Did you encounter any dishonest/shady business owners inside your local Kingdom Hall?

by RULES & REGULATIONS 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  
  

  The Watchtower—Study Edition | December 2021
  

  7 A merchant might take pride in the fact that he had never taken anything that did not belong to him. But what about his business practices? As recorded at Leviticus 19:35, 36, Jehovah said: “You must not use dishonest standards in measuring length, weight, or volume. You should use accurate scales, accurate weights, an accurate dry measure, and an accurate liquid measure.” A merchant who used inaccurate scales or measurements in order to deceive his customers would in a sense be stealing from them. A further consideration of Leviticus chapter 19 makes that clear.

  
  

  In view of Leviticus 19:11-13, a Christian might make what self-examination about business practices? (See paragraphs 8-10) *

  There are many business owners inside Kingdom Halls that are run by local brothers and sisters. The businesses run from office/home cleaning, carpenters/remodelers, landscapers, plumbers, electricians and many others that are owned by honest and hardworking Witnesses.

  
  

  Here is an illustration in the December 2021 Watchtower Study Edition of an honest Jehovah's Witness handing out what looks like a weekly paycheck to his employee. An honest days work for an honest days pay !

  
  

  What they don't show you are brothers that don't pay their employees on time, brothers that cheat on material and time spent on the job. Our congregation had a brother who owned a small heating and air-conditioning service. He was caught several times billing local brothers and sisters for new parts, while using used parts on his service calls.

  
  

  No wonder they need an article about honesty! There are more dishonest business practices inside the congregation than you see and hear!
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  road to nowhere

  Calling employees self employed subcontractors when in fact they were not. Avoids FICA and insurance
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  
  road to nowhere

  Calling employees self employed subcontractors when in fact they were not. Avoids FICA and insurance

  I worked for 2 landscape contractors over 30 years ago. One was an elder, and one was a ministerial servant. They gave me a paycheck at the end of each week. When the landscape season ended, they handed me a 1099 self-employment form that I was to report on my income tax form. I assumed they both payed the employee taxes, but left me holding the bag.
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  Overrated

  I worked for a "brother" that had a handyman business. A real cheap azz. Anyway, payday was friday. But when friday rolled around it came to I'll pay you on monday. Monday would come. No check . I'll pay you on Friday. Seems like an Abbiott and Costello routine. I'll see you when you decide to pay me.
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  Sigfrid Mallozzi

  Handing out paychecks is soooo outdated. Payroll Direct deposit has been the standard for what 6 plus years? I loved it when you could take a photo of your check within your banking app on your smartphone to deposit your check. But now, I wake up on Friday, pour a cup of coffee hit my checking and savings accounts app and check the hours, etc on ADP. As much as the labor force moves today from job to job and city and state to the next, a paper check is obsolete. At least the WT didn't show a brother paying in cash.
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  RolRod

  Pioneer and elders wife would buy field service supplies and sell them to members of the congregation at profit. She could've easily just told them where to go get them.

  RR
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  Willie647

  Growing up a buddy and I were playing in a field behind his elder stepfather’s house. Mel was a used car dealer. We stumbled on a pile of car instrument panels. My buddy freaked out and made me promise never to talk about what we saw that day. I guessed that Mel the elder and car dealer was changing mileage on his cars to sell them for more. Later on when I was about 17 a df guy came back with a 1969 GTO. Nice black one but it had 100k miles on it. He sold it to Mel and my buddy and I knew the car well. I knew then we could prove Mel was changing mileage on cars. Mel had it painted orange and put it on his lot but the special plastic front bumper required special paint he had to order. So the bumper was black for a couple or weeks. Then orange. That’s when I stopped in one day and looked the car over like I wanted it. It only had 56k miles on it. I knew for sure Mel as a cheat but I didn’t do anything about it. Later on I realized Mel sold the lot about the time odometers became electronic and more difficult to change. And to think I used to sit in that kh and hear him talk about life. Glad I left at 19.
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  Tameria2001

  Some of the worst as far as business is concerned from my own personal experience was JWs. I guess they don't think they have to worry about being sued or having the authorities called on them when they do what they do to fellow members.
  
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  Overrated

  My father and I ran a business an it was amazing how many "brothers " wanted us to cut corners and cost and for that matter the law of the land so they can get a cheap price. My father and I would not put up with that. Things cost and we would give breaks, but they wanted extreme price breaks just because they are "Brothers ". Don't like having JW's as clients at all.
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  LongHairGal

  OVERRATED:

  I just had a conversation similar to this with two JWs that I know from years ago.

  We compared stories of crooked dealings and horror stories we heard about. Sadly, they are far TOO many for a religion that purports to be the so-called ‘truth’!..I am convinced the ugly culture there has contributed to this.

  My question was: do the beliefs of the religion make people believe they can get away with doing anything to their so-called brothers? OR, does the fact the religion knocks education and careers and anybody falling for it ends up poor, desperate and angry, thus imagining they are ‘entitled’ to freebies and special treatment from anybody they think is better off than they are?.. Answer: I believe it’s a combination of both.

  Mind you, JWs are in the predicament they are in because they listened to bad advice..I sure as hell wasn’t the one to tell them to pursue poverty and not get decent jobs! Since I was knocked for working full time, I was determined to WARN young JWs that they better look out for their future!