by Open mind 38 Replies latest members private
jgnat: But the WTS has always been miserly with that sort of thing. So naturally the congregation will be miserly back.
Good observation.
I think that resonates on a deep, if even subconscious, level with most JWs. Let's be realistic. Except for KH remodels and renovations, which are pretty obviously profit-making endeavors for local contractors, the "expansion work" is always going on somewhere else.
The only really big, tangible building is the Warwick compound for the GB fatkats.
Out of four Kingdom Halls, only one had to pass out the little white-slip, the rest donated enough.
This asking for a fixed monthly donation amount IS NOT NEW! Many people are calling it new because they were not around in the 50's and 60's when it used to be done Regularly
I think it was every Watchtower in May during the 1960's asked its readers to send in an annual contribution pledge with a letter saying, I promise to donate $xx.xx
Nice one Syntax!!!
I just typed in the word 'pledge' in the WT Library and looked up the WT from the 1960's - bingo!!
Annual "pledges" requested by the Org!
There is nothing new under the sun.
A congregation I was assigned to in the early 70s was asked by the Society to pledge X amount for their KH construction. Half the congregation was on some type of Public Assistance, the pledge was sort of a joke.
My congregation took a different approach.
Instead of asking for donation slips like the letter requested, the BoE decided among themselves a suitable monthly amount and proposed this to the congregation, who in turn nodded acceptingly.
The thought behind this was that the BoE did not want to burden the brothers with any extra contributions, and the amount resolved will come from a reasonably healthy congregation bank account instead.
To be fair, we have closed the SKHF donation box so what used to go in there will now go into the congregation account, and in the UK there's a new government tax relief for charities which gives us about £100pm extra as well.
Put both of these extra incomes together, and they pretty much cover the new monthly donation anyway.
Splash.
Well I guess technically it is tithing since you are committing to a certain amount before Jehovah. That being said I do not think it will change the ways that some donate. I stopped giving $$$ years ago. My wife still drops money in from time to time and if she ever gives me $$ at an assembly or convention to donate I do it for her but in reality I think many do not give a rat's ass anymore and the GB realizing this is attempting to guilt the still faithful to donate.
I mean how do they expect us to believe that they are in desperate need of cash when they have cut printing down by almost half. We went from 4 magazines a month to 2 (public WT and AW) that are half the size in less than 10 years. Last week a letter was read basically discouraging people from ordering Daily text, calendars, etc. but instead use the free and easy to distribute digital copies from JW.org. I would not be surprised of they stop giving us paper versions of our study materials and instead ask the congregations to buy a printer and toner to print them for the cong members.
They way things are changing this could happen sooner than later. So I am not surprised that many are reacting badly to this latest money grab! Who really believes that they are in need of $$ when the property they had in Brooklyn was/is worth hundreds of millions of dollars at least.
XBEHERE:
You are right, even the stupidest person there would have to see that by the religion's real estate sales and other cut-backs, they have tons and tons of money. So, what's going on?
Lost Generation:
The Mormons differ significantly in that they are a self-contained community that actually takes care of their own and as others have pointed out, they provide SOMETHING of material benefit to their people.
In contrast, the Jehovah's Witnesses provide nothing of material benefit. Zero.
Like SyntaxError1974 and The Searcher, I remember the WTS soliciting monthly contributions from the rank-and-file back in the 1980s. The difference now is that back then the requests for funds was not so dramatic or bold. Instead, people were reminded that 'God loves a cheerful giver' and then gently prodded to donate something every month. Now they have dropped all pretense and are indeed strong-arming the membership. Makes me glad once more that I am "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses"!
Quendi
Would someone tell me where that quote of Russell saying "when we have to ask for money no more watchtower" in so many words is? I can't remember. Thanks.
