Back in the late eighties I was on the committee to build our cities new double kingdom hall so that all five halls would be under one roof. We needed to come up with five hundred thousand dollars to complete the new hall, so we had a kingdom hall fund drive where the local brothers would raise the needed funds. After two years we had collected the half million dollars, and guess where that money went???????? Thats right, straight to Brooklyn New York. We than sold all five halls and got around a million two hundred thousand for the sale of the halls, any guesses where that money went?????? thatst right Brooklyn again. Now the kicker to all this is we now loaned the original five hundred thousand dollars that we needed to build the hall in the first place back from Crooklyn, and are paying it back over twenty years at 6% interest. So in summary they got our donations of half a million dollars, they got the proceeds from the sale of the halls of about 1.2 million, then they are getting another half million over twenty years with interest added on to boot, and they have ownership of the new hall, and the local pee-ons still have to pay for the maintenance and upkeep. This was the beginning of the end for me, one little crack in the Tower and it all came tumbling down.
Watchtowers million dollar scam
by GeddyLee 20 Replies latest jw experiences
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Celia
Just mind boggling, isn't it ?
Welcome to the board. So where have you been between then and now ?
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Elsewhere
And the kickers is that if the KH or the Elders come under legal fire, Crookland will back off with its hands in the air claiming that the congregation is acting independently.
What get me is that the "Brothers" went along with it out of "loyalty" - no questions asked. I have seen something similar too... when a KH is built, it is built using local funds, then ownership is handed over the WTS.
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Mister Biggs
Yup! Scam.
One of the many reasons I'm leaving. The con artists in Brooklyn always cite the "received free, give free" scripture when you give THEM the donations but when a congregation needs to borrow money from headquarters they have to pay it back...with interest.
Oh, and when the Society asks for loans from individuals or congregations (i.e., for new assembly halls), it is always on an interest-free basis!
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crawdad2
hi geddylee,
i loved your post!.........and the good little jw elders all cooperated, handing all the money over to headquarters.
publications are free too!!!!....... first you freely donate at the counter, when you order them or pick them up,,,,,,,,then you freely donate all the contrubutions you receive at the door, back to headquarters.
i hope to hear more from you!
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Farkel
I don't see what problom you have with this. It's all Bible-based and falls under the spiritual category of "TheoCapitalism."
The rich Watchtower Printing Corporation has the duel distinction of not only being a false prophet, but a false prophet who picks your pockets and loans you back with interest the money they stole.
Absolutely BRILLIANT!
When dumb dubbies continue put up with that kind thievery, they deserve exactly what they get.
Farkel
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Scully
What has always made me laugh about this is that the WTS calls it "Simplification".
The R&F dubs think "Simplification" means "making things easier for the congregation".
The WTS realizes that "Simplification" means "making it easier to get your money into our coffers".
It was this sort of thing, by the way, that had me starting to see the WTS for what it really was: a greedy, money-grabbing, pseudo-christian, false prophesying pile of crap, that didn't give a flying f*ck about me, my family, my friends, any other JW, any potential convert, or anyone else except themselves.
When I learned that GB members stayed in 5-star hotels at the expense of brothers and sisters who couldn't afford to give their children new shoes, I was completely appalled at their lack of care or compassion for the people who definitely needed the money more than they did. It made me sick to my stomach.
Love, Scully
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JeffT
So here's a new slogan that should appear on every Watchtower:
"We're working hard to make your money our money.
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JAVA
This is a great thread because it fully demonstrates the greed and self-serving posture of the Society. The easiest folks to con are people trusting the con-artist. The Society has 5 or 6 million followers willing to believe anything coming from "God's Organization." It's a wonder JWs own their socks after the Tower shacks them down when they buy another building for the Watchtower.
The Tower does not openly pass collection plates at the meetings--that would be honest begging. On the other hand, a con-artist picks their victims pocket, and the fleeced don't know they've been sheared. I'm sure the Watchtower has another name for "Quick Builds," QUICK CASH !
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orangefatcat
Talk about the GB staying at ******star hotels, has anyone ever noticed the lap of luxury at the Bethels. In the Canadain branch its very luxurious, they have court yard for tennis, pool, park, and physical fitness room, luxury rooms etc. etc. And yes the tragedy of this is I see many witnesses struggle to get by and give there last penny to the society and they suffer. Oh they don't worry, they say Jehovah will provide... Well that is a bunch of BS I can tell you from personal experience I had to go to the food bank once a month because my ex husband was on a disability income and I was to ill to work. And no one at the Kingdom Hall ever offered any assistance with out practically begging them first. It was embarrassing to say the least. And it wasn't like they didn't know how poor we were. They would just smile with that look they have and say hope all is well with you and it is nice to see you at the meetin g. I thing that they didn't like my ex and didnt go regularly to the meetings cause I wasn't feeling well, but today I know why I really didn't go, I felt like no one ever really ever gave a dam. Yes the WTBS sounds like they are expert scam artists,my mother has already given the society thousands of dollars for the relief efforts of brothers and sisters in lands of disasters, My mother never gave me a dime and yet she knew how difficult it was for us. Where oh where is true loyality?? She still knows how difficult it is for me to make ends meet but she doesn't care and she has never cared. To me I have always asked myself is that how a true Christian is suppose to be like. And two of my sister have husbands that are wealthy. I have nevered asked them for a dime and they have never offered. So the Watchtower has made many a witness feel that they have got to give their wealth to them and the hell with their immediate family. Oh well. Listen to me I sound bitter, I guess a little but I try not to be. I am just disappointed in the narrow mindedness of witnesses. Sorry to sound off !!