Selling of Magazines and literature

by Ticker 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Ticker

  I was thinking the other day that the Watchtower society used to sell the mag's and books to people at the doors for a set price. I know that realisticly they need to cover costs but everyone knows they made profit off of their sales and still do through the donation method now in place. What I wonder is how did they justify selling for a set price when it clearly says in the bible "you recieved free, give free". How did they justify selling literature like that? Didn't Jesus kick out the money changers in the temple? I think thats a good example of the Org, just a bunch of money changers and greed mongers. Also they charge a interest rate to any congregations borrowing money from the org. Charging interest on money that was donated by their own members, so the members get screwed not once but twice over. GRRRRRRRRRR!! Yet the congregation can lend the society money but of course(no real shocker) they get money lent to them interest free. Is it just me, but doesn't this seem totally hypocritical and totally counter to any solid biblical backing. How do they honestly justify putting a interest rate on the very money that just came out of their followers hands? Are all the rank and file dubs so brain numb they cant see this? Oh I only wish they would all wake up and see it for the publishing company that is really is. Its all money, every dubs life revolves around money and bringing in new members so that the new members can give money. It just totally erks me when people are so taken advantage of and dont even realize it or care. But thats the charm of big bussiness today. lol

  Whats your thoughts?

  Ticker
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  freedom96

  No question about it, the WTS has been a cash cow for years, and take advantage of the rank and file witness.
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  BigG

  I take you point wholeheartedly... I put a post on this site some weeks ago about education and how the society in general do not encourage it; the same is for business isnt it? They encourage small service enterprises and smaller supply businesses but they counsel their members about expanding or should i put it (pursuing the treasures of the world). Given that they are a large multinational enterprise themselves doesnt it seem convenient that they do not want us to acheive the same status?

  No wonder maybe that is because the would prefer us NOT to understand about supply chains, sales agents, and distribution; because we will see the organisation for what it is, one big supply chain or marketing channel. Consider it this way, apologies for any inaccuracies...not been part of the borg for a long while now!!

  1st Level - Watchtower and Bible Tract Society

  2nd Level - National Branch Offices

  3rd Level- Congregations

  4th Level- Publishers????!!! (incidentally why are they called publishers?...they dont publish anything in the literature sense)

  5th Level- General Public...

  If that isnt a marketing channel i will eat my hat.
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  Ticker

  LOL for sure Big G thats all they are, you hit the nail on the head. And since when is being a publisher biblical? How did they get the word publisher from the bible. Might as well just call them book pushers lol. All they really are like you said is travelling salespeople keeping the chain strong and the cash flowing. Funny how they can convince millions that its god's will to market their product and not the bible. Also while the rank and file do the grunt work to keep the bussiness running their also the ones that recieve the brunt of all the emotional tyranny and flogging. Their treated like dirt and are easily disposed of when no longer needed or no longer can benefit the financial progress of the company, while the big wigs sit back and play with the members like pawns on a chessboard. Truly sad and corrupt.

  Ticker
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  garybuss

  The Watch Tower Organization is a business. It started as a business. It's a business by nature. It always has been a business.

  It's business life started as a book publishing venture. It's first book was written by a third party as have others since. Now all the writings by the Governing Body are from a third party since the Governing Body disassociated itself from the Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society corporations in 2000.

  Under Rutherford, the company expanded into the convention sponsoring business and has been very successful with that as a source of revenue. Next the Corporation moved into the real estate business, then the banking business, and then the construction business. All have been successful.

  They claim to be politically neutral but that is not true. They are the most active religious litigation and lobbying group involved in government in the United States. They brag about it on their official web page. "Neutral" means indifferent and it?s just a teaching, not a practice. Look at the political lobbying the Corporation did against prohibition in the United States.

  The Watch Tower Corporations are privately owned businesses concerned with it?s own prosperity and positive cash flows. Jehovah?s Witnesses are their unpaid distributors of religious literature, construction and printing workers, and willing consumers and contributors.
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  BigG

  Garybuss

  Your take on this is interesting...and i hadnt thought of this before but they they are a glorified conference organisation, publishing empire, banking institution, construction and real estate....marvelous...just like the huge conglomerates of the 80's...I half expect to see Gordon Gekko sat behind a desk with his slick back hair and cigars....well maybe without the cigar...wouldnt want to be seen to be a total hypocrite would he??
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  Forscher

  Many folks don't have a full grasp of just how much Rutherford changed things after he siezed control of the WTBTS. Before he came to power, the congregations were clients of the WTBTS if they chose to be so. It had no more authority over them than they chose to grant it and could stop having anything to do with it if they chose. In fact many of the congrations of Bible Students did in fact sever their connections with it after Rutherford took over. Enough did, that he felt a need to take control of them away from the local level and give it to the WTBS. He called that "theocratic" rulership.
  
