What if Everyone Demaded Answers About Where the Money is and What it is Used For?

TTATTelder

What if right in the middle of rolling out their latest money-grabbing scheme, there was an uprising demanding financial transparency?

I thought Jehovah was a God of organization and numbers. Isn't that why we report time and have all these annual reports?

Where's the Accounts Report from the the world headquarters of Jehovah's earthly organization ?

Aren't those some pretty freaking important numbers?

What are they hiding?

What about the net worth or financial statements of the Governing Body members and other top officials.

If they have taken a vow of poverty - prove it. Where is the openness and honesty?

I mean if they are going to ask for an income stream from congregations, shouldn't the congregations rightly expect a report of exactly what funds are coming in and going out and what the funds are specifically being used for?

prologos

reports done by a forensic accounting firm going back to source.

Zoos

Even IF they ever agreed to provide such a report, do you think for a second it would accurately reflect what's going on at Bethel, Patterson, etc...? That report would be as embellished as the Revelation Climax book.

WTWizard

There would be "Trust in jehovah", and then silence. I get the sense that this is more than just greed at the top. It is that they want us all destitute. And, given that they are programmed the witlesses to give up everything they have and quit their jobs, that is what is going to happen. And all this "poverty is a virtue" smut is going to program their souls to be poor all the time, even into future lifetimes. And that is what they want.

respectful_observer

I'd love to start the following conversation in the service group one morning:

Me: "So I recently was asked to donate to ______ charity. When I asked what they would do with my contribution, they talked a lot about their global charity work. When I asked how much money was donated every year, they replied that they don't release that information. When I asked for a breakdown of how much they donated to which causes, and what percent stays with the charity for administrative costs, they said they don't release that information. Whe I asked where I could find and read their financial disclosures, they said they don't release those. Can you believe it?!"

Group: "Wow, I hope you didn't donate!"

Me: "No, of course not. There's really only one reason you don't disclose that information: you don't want the public to know, for one reason or another. Am I right?"

Group: "Yes!"

Me: "Although I second thought, maybe I'm over-reacting. Not all non-profits are willing to release that information, afterall. Take the Watchtower Society, for example. It has never released the type of financial disclosures that most big non-profits do-- contributions, administrative expenses, total assets, etc. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on this charity. The WTS must have a good reason for keeping that information secret, so maybe this charity does too."

objectivetruth

This is a Great Point Elder!

Thanks for bringing this point out.

darth frosty

NOTHING

WILL CHANGE DUBS MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wifes sister and mother were over this past sunday and my wife showed them the letter I had printed out. when I got home my SIL was like oh thats nothing they're just eliminating a contribution box?!?

sadly my SIL is not a dumb woman ironically she is an executive assistant to a partner in a major accounting firm here.

I know that there is a lot who would like to see the BORG fall but dub's are just...there is a lot I can say but Ray Franz said it best they are captives to a concept.

Band on the Run

This is standard operating procedure in mainstream churches. The financial sheet was posted in the church so anyone could read it. They also had a financial committee open to all members. The problem was that lay people had no idea how to read a financial statement.

The WT would be transparent if all members demanded it. We are taught that we are not good enough to even review something.

jgnat

I would like to see the US demand at least a public statement of accounts from all charities. After all they benefit from the tax break. Open and accountable.