?"
The Deed of Covenant schemes maximise the regular contributors so they claim back the Income tax paid on the earnings that generated the contribution. There are those who leave bequests in their will .
But the real "cost of being a JW" is not monetary, it costs you your time. It costs you your life your soul, your dedication , devotion to the cause above even devotion to your family or preservation of your own life. All in return for broken promises and false hopes.
The day prior to my baptism in 1972 I was asked to sign a legally binding covenant that had me hand over 10% gross of all my earnings ... hang on .. that was the mormons! ..this is a jehovah's witness forum .. What the hell am I doing here! shit ...shit ..shit ..
to sign a legally binding covenant that had me hand over 10% gross of all my earnings ... hang on .. that was the mormons!
JWs are just like Mormons, but at a discount and without the customer service. If they were department stores instead of religions, the Mormons would be Nordstorm, the dubs WalMart.
Since 1990 in the US and since 2000 in the rest of the world, JWs have not had to pay upfront for the publications. Before that they did and then try and recoup from whatever talked people at the door into buying.
For example 25 cents per magazine paid by the JW
Offers to non-JW for 25 cents
No profit to JW, only breaks even but if the JW
Buys 2 magazines at 50 cents
and
places none, JW is 50 Cents in the whole but the WT organization has their 50 cents
Now the JW puts money anonymously into the worldwide contribution box at the kingdom hall.
Does not ask directly for money for the publications but does ask person at the door to donate to the "worldwide work."
Many JWs never put any money in the contribution box; and many never ask the non-JW to donate to the worldwide work.
Do you see that before 1990, the WTS had a steady flow of cash.
As to contributions to the congregation and to the headquarters, there are separate boxes. No JW is required to donate to either and it is anonymous (except if you put in a check; then the accounts servant who handles the money knows).
You don't have to donate to become a baptized member but if you want to get "priveleges" you give the circuit overseer and district overseer, traveling representatives of headquarters, a little green and suddenly you may find yourself giving talks at the conventions.
Every year in the WT (usually November issue), there is a detailed article how to donate to the WTS and how it is a tax break for you. Many congregations "bank" any surplus monies with the headquarters but some have found it hard to get it back. Also, the local administrators at the conventions manipulate the donations by making it seem they are in the whole to get the local JWs to cough up more money, $5,000 is sent then to the headquarters.
It is all behind the scenes.
Blondie
How much does it COST to be a JW? You must be willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING! You are no longer YOU, you are a JW! If you were raised to be a JW, I can assure you that you never actually became YOU! This is why so many upon leaving, spend the rest of their life BECOMING!
The costs are TOO high!
Peg
But the real "cost of being a JW" is not monetary, it costs you your time. It costs you your life your soul, your dedication , devotion to the cause above even devotion to your family or preservation of your own life. All in return for broken promises and false hopes.
Exactly.
