WTS Running Out of Money? Letter to all congregations... (page 5)

Anitar

Why is it I never seem to post at the beginning? Ah well...

First of all, what is so wrong with passing the collection plate? Just because the WTS says it's wrong, are we going to believe them? Never in my entire life have I ever been tithed by my religion to give money from my paycheck, yet the idiots at the WTS still proclaim we practice what was abolished almost 100 years ago.

As for the collection plate, there are plenty of people who don't give money, we don't "guilt trip" the congregation into emptying their pockets. I cant speak for all our congregations everywhere, but at least we have a choice.

Anitar

gymbob

It seems that a few years back, the WTB&TS was bragging about how they never had to (and never would) ask for money, now, I don't get it....how is it that a group of people who claim that the creator of the universe directs what they do (WOW!)...... need to ASK FOR MONEY?? GYMBB

AndersonsInfo

Toreador, here's the entire August, 1879 Watch Tower article, Page 20 (Reprints) you requested:
DO YOU WANT "ZION'S WATCH TOWER" ?
We have sent out about 6,000 copies each, of the July and August Nos. of "Zion's Watch Tower" as samples. This we cannot continue to do, because first, it is expensive, and second, we have no desire to waste truth by sending where it is not desired and would not be appreciated. We would like therefore to hear from all who want the paper regularly before the tenth day of August, that we may know what number of copies to publish for September.
The price is very low in order to suit the purses of the majority of the interested ones, among whom are "not many rich," (for "God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom") and unless a good large list of subscribers are had, fifty cents will fall far short of paying for printing, &c.
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.
Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. If you want the September No. take your pen at once. Remember that the paper is as free to you if too poor to send the fifty cents as though you could afford it and paid for it, but we cannot know your circumstances--You must write also.
Where it is impossible to get paper money, U. S. (not foreign) postage stamps may be sent.
Barbara

garybuss

I've attended churches and I'll tell ya, the Jehovah's Witnesses are MUCH more aggressive in asking for money than the churches I know are.
Think about visibility of donation receptacles. At the church I know, they have a music program and pass a velvet bag on a couple sticks (so the next guy can't see my $2.00 bill). I see that bag maybe a minute max all the time I'm there. There's no box.
At the At the Kingdom Hall I know we had two pedestal collection boxes, one on each side of the door. We had another donation box in the literature sales area, another on the literature counter for the Fred Franz retirement fund (Watch Tower Corporation), and another on the piano in the front of the room for the building fund. There was a total of FIVE DONATION BOXES at the Kingdom Hall and there was always at least one visible all the time I was in the main building.
The church has one velvet bag and no appeal for donations. The Kingdom Hall had 5 donation boxes and regular appeals for donations. Some of those appeals are 20 minutes long. I don't know how the Watch Tower Corporation can advertise "No Collection Taken", heck they take a collection at every corner of the Kingdom Hall.

Hamboozled

I'd much rather have a plate passed than solicitations for donations read to me while my ass goes numb

Gary........You make me laugh!!!! You always post quick and to the point and I like that! LOL!!!!

Scully

The irony of the WTS's money grubbing ways over the last 20-odd years is that when my grandfather quit attending church decades before my parents became JWs, he said it was because the church was always bugging people to give money. My parents used to be so proud of the fact that the WTS never did that. Well, look at them now. And what makes me want to vomit is that I can attest with 99.9% accuracy that the inheritance from my never-JW grandparents' estates was turned over to the WTS in $100 increments via the Contribution Boxes™, because my parents were convinced that they'd never need that money in This Old System™. It would have been plenty to help them in their retirement.... but they were never supposed to get this old before Armageddon™.

I hate to say it, but my parents got screwed.

moomanchu

oh my god imagine all the Transformers

Memorys, Transformers more than meets the eye. You ruined my memory of Transformers! I now associate Transformers with JWs the ultimate transformers, Help Maximus Prime !!!

I have the WT money fix BINGO

kilroy2

This is no different then when the wts lost the case in France, they did net tell the R&F to give money, but stated that If every dubber gave 20$ or what ever the figure was that it would pay for the fine against them, I am sure they hoped all the years of mind control kicked in and the money flowed.

The thing is I know form being inside that the dubbs are the cheapest people on earth, they have a bad reputation with all the hotels and restaurants when the assembly's are there, that they do not tip or if they do they tip very badly.

And from the donations I have seen come in, from the past, when I was a part of the cult, they were not over generous.

This I think comes from years of telling the R&F to just get a job shoveling potato's, well when you don't have a good job you can not just give big to the master cult. They are reaping what they have sewn.

And the us is the money behind the society.

The usa has been the one financing the third world kingdumb halls.

And from what I have heard the money is slowly drying up.

Well if hovea is real he can surly print a few franklins for the ol pitiful and disreputable slave.

sass_my_frass

It was a great day when I opened my wallet to pull out my regular non-taxable donation and decided to have a night out instead. Never donated again.

blondie

I do think the court case between France and the WTS is still ongoing since the WTS has appealed the case to the European Union (EU) court.

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2004

French High Court confirms 60-percent confiscatory tax measure on religious donations

PARIS — France's highest court of appeal, the Cour de cassation, has handed down its decision in a case between the Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, a not-for-profit religious association used by Jehovah's Witnesses in France, and the national tax department, the Direction des services fiscaux.

Following a tax inspection lasting 18 months, the tax department established that Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, whose sole revenue consists of religious donations by its adherents, was run in a completely benevolent fashion, and that its activities were not commercial or for profit. Nevertheless, the tax department levied a 60-percent tax on the religious donations made over a period of four years, between 1993 and 1996. This represents, on average, five euros per donor, per month. This is the first time in their 100-year existence in France that Jehovah's Witnesses have been taxed in this manner.

This taxation measure raises numerous objections relating to fundamental freedoms. It does not take into account the traditional practice of not taxing donations made to associations, both religious and humanitarian. It exorbitantly taxes not only religious contributions but also humanitarian donations, including those collected to help victims of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. In flagrant violation of the law respecting individual freedoms, during the tax inspection the tax department systematically compiled a list of each donor. Furthermore, this tax has not been imposed on any other religious organization in France.

The Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah has decided to institute proceedings against this confiscatory taxation before the European Court of Human Rights.

Media contact in France: Jean-Claude Pons (33-2-32) 25-55-55
Media contact in the United States: J.R. Brown (718) 560-5600

http://www.jw-media.org/region/europe/france/english/releases/religious_freedom/fra_e041006.htm

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/81736/1.ashx

WTS Running Out of Money? Letter to all congregations...

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