Just to clarify my understanding what is teh exact structure for JWs finacial giving i.e If I want to join the JWs what would my financial commitment be and can I get a discount if I do door knocking?
If I join theJWs what is my financial commitment?
by Qcmbr 34 Replies latest jw friends
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iiz2cool
They won't come out and give a set amount or percentage but there are the frequent nauseating talks about "Honoring Jehover with Your Valuable Things".
I never donated any money so they assumed I was constantly experiencing financial hardship, and counselled me accordingly.
Walter
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undercover
and can I get a discount if I do door knocking?
bwahahahahahahaha. A discount. That's good.
The JWs do not place an amount or percentage on their followers. It's much more sublime and sinister than just saying "give us 10%". They say 'give what you can' and never really question what anyone gives and it can be as anyonymous as you want it to be.
What they do do however, is continually lay the guilt trip on their followers on how much it costs to run the empire, er, corporation. Talks, WT articles, etc are slyly written so as to convince you that you need to give more than what you are giving. It's always give, give, give. Then they have the balls to say that they never pass the collection plate like other churches.
As you may have surmised from my opening comment, no, there is no discount for anything. In fact, the WTS gets paid twice for their literature, if everyone was to follow the rules, which apparently they are not. When you pick up literature to use for field service, your supposed to 'donate' for it to pay for the printing. Then when you 'place' it with a householder you're supposed to shame them into 'donating' to pay for the printing. Then you're expected to turn that money in to the WTS as well. Then the cycle repeats. Of course, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, clothes and time come out of your pocket.
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Honesty
Whatever you honest heart compels you to give.
The WT also wants your soul.
It also desires your children. Now, for the pedophile elderdubs and in the future it wants their hearts and souls, too.
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Sunspot
Whatever you honest heart compels you to give. The WT also wants your soul. It also desires your children
Yeah.....I gave them my 14 year-old firstborn son!
Annie
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Qcmbr
So does the WT make much money from the members - seems to me they can't be that wealthy?
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calamityjane
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seems to me they can't be that wealthy
Oh they've got money. Through recommendations by the organization, many of the old ones have left all or part of their estates to the WT Society.
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Elsewhere
There is no mandatory financial commitment, however, if you obtain books and other literature on a regular basis without being observed placing a donation in the donation box nearby, you will soon find it very difficult to obtain any literature from them anymore.
When I was a JW I worked at the literature counter and I receive explicit instructions from the elders to deny certain people literature because they did not make donations.
The WTS is not stupid... they are out to make a buck while at the same time trying to appear "charitable". They say that they don't charge for literature and only accept "voluntary donations", but you can't get the literature if you are not seen making these "voluntary donations".
Also, if you want to rise up in ranks of authority, it certainly doesn't hurt to make substantial "donations" tot he Circuit Overseer or District Overseer. These are the guys who have the authority to give you power to take it away... and they sure do like it when someone buys then new expensive suits, or pays off their car, or upgrades their living facilities, or you buy them a golf club membership, etc...
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Qcmbr
So COs and DOs are paid?
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heathen
If you do read the acts of apostles you find that the first church had everybody sell all they owned then they divided things according to daily needs . There were lots of squabbles over fair play as well . Ananias and his wife were both killed because they lied over selling their property and giving it all to the church , the people in charge of dividing things were giving more to the jewish converts than to the gentiles . This seems to be a part of the bible that nobody likes to recount . The WTBTS has never divided things up equally but instead uses the money to buy stocks or new printing facilities or real estate rather than concentrate on preaching the gospel to the entire world . I'm surprised they haven't resorted to selling blessed towels for womens heads or some other gimmick just to get money . What does shock me is the making publishers pay for all publications and then going to the doors and asking for donations . They did that just to avoid paying taxes but in actuallity they are getting their money from the publishers and not under the pretense of charity .