The cult will say and make all kinds of positive statements but doubtful they'll blow all their loot on projects at this point in time. They probably expect another $70 mil of donated monies from the congregations -- if they could give that much before why not now! Maybe some JWs are on hold (doubtful) re/throwing money at Watchtower until they're assured of where it's going.
Cutback prediction
by slimboyfat 204 Replies latest members private
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Listener
Just some thoughts. Another possibility that has been talked about in the past is that the Watchtower is poor because they have been transferring money into other entities and then invest those monies, maybe hedge funds.
In 2000 the Governing Body were removed as Directors of the Watchtower. Ever since there has been a slow sell off of assets. It's that money that they would be transferring because they see it as theirs to do with whatever they like. Donated funds are earmarked for the worldwide work.
It looks like they completely changed their plans a few years ago when they chose to stop building new halls. I doubt they realised all of a sudden that they were going broke but what may have happened was a big push to get as much money out of the Watchtower as they could and as fast as they could.
Whats happened is the Watchtower is left to survive as best as it can by reducing expenses severely and increasing donations. We've been witnessing a huge money grab, by emptying congregation bank accounts, ramping up pressure for donations and selling buildings, lots of buildings.
For years they happily increased the numbers serving at Bethel and as missionaries and special pioneers but the sudden decision to transfer money out of the Watchtower has meant they need to cut these expenses. For some reason money is more important than preaching these days but whoever is behind this is justifying it as important because in the long run it is the only way to preserve the organisation.
Perhaps they are trying to preserve the organisation rather than the Watchtower because there may be a number of scenarios ahead of them. This includes huge payouts for child abuse or worse, the publication of their pedo list which could result in all sorts of law suits, depending who is on that list meaning more victims coming forward. There's also a possibility of taxation status changing.
However, the real reason, at least for most of them who believe that the GT is so close, this means the destruction of religions but the organisation will be fine, the last to go because they had the foresight to move money out of the Watchtower and are now able to fund themselves with that money whilst not operating as a non profit religion.
But who knows, we might see a complete takeover from a splinter group, the ones who have been able to syphone off all this money. Wouldn't it be so easy for them to claim that they were getting rid of the man of lawlessness and one only needed to read the publications to see how unspiritial and unscriptural the current leaders are. They could even point out how egotistical they are by their constant appearances on their broadcasting and plastering their faces on 10foot screens at assemblies. In fact they could make up whatever they wanted but in order to pull it off they would need two things. They would need access to plenty of money and they would want the Watchtower to have as little as possible.
Rutherford was able to grab complete control around 100 years ago and history has a tendency to repeat itself.
They keep saying that the organisation may do things that don't seem logical from a human point of view but to be obedient to them anyway. It's all very odd.
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ThomasCovenant
SBF -- "Look brothers, unless you send serious donations, including some of your savings, we are going to have to shut up shop completely. Don't make us do that."
If only they could.
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jookbeard
The Listener, oh to be a fly on the wall at their chartered accountants who audit them and to see the actual losses they've made from hedge funds/investment stock etc, its clearly a huge figure.
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LV101
Sounds like they were, once again, doing some serious begging in the last sales meeting! This begging for estates and whatever they can coerce out of JWs is an annual event. I think their followers would dig deep into their pockets to keep them afloat as they have too much time/energy/fantasies invested in WT. It's very hard to believe some JWs are not contributing unless they literally don't have it, and that's understandable.