Barings Bank & the JWs

by Doltologist 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Doltologist

  In the early 1990s, I was in a meeting. We were making some major changes to the main IT system of the company I worked for. During the meeting I said, 'What would happen if one of our major customers went belly up and shouldn't we build something into the system to cope with this?'. Someone said 'Such as who?'. 'Oh, I don't know - how about Barings?' I said. A roar of laughter went up and I was left looking like a prat.

  A couple of years later, in 1995, Barings went belly up after Nick Leeson lost the bank £827 million ($1.3 billion). So, a bank that was founded in 1762 and thought to be rock solid was brought to its knees by one man.

  Barings Bank was eventually sold to ING for £1.

  There's a lot of disenchantment of the gb specifically and all things jw generally and that's putting it mildly. In some quarters, there's hatred.

  What kind of things would bring the whole jw thing to its knees?
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  Half banana

  Tall towers with inadequate foundations can easily collapse unexpectedly even after standing for 136 years.
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  The Searcher

  Ask anyone why a leech exists - what is its overwhelming reason for living?

  To suck the means of life out of other creatures - their blood!

  To kill the leech, cut off its supply of blood.

  To quickly kill off the 'leech' in question, reverse the flow of 'blood' - by draining the 'blood' it has already accumulated, and curtailing its source of fresh supplies! Taxation is the greatest threat.

  The Org's 'blood' supplies are widely known are being exposed to more & more unwary victims!

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/323130001/kingdom-hall-sale-proceedssee
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  kairos

  Do you have the rumored to exist, 20k name JW pedo database kept in Brooklyn?

  thanks
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I wondered occasionally if there were a coup in the works in the style of Joseph Rutherford.

  The GB is so visible now, so whacky with their tight pants and "OBEY" speeches. If a coup were behind the shadows, it would have to be about seizing assets more than seizing everyone's attention. There's really no way we could know.

  I think if that happened, these guys on the GB would try to maintain control and start grabbing new assets. So they would have to take their jw . tv away, but then they would travel to all the regional conventions to make their presence known.

  Now, if the coup were at the C.O. level and was for the hearts and minds of the members, there would be chaos for awhile as different things were said at different locations. That would be rather exciting.
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  rebelfighter

  From the outside looking in. The WT is very ripe for attack for people waking up. First you have all these child rape cases going on right now. Get a good lawyer question: My son or daughter committed suicide when he was d/fed because of the WT policy. There is another string of lawsuits/settlements. Third you have the blood issue: another lawyer -- dad says I am now raising 4 children by myself and I lost my loving wife because of the WT policy on blood. More lawsuits/settlements. It is not going to take to long for all of these settlements to add up to billions $$$$. How long before the real estate empire has to disolve.
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  Captain Obvious

  I believe taxation would be the best way, but if the church of Scientology can maintain tax-free status... Anyone can. Laws will need to change first and we don't see that happening anytime soon.

  If religious groups were held to account on certain laws with the threat of the removal of their tax-free status, we would definitely have a chance at seeing the WT fall but otherwise... No
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  rebelfighter

  I am not sure about the taxation exemption as a 501C3 which churches are in the US they do have to prove charity. I know we are audited (not church) on a regular basis and we must prove that we are not accumulating assets and that the money is going to charities.
• 

  TheListener

  I wonder how the rank and file would respond to a split or coup?

  I guess it depends on who the elder sheeple would follow; the circuit overseers that they see and know - but don't know as well as they could because they've been rotated for decades so there is only so much closeness that can exist OR the GB in Brooklyn.

  Perhaps, which may be the point of previous posters, the GBs response to a feeling of losing control and sheeple apathy has been to become more visible and therefore more able to withstand a coup?

  In times past most rank and file barely knew the names of the GB and a DO or CO or even a local elder body could get a little rogue before someone above stepped in to handle it. Now? The GB are ever present and I don't think a lower level management type could go very rogue without the sheeple questioning and wanting to know how the GB feels about it.

  It would be so fun to watch from the sidelines though.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  Apathy is the greatest risk.

  Lack of funds is the 2nd greatest risk.
  

  Whether you are talking about Field Service or attending meetings, most JWs are just "putting in time". Meeting attendance is way down. (At our former Cong 70%-80% average attendance, except for Special Events.)

  There is no zeal.

  No study of the "deeper things" (that's not even encouraged any longer -- the GB study for them).

  There has evidently(tm) been a lot of apathy about donations too, since the WTS is really hammering in many directions about needing MORE MONEY, and they have proven very creative in how to suck more money out of the R&F.

  Still, I doubt if either of these will "bring down" the WT. Growth is minimal and even stagnant in some areas. Yet, it will continue to roll along, just at a slower pace.

  Doc