Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  38

  Who Benefits from the Multi-Billion Dollar Real Estate Empire that is WT?

  by TTATTelder in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this thread is to formally address this subject.

  this is for forum members and especially for lurkers (current witnesses reading this in secret).

  please feel free to post any additional points.. there are a lot of changes happening in wt land.

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  Doubting Bro

  Green handshakes are a "gift". In the US, as long as the gift is below a certain dollar amount (pretty good sized) then they wouldn't have to report it. I mean, do you report if a friend gives you a gift? It's not a tip.

  I've often wondered if there was some shadowy figures pulling the strings but some of their moves are so stupid that I doubt it. I think they simply believe that making money off of real estate ensures a constant cash flow stream that will allow them to continue the religion. It's about survival and I think they realized that 1) Armageddon isn't coming anytime soon and 2) divine intervention isn't going to happen. So, they are simply doing that they feel they need to do to keep it going. 

  Yeah, the heavies get perks but the biggest perk is the worship of 8 million people and the power trip that comes from controlling people's lives.
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  5

  Talked to the wife about the education video, and she thinks churches should be taxed...

  by garyneal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we went on a weekend trip to visit family back in our hometown and on the way down i brought up the recent video on tv.jw.org concerning education.

  i basically said the same thing about it that i said on this thread.

  to sum up, i said that if the wts is so concerned about witnesses losing their spirituality at the university then they need to put their money where their mouth is.

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  Doubting Bro

  I've often wondered why the WTS doesn't form a university. There's lots of money to be made and they could organize as a not-for-profit so no tax implications. Seems like they are bypassing an easy source of funds while at the same time, losing young members. I know lots of JWs that still send their kids to college and would likely be happy to send them to Gilead University (or whatever they want to name it). This would also give the WTS the ability to control the message and increase the earning (and donating) power of the next generation of JWs. 

  I can't imagine that whatever consultant they have been working with hasn't suggested it already.
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  41

  Upcoming meeting Re: KH Construction

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  fresh from the "press":to all bodies of elders in the united states branch territoryre: local design/construction department broadcastdear brothers:the work of constructing and maintaining theocratic facilities throughout the unitedstates branch territory is indeed great!

  (1 chron.

  29:1) with this in mind, we are pleased to informyou of a special meeting to be presented on saturday, january 31, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. easternstandard time (est) to all elders and circuit overseers in the united states branch territory.the meeting will be approximately two and a half hours in length and will includepresentations by members of the local design/construction department, the united statesbranch committee, the worldwide design/construction department, and a member of the governingbody.

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  Doubting Bro

  Of course, we already know about this and exactly what they have planned because someone already posted notes about the meeting they had with the LDCs what a week or two ago! LOL - I love the fact that we get stuff before the local elders do!
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  27

  Experience in a talk

  by Da.Furious in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  last week we had an elder giving a talk, cant remember the title.. the thing that was of interest is the experience he gave:.

  "a brother who was working in a hospital had to leave his job which was paying him good money because the nurses wanted to sleep with him and they kept putting notes for him on his desk!".

  this is not the first time i hear similar experience.

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  Doubