by drew sagan 58 Replies latest jw friends
JWs are not good about donating money.
Of course they are not good at donating money because many of them simply do not have any money to donate. Many have put their life on hold and never acquired any marketable skills to make money; it's not good enough that the WTS had them duped into spending countless hours trying to sell their magazines and skip out on getting an education so the rank and file would being in a higher income bracket.
Amend: Many JWs with money are not very good about donating it. My husband said out of 30 families, about 5 donated and 2 of those did not have pot to urinate in.
Blondie
Do you think that at some point they might try bringing in thithing in order to secure their financial position? I know that there are other religions that use scripture to back up this process and since the watchtower doesn't give a whit what Russell ever said about donations, it would make sense from a financial standpoint for them. No more donations and the ability to divert funds where they choose to based on need. If I were at the top and looking at the books to find some way to streamline yet ensure a consistent, steady influx of cash, I'd think about going this route. If they nab all the publishers in other countries where they are still making inroads with this change, it will become mainstream there and build up the donations quicker than voluntary contributions. swife
XJW4EVR: I believe that the statement made by Russell you have in mind can be found in the second issue of the Watch Tower, August 1879. The article,"DO YOU WANT 'ZION'S WATCH TOWER,'" p. 20, paragraph 3, (Reprints) states: "Do not suppose these remarks to be an appeal for money. No. 'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication."
There is no citation found in the article of where that scripture was taken from in the Bible, but it could have been quoted from Haggai 2:8 which says, "'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,' is the utterance of Jehovah of armies."
Barbara
I remember about 7 or 8 years ago, they had released a letter that explained all the ways a publisher could donate to the Society. The one method they seemed to be really pushing at that time was Annuities, those annuities were put in place by the Society, you could designate and heir if you wanted to or have it go to the Society at your death. I thought that was so strange that they would be doing this from the platform. The brother who gave the talk was really into it. I thought for a moment he was a financial planner. The whole thing seemed rather over bearing and off the wall. I would love to have seen that now and what the reaction to that material would be on this forum. Do any here remember that? Don't mean to interupt this thread, just thought it might go along with the discussion some how.
OC
In 2001, the WTS added this as a choice regarding donations:
***
w01 11/1 p. 29 "The Blessing of Jehovah—That Is What Makes Rich" ***GiftAnnuity: A gift annuity is an arrangement whereby one transfers money or securities to the Watchtower Society. In exchange, the donor, or the individuals designated by the donor, receives a specified annuity payment every year for life. The donor receives an income-tax deduction the year the gift annuity is established.
When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication
Maybe, just Maybe!!
Thank you Barbara, for the quote.
the second issue of the Watch Tower, August 1879. The article,"DO YOU WANT 'ZION'S WATCH TOWER,'" p. 20, paragraph 3, (Reprints) states: "Do not suppose these remarks to be an appeal for money. No. 'Zion's Watch Tower' has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: 'All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,' fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.
This statement pretty much tells me that any requests for donations are taboo. Obviously something the Body of Goobers forgot about.
When I was in 5th grade, I was walking home from school, I saw a crumbled up thing on the ground, I looked at it closer because it looked like money, it was, it was a $20 bill, I was thinking oh my god imagine all the Transformers I could buy with that, when I got home I told my mom that I wanted to go to the store so I can pick up some new toys, and can you believe it she made me put that money in the donation box. I was so pissed off and even more so to hear my parents bragging to other JW's about how their son found this money and wanted to come straight to the kingdumb hall and put it straight in the donation box, Bullshit, I wanted to go straight to the store and buy some transformers.
Tithing is a tax or an assessment, it's an obligation.
A request for a commitment to pay donations from a group and an agreement to pay those requests for funds IS tithing.
What's being described is tithing. It's sure not an apple pie.
