The money question...

by Tornintwo 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  Tornintwo

  I am intrigued to know if there Is truly any evidence of financial irregularities in the Jehovah's Witness organisation or if any one or group are raking off funds or benefitting financially...?

  whilst I disagree wholeheartedly with most of their teachings and practices, dogmatism, legalism and superiority complex, I don't honestly think there's anyone making millions at the top. Yes you could say that the GB are comfortably off, don't have to pay bills etc but they do actually get up in the morning and 'work', they aren't going off in private jets to tropical islands or driving Bentleys.

  I suspect it's more of a power trip for them than a wealth trip. The thought of 8million people hanging on your every word must be enticing for them, and they probably believe their own hype that they are gods chosen ones, christs brothers etc... Ray Franz never mentioned financial issues in his books and I would have thought he had the perfect opportunity to highlight any corruption of that type.

  Whilst I think there's better ways of spending millions of charitable donations than on a new state of the art headquarters, I doubt there's anyone fleecing, surely if there was they would have taken the money and run before they had to stop charging for the books, or before the publishing downturn....

  But if you have evidence to the contrary I for one would love to hear it....?!?
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  prologos

  May be the money is at the periphery. There must be people, millionaire that would not be thus, had they not been close to the organisation, the wtBtS inc.
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  talesin

  That would be illegal activity. If anyone is engaging in that sort of misappropriation of funds, there will not be a convenient trail of bread crumbs.
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  prologos

  "That would be illegal activity." I am thinking more of the Cleaning, Real estate, Construction. Providing, Purchasing, Financial Service activities in- and with individuals which generate profits that do not show up in wt accounts. It is like what goes on around a Black Hole, matter that goes in,-- is gone, without possible return, , but there is a lot of energy, radiation coming off the periphery. There is a glow to the enterprise. many are bathing in it.
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  slimboyfat

  I'd be astonished if there weren't some who got very rich from their association and opportune business arrangements: lawyers principally, but also people selling cars to COs, paper to the factories, food to bethel, coach trips to brothers, and so on and so on.
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  Calebs Airplane

  The Rothschilds have realized that the JW future business model will not stand the test of time, whereas the Mormon wing of their religious empire is well positioned for future financial growth. So they're funneling money from their WTBTS wing to their LDS wing which is a lot more diversified.
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  hoser

  There definitely are people who make money off the jw system. Those who sell overpriced furniture and sound systems to the local congregation.
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  Simon

  When our KH got renovated, practically everything was supplied "by a brother" (or a company owned by one).

  The cost of the chairs was astronomical. I could walk into a high-street office supply company like Staples and buy an equivalent chair at less than half or a third of the price and that was buying one, not 120+ which you would expect to get for much less per unit.

  Any organization that has lots of money sloshing around but isn't open about it's earnings, spending, purchasing decisions or accountability to anyone will have corruption of some form or another. There may not be money being concentrated in a very small number like in some groups but some people do well financially out of their association with the WTS.

  That's before you get to the outright defrauding of members of the congregation, often the elderly by people with position (Elders) or those associated with them ("affinity fraud").
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  eyeuse2badub

  Hopefully more jw's will begin to question where the money is going. I definitely try to help this subject gain traction every chance I get. For example, after each 'assembly day' I ask various brothers why a one day assembly now costs nearly 4 times as much as in previous years. I've talked to several of my friendly elder buddies about the new 'business model' of eternal payments (everlasting leases) on the KH properties Many seem to be unaware of the 'drastic' increased cost. If we can somehow keep this "money" subject active, I think that it could eventually force the borg at least take notice. Inquiring minds want to know. When you start screwing with a man's money, they start taking notice!

  just saying!

  eyeuse2badub
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  Joe Grundy

  I never was a JW. I was, for ten years, a commander of a Police Fraud Squad/Money Laundering Investigation Unit.

  We dealt with several cases where 'believing congregations' (of all faiths) were defrauded to a very large extent by scammers who used their 'professed brotherhood' to overcome normal caution. Or, if someone is a brother in our religion, of course we can trust him. That sort of thing.

  Conmen have told me that they go for family first, then those with who they have a connection, because 'they're easier'. Working themselves into a religion-oriented group is very easy.