What is the watchtower going to do when (page 2)

Simon

Imagine having a business where your customer just hand you their money, and you don't have to pay tax on it.

How could a religion ever go bust?!

waton

imagine if your business has not to deliver a product in return?

berrygerry

One must remember that Rutherford fully envisioned Watch Tower as a monetary opportunity. Early letters showed that it was always money-driven. There was money to be made in the five-and-dime era.

Things changed significantly for sales-driven religions with the Jimmy Swaggart decision.

Sales would slowly reduce. Tithe-based religions have fared better - i.e. Mormons and Scientology.

Canadian department stores have run a similar course to Watch Tower.

For decades, Canada had three major chains, lowend Sears (the newest), highend Hudson's Bay (the oldest), and middle Eatons.

There were smaller chains - Woolco, Woolworths, and Zellers.

Walmart's foray into Canada in 1994 was accompanied by the purchase of Woolco. (Woolco had made a major strategic error when the GST was introduced. Woolco included the GST in their advertised and rack price, while all other retailers added GST at checkout. So, Woolco's prices were perceived to be higher.)

Even without Walmart, Eaton's could not maintain the challenging middle position. But Walmart was the nail in Eaton's coffin, and it went bankrupt in 1999.

Target tried Canada in 2011, buying Zellers from Hudson's Bay. Target wasted $2,000,000,000 before exiting in 2015.

Which leaves us Sears Canada.

The slow death of Sears Canada is similar to Watch Tower.

Instead of truly adapting, token efforts were made at peripheral changes.

The only thing that maintained Sears Canada was its real estate, and the real estate market exceeding in value far greater than the inflation rate since 1992.

Although that carried Sears for a quite-extended period of time, they were forced to liquidate real estate and consolidate stores, year after year.

All other measures of belt-tightening were exhausted, until the inevitable finally happened this year.

Watch Tower has been on a remarkably similar trajectory, especially over the past five years, although the beginning of the end started around the same time, in 1995 IMO.

They have tightened their belt as much as they can. There are no more cuts to be made.

Kingdom Hall consolidation is in full progress.

Just as there were no Millennials wandering the aisles at Sears Canada, Watch Tower is unable to replace their aging customer base.

There is a death-watch on, and it cannot be stopped.

jwundubbed

Ever since I saw the 'bunker' videos I have been waiting for the GB to announce that Armageddon has arrived, to send everyone off to their designated shelters, and then flee the country with their money to whatever off-shore bank account country will have them. Then I expect to see news accounts of bizarre shelter stories.

I got this idea into my head somehow and just can't shake it.

shepherdless

Imagine having a business where your customer just hand you their money, and you don't have to pay tax on it.
How could a religion ever go bust?!

Yes, you would think that they never could. Theoretically, any preacher could start a religion and impose a 10% tithe, and if that preacher were able to get just 10 adherents, then the preacher would earn an average income, tax free. Must be one of the easiest ways to make money around. And the one thing that every Christian denomination agrees, is that God needs your money.

But despite it all, religions do sometimes go broke. All that administration, poor management, and too many snouts in the trough. And tax free doesn't help if you are not making a profit.

Canadian stores have run a similar course to Watchtower.

Yes the Sears example is a good indication of what is likely to happen. There are differences, but I can't think of an example where a business has sold branches and later survived.

Ever since I saw the 'bunker' videos I have been waiting for the GB to announce that Armageddon has arrived, to send everyone off to their designated shelters, and then flee the country with their money to whatever off-shore bank account country will have them. Then I expect to see news accounts of bizarre shelter stories.

A few people have wondered if/when the Gov Body will run off with the money. They don't need to. They have your money already. They are more likely to take the approach Scientology seems to be taking; just let the religion die a slow death and keep milking it, hanging onto a big real estate empire. If all the dubs left, they would still have the money and assets, legally, and there is nothing anyone can do.

Anyway, that is my 2c worth.

joe134cd

I just hope I live to see it. Realistically though I think wt will out live me.

steve2

A fool and his money are soon parted.

There will always be fools somewhere who will prop up JW organization - or any high-control religious group you care to name.

Sure, a religious group may not be as lucrative as it once was, but impelling the rank and file to dig deep is one of the oldest tricks in human existence.

Think the Israelites and all the pressure borne to bear upon them to keep giving their first fruits to the temple and then to keep on giving.

smiddy

The money is never going to run out.

New light will mean JW`s will re-invent themselves and a new cash cow will finance them

JW`s have been re-inventing themselves with nu-lite for the past 130 years , they are masters at it.

They are not going anywhere anytime soon , and their are always gullible people and their not going anywhere soon either.

slimboyfat

Stop printing literature, sack lots of bethelites and DOs, close branches, consolidate Kingdom Halls, ask for more donations.

Hang on, has the money already run out?

pale.emperor

My prediction is that when the old GB all die off they'll be replaced with ones that will bring in tithing. This will eventually become an internet dependent religion, sermons conducted via livestream, mags and books in PDF, ministry reduced to showing videos on an iPad.

OR

One of the GB or their helpers will go rogue and start his own splinter religion. He'll pull a scripture out of his ass and claim its a fulfillment of prophecy from Daniel or Revelation. The new guy will end the blood doctrine, many JWs who secretly disagree with the blood doctrine will flock to this Jehovah 2.0 religion. New light will be that the 1914 teaching was a test to mankind. 144,000 are all up there now. Only thing to do is to have as many kids as possible now so we're ready to populate the new world. Of course this mean polygamy being brought back.

Hey, it's a stretch, but do you think Charles Taze Russell would have envisioned the religion to turn out the way it has?

What is the watchtower going to do when

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