  Another nice little lie that the WTBTS puts in its literature is that the Bible Student congregations that went off on their own soon withered up and died. Even a cursory search of the net shows that lie up for what it is. What is ironic is that one of the Bible Student congregations that has a presence on the net is one that was founded by Charles Taze Russell himself!
  
  So, Before JFR, the WTBTS was a tool of the Bible Student movement, after, the Jehovah's Witnessess were the tool of the WTBTS.
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  garybuss

  BigG, I have posted this before but here it is again for your reading enjoyment.

  All Watch Tower Society (Corporation) activities have to do with the books the leaders published.
  
  Personal study is reading the books the leaders published. Meetings are studying the books the leaders published. Service is distributing the books the leaders published. Bible studies are sessions indoctrinating new workers by using the books the leaders published.
  
  Kingdom Halls are distribution centers where inventory is stocked and a special literature counter is provided and staffed with volunteer workers for the sales people to pick up the books the leaders published. Contribution boxes are conveniently placed for "publishers" to pay by donation for the literature the leaders published.
  
  The worldwide ministry is to increase the distribution of the books the leaders published. The Corporation's school for missionaries is called Gilead, and it's purpose is to teach members how to start new congregations using the books the leaders published.
  
  Member's weekly schedules revolve around the study and distribution of literature the leaders wrote and published. That schedule is set up by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.
  
  Saturday morning is devoted to distributing magazines the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Sunday public talk meeting is given from an outline the leaders wrote and published on a topic selected by the leaders and referenced by books the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Sunday Watchtower Study meeting is reading from and studying a magazine the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Tuesday book study meeting is reading from and studying a book the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Wednesday is preparing for Thursday night meetings by reading books the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Thursday Theocratic Ministry School is speaking from and reading from books the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Thursday Service Meeting is a sales meeting training for presentations to distribute books and magazines the leaders wrote and published. The Service Meeting is also used to announce staff additions, changes, or deletions as approved by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.
  
  Daily texts are read daily from a book the leaders wrote and published.
  
  Yearly conventions are sponsored by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation. The highlight is the release of new publications the leaders wrote and published and the water baptism of new "Publishers" who agree to be identified with the Publishing Corporation, calling themselves the "Spirit Directed Organization".
  
  Members are called "publisher" and only qualify to be recognized as members if they engage in the distribution of books and magazines the leaders wrote and published and then report that engagement on Field Service Report forms that the leaders published.
  
  ("Publisher" is dictionary defined as One that is engaged in publishing printed material.)
  
  
  
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  Lampokey

  I comment from limited personal experience.A JW - a delightful elderly man - visits us twice a month.He has given me a Bible and various hardbacks without ever ONCE , in ten or so years , soliciting a donation , or even implying that I should give money.I HAVE done so of my own accord , but have never felt any pressure to do so.Whilst I have reservations about aspects of JW doctrine , this man is welcome in my house at any time.
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  Sunspot

  ** I comment from limited personal experience.A JW - a delightful elderly man - visits us twice a month.He has given me a Bible and various hardbacks without ever ONCE , in ten or so years , soliciting a donation , or even implying that I should give money.I HAVE done so of my own accord , but have never felt any pressure to do so.Whilst I have reservations about aspects of JW doctrine , this man is welcome in my house at any time.

  Lampokey,

  When I was first contacted (at the door) and agreed to let the nice JW ladies come by and talk about the bible (not a formal bible *study* at that point), I too was given the current mags and eventually a NWT bible. One particular lady always came by, with others at a regular time. Then she gave me a book called "The Truth That Leads To Everlasting Life" and we began to talk about that. She never once asked for a donation in all the months she (they) came on Tuesday afternoons.

  Then I was "invited" to go to a meeting with her and her family, and not once did they accept gas money. This is not unusual, as in your own case. It's all "very friendly" and they seemed quite generous.

  It's when you begin to see the entire picture emerge (THANK YOU GARY!!!) can you grasp the enormity of it all. When you become more involved---and picking up your own literature (paying for) and it goes to the WTS----and then when you place it out in Field Service, *that* "donation" goes back to the WTS as well! Imagine this practice going on worldwide! A pretty nice chunkachange wouldn't you say?

  Now for the "interest" angle. When a congregation wishes to build or add on to a KH, the money is loaned by the WTS from DONATIONS given by JWs pockets....and the WTS charges interest to the JWs for the use of it!

  Keeping in mind they claim everything they DO is "bible-based", the scriptures clearly SAY, "You must not make your brother pay interest, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything on which one may charge interest. You may make foreigners pay interest, but your brother you must NOT pay interest, in order that Jehovah your God may bless you".....snip

  (Deut 23:19-20)

  There it is. Now how did the WTS miss THAT?

  Funny how I never saw that scripture referred to as a JW.

  Annie