2024 What's Afoot with World Religions?

by KerryKing 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  KerryKing

  The Parliament of the World's Religions, member of the United Religions Initiative, has on their website a FOCUS24 page, they call this year The Year of Democracy.

  Apparently an unusually large proportion of the world's countries are holding national elections this year, it's certainly the case here in Ireland. This somehow is the focus of their mission, it reads well, you know peace, love and justice etc.

  I am wondering if the The Watchtower Society is a part of this movement, seeing as they have the 501c3 agreement they are also a State Church, therefore bound to follow the states laws and regulations for fear of fines or loss of the 501c3 religious charity status, loss of tax exemption etc.

  If so, we could be seeing many more changes this year.

  Does anyone have more detailed info on what rules and regulations 501c3 religious charities have to comply with? It certainly explains the JW compliance with all things COVID, had they not they probably would have been fined as being in breach of contract and possibly lose their tax free status.

  Realising now that the majority of the well known religions have this charity status in commonwealth countries and other lands, it is suddenly very clear to me how easy it will be for the world's 'kings and merchants' to turn on 'babylon the great' and make 'her devastated and naked' in one day. All they need do is revoke charity status, based on let's say CSA and Violation of Human Rights, fine the churches, repossess all their properties, stocks, bonds etc and they would all be finished within no time at all.

  Did Norway get the ball rolling? Interesting times for sure, would love to hear others' feedback!
• 

  Vidiot

  Funny thing…

  …the WTS always portrayed “Satan’s World” cracking down on “False Religion” and “God’s People” with militant and violent force during the “Last Days”.

  Being sued, taxed, and legislated into oblivion never seemed to occur to them.

  😏
• 

  peacefulpete

  You may be separated from the people but their dystopian paranoid fever dreams seem to have stayed with you.
• 

  NotFormer

  As far as I know, the USA is fairly unique* in that they allow tax deductions for donations to churches. Where I live, you only get tax deductions if you donate to a properly registered charity that actually does charitable stuff, not simply for donations to the church you attend. So references to the WT's charitable status don't really resonate here.

  Churches might have a side gig, like a food bank, that does have tax deductible status. Maybe the WT has something similar, like an emergency relief fund to which JWs can donate, but I can't see them emphasising something like that over donations directly meant for Bethel to use however it likes.

  * Well, it's certainly different from here. I haven't looked into at length. I am aware that some European countries do stuff like the Norway thing which was pulled out from under the WT. Not sure if that's the same thing, though.
• 

  KerryKing

  Thank you peacefulpete for your peaceful comment. Much respect x
• 

  GrreatTeacher

  To call something a State Church in the US really means nothing because there is a formal separation of church and state. It's actually an oxymoron. What you are speaking to is their tax status.

  Watchtower is a nonprofit organization which means they do not pay taxes.

  It is also a 501c3 organization, which does not necessarily have to be a church, but means that people who donate TO them will have their donations be tax deductible.

  Because of the guarantees of freedom of religion recognized in the first amendment to the American Constitution, all religions are given great leeway, some will say way too much leeway. What happened in Norway will not be happening in the US.

  This could be why the Governing Body are so shocked over the decisions made in other countries. They have a very American point of view where they have won many court battles in the past.

  The idea of the US government taking away their tax status is not realistic.
• 

  peacefulpete

  Thank you peacefulpete for your peaceful comment. Much respect

  Well, I meant it to be pointed. Having gained some degree of separation from the church, perhaps it is time to reconsider how much of the conspiracies of the church still shape your outlook on life.

  respect
  
  
• 

  NotFormer

  Does any other country, similarly to the US system, allow tax deductibility for donations to churches in their own right*?

  *As opposed to the charitable organisations that those churches may be operating at arm's length.

  Edited to add: Can corporations donate to churches and get a tax deduction, or are only donations by individuals tax deductible?
• 

  ElderBerry

  501c3 religious charities certainly explains the JW compliance with all things COVID

  Yes. And all other religions who want tax exemption. They all said God wants you to take these vaccines.

  David Splain went as far as saying “would Jehovah let all the GB and special full time servants take the vaccine if it was harmful”

  Well it is harmful David Splain, you are not an expert in what is in these vaccines or the long term effects so you will regret saying that.

  As for long term outlook for all religions it’s obvious the way things are headed. Chrislim is going to be a mix of Muslim and a Christian sort of thing. One world religion is the way things are heading. All the changes show JWs are showing they are slowly heading that way.

  One world currency is also on the way, some kind of cashless CBDC system. And one world government which we kind of have already but not quite everybody goes along with it.

  maybe one world language as well, English is the language of the internet.

  All these things there will be off shoots, the one world religion, currency and government. Just like languages most kids will have to learn English but they will speak others as well.

  There will be one world currency cashless CBDC every transaction on the blockchain but other things will be used as a medium of exchange like silver grams for private and anonymous transactions.

  Most Christians and Muslims will kind of join the the new Chrislim one world religion and it will be taught in all schools under the one world government. But there will be off shoots and what JWs morph into in coming decades will be one of these off shoots.

  interesting to see it all play out over the coming decades.

  Im staying physically in the org watching from the sidelines. Im agnostic as to if there is a God but I’m 100% certain the GB are charlatans.

  I am still an elder for now but have stepped back from most things so I hardly do anything anymore and it’s not quite enough of a reason to remove me. But everytime I get asked to do anything I just say no.

  Other elders even the CO gave me long speech using scriptures and how there is such a need for brothers to work for free. Well I’m not one of them.

  I probably will be taken off at some point because I still do the occasional item and I’m sure some have noticed my feelings that I don’t agree with everything and I still to the Bible not JWs interpretation