Literature Is FREE To All, Donations For World Wide Work.

by PublishingCult 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  PublishingCult

  *** km 10/91 p. 7 Question Box ***

  Question Box

  ? Should publishers and pioneers feel obligated to contribute to the Society’s worldwide work each time they obtain literature for field service at the Kingdom Hall?

  No. As stated in the April 21, 1990, letter to all congregations in the United States: “Publishers may . . . make their own donations to support the worldwide work according to their ability and desire, whenever they choose to do so.—2 Cor. 8:10-15; 9:6-14.”

  However, some publishers have chosen to make their donations at the time they pick up a literature supply. They do this because picking up literature serves as a convenient reminder of their privilege and responsibility to support the worldwide work regularly. Others contribute personally at the same time they put in the voluntary donations received from interested ones met in the field ministry. Many have decided to make a specific donation each week. Still others set aside an amount for the worldwide work each month, just as they do for Kingdom Hall expenses.

  Whenever it is done, each one has to determine what he or she can personally do in support of the worldwide work. Such giving should be done in an orderly way in accord with how the giver is prospering. (1 Cor. 16:2) When we make such donations, we must have in mind that we are contributing not simply to cover the cost of producing the literature but rather to support all facets of the worldwide work.

  *** km 11/91 p. 2 Question Box ***

  Question Box

  ? Are we not donating twice for the literature if a donation is made at the time we get literature and then when we put donations received in the field into the contribution boxes designated for the Society’s worldwide work?

  No. Donations that go into the contribution boxes for the Society’s worldwide work are not only for the literature. Both publishers and sincerely interested persons in the field receive the literature without charge. When publishers make their donations, it is in support of maintaining branch offices[for printing and publishing our literature], Bethel homes [for printing and publishing our literature], missionary and ministerial schools [which train JW's how to peddle our publications], missionaries [who peddle our publications in other countries], traveling overseers [sales managers who help motivate you to peddle more of our publications], literature distribution centers [speaks for itself], and numerous other support services necessary for accomplishing the overall assignment Jesus gave his disciples [which, in our view, is to peddle our publications]. Publishing literature is [not] just a small part of this. [It's the biggest part of this]. (brackets mine)

  Therefore, when donations are received from interested ones in the field, we should not say that the donation is “for the literature [eventhough, logically, it is for the literature].” As we explain to them, those who sincerely desire to read our literature receive it without charge. Any donations such ones give will be used to care for expenses involved in the worldwide work [the printing, publishing and distribution of our literature]. The same is true of donations made by publishers.
  
  
  *** km 3/91 p. 3 Our Simplified Literature Distribution Arrangement ***

  WHAT OUR DONATIONS ACCOMPLISH

  4 Thus, it is appropriate that we be prepared to explain briefly and clearly how our worldwide Bible educational work is supported by voluntary donations. All funds received are used to defray the enormous expenses incurred in accomplishing the Kingdom-preaching work in this modern era. In addition to producing literature for worldwide distribution, the Society maintains branch offices, Bethel homes, ministerial and missionary schools, missionaries, traveling overseers, literature distribution centers, and numerous other support services necessary for accomplishing the overall assignment Jesus gave his disciples.—Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20.
  
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  OK, so you pay/donate money when you pick up your literature or at some other time, but the money you donate goes to the “worldwide work”. Everyone gets the literature for free. Any and all donations are for the “worldwide work”. When a publisher gets a donation at the door, he should not keep that money to help offset the cost of using his time and money to peddle Watchtower publications, but should also turn THAT money in to the WTBTS for the worldwide work.
  
  What is the “worldwide work”? The printing and publishing of WTBTS literature.
  
  What am I missing?
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  VampireDCLXV

  ITSACULT!

  V665
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  stapler99

  In my experience we very rarely got contributions at the door.
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  garyneal

  Sounds like they are covering their behinds to me. The whole reason why the publishers no longer pay for and can no longer charge for the literature is because it may endanger the society's tax exempt status as the result of a case involving Jimmy Swaggart.

  (If I am wrong, I am sure someone here will correct me.)
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  PublishingCult

  Yes, their changing the method of collecting money had much, if not everything, to do with changing tax laws a la Jimmy Swindler.

  I just see how ridiculous it is the manner in which they explain it to the infantile unthinking accepting JW's. It's lunacy.

  The publications are free to everyone, and your donations are for the world wide work.

  The world wide work is printing, publishing, and placing our literature.

  It's for the literature, but it's not for the literature.
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  GOrwell

  What garyneal said..
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  WTWizard

  The whole thing about donating both when you pick up the littera-trash and when you place it is a scam.

  Suppose, under the old system, you donate 0.1 ounce of silver (inflation proof) for a given amount of littera-trash. At the door, the householder gives you 0.1 ounce of silver. You break even. The householder is long one unit of littera-trash and short 0.1 ounce of silver. The Washtowel Slaveholdery is long 0.1 ounce of silver and short one unit of littera-trash. Of course, you are still short the time and gas you wasted placing the littera-trash.

  Under the new system, you donate the same 0.1 ounce of silver for the littera-trash. This time, the householder donates 0.1 ounce of silver and you donate that, too. You are now short 0.1 ounce of silver. The householder is short 0.1 ounce of silver and long one unit of littera-trash. The Washtowel is short one unit of littera-trash but long 0.2 ounces of silver. They get double the amount under the new system that they got under the old! And that doesn't account for householders that give much more than the standard amount. The only difference is that the witless is short one unit of money instead of breaking even, and the Washtowel is long two units of money without being short an extra unit of littera-trash.

  If that isn't double-donating, I don't know what is. Hopefully, no one falls for the scam--just donate what the householder is foolish or stupid enough to donate, and nothing more. That is how I used to do it--if they gave me a toilet paper dollar, I would donate it and it would come out of what I put in. Eventually, I would never add anything more no matter what--and I rarely got much in the way of donations. So, in the end, they took a bath trying to impose double donations.
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  Mad Sweeney

  That was certainly the Borg's hope when they organized this scam, Wiz, but it hasn't worked out.

  Probably half "the friends" donate anything close to what Watchtower wants when they pick up their mags and almost nobody donates at the doors.

  Most people I knew donated like this: You go to the Kingdom Hall on the night the accounts report is read and you think to yourself, "oh yeah, I haven't donated anything in awhile. I'll have to put something in the box after meeting." Then, after the meeting you check your wallet and if you're lucky you have a few ones in there or maybe a five. If ones, you give a few to the local KH for the bills and a buck or two to the www. If you have a five, you put it in the local box and the www gets nothing.

  I don't know anyone who gave to the Borg queen before giving to his local hive.
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  DesirousOfChange

  At least 50% of literature "ordered" by publishers though the KH went into their own fireplace as they felt obligated to place at least a token order for each issue even if they never went into FS. When WTS began publishing the public issues only monthly vs. semi-monthly, they required substantially less magazines to be printed for public distribution.

  Now the new arrangement is for all public magazines to be placed in the open on the desk of the literature distribution area, thereby no one has a token standing order which they must burn at home. I suspect the need for public magazines will again go down by another 50%. I've been waiting to see a dramatic drop in the number actually published each month. Or, perhaps rather than printing less of each issue, this will indeed increase the number being placed at not-at-homes and laundrymats by the faithful ones in FS. Current printing is approx 40MIL of each issue.
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  OnTheWayOut

  What is the “worldwide work”? The printing and publishing of WTBTS literature.
  
  What am I missing?

  You make an excellent point. Good job on the logic.

  The WTS wants us to think "They" do so much for all the members, but really the members do so much for "them."

  They send out the C.O., but the congregation pays his expenses. They organize assemblies and conventions, but WTS truly comes out ahead on cash from all those, despite all those announcements of 'deficits.' The members go out on their own expenses to distribute the literature.

  If you must go out, only give the money gathered from 'the field.' And if gas is too expensive, just go as far into your territory as you can walk.