Was this ever a requirement?
Do Jehovah's Witnesses have to buy any of the organization's literature before distribution?
by Vanderhoven7 15 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
stan livedeath
It was when I was in it.But pioneers got a discount….to make a profit on sales.
-
Vanderhoven7
Hi Stan When were you in? Was it standard policy then?
-
road to nowhere
Donation now if you can even find any.
Up until the Swaggart sales tax court decision(WT filed an amicus) there was a required donation for just the cost of production which was 25 cents for a magazine.
When it became voluntary there was a push to get donations by asking.
The newly released large print bible was "free" except tge announcement mentioned how "this Bible would cost well over a $100 In store"
There are people who will die at armageddon for lack of a quarter to learn the truth back then.!!!
-
greenhornet
When I was In the "truth" we paid 3 cents for the Mags. The little trifold tracks were a 10 count for a penny. (US) . We sold (placed) them for 10 cents for the pair.
-
Gorb
It was, and changed in the late 80's.
Gorby
-
Beth Sarim
In early 1990,, the Borganization switched from asking for money,, to donations.
The Swaggart case,,then the Borg got spooked.
The Borganization filed an amicus with the court as said by someone else.
Then the food arrangement followed at assemblies.
-
stan livedeath
@ Vand7
i was brought up in it from age 10 by my mother. Got baptised age 14 along with my father--this was in 1962. Pioneered from age 16 to 21
Pioneers bought the magazines for a penny ( british pre decimal ) and sold them for 4 pennies .( 8 pence for both W and A )
Best way to "place" them was to build up a magazine "route"--regular customers who bought them each fortnight.
I was the magazines / territory servant for a couple of years.
quit the cult in 1971.
-
Beth Sarim
Yeah,,LoL.
I remember those days.
"Magazine routes".
The super spiritual.
-
blondie
Yes, jws had to pay upfront. When the Jimmy Swaggart count case was decided that people could not charge for the publications, the WTS suddenly did not charge its members, and for jws and public it was a donation to the Watchtower Society. And at one time pioneers were given a reduced for literature, including subscriptions to be delivered magazines.
"As a publishing company, Watchtower amassed considerable wealth from the sale of literature from the 1800's to the 1990s. There was no need to resort to the same collection efforts typical of other religious groups. This changed in the 1990 with a tax ruling against Jimmy Swaggart. (See the section regarding Jimmy Swaggart in the article Political Involvement) The United States Supreme Court determined despite religious not-for-profit status, Swaggart was liable for tax on the sale of religious material. The sale of Watchtower publications fell under this ruling. Watchtower decided that rather than pay tax on the money it was receiving from the sale of Watchtower literature, it would be better to direct Jehovah's Witnesses to start asking for donations from people who accepted Watchtower journals in the house to house ministry work. This led to a decline in income.
During this same period, the global publishing industry was experiencing a decline in revenue and profits due to the mainstream launch of the internet in 1995. This further exacerbated the revenue declines Watchtower was experiencing from no longer being able to sell its books and magazines.
Watchtower did not need to pass a collection plate whilst it was making money from selling books. When this income stream started to dry up, Watchtower was forced to look to other sources of income, and in the twenty-first century there has been a noticeable shift in two areas, more open requests for donations and changes in the ownership of Kingdom Halls." https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/donations-money-solicitation.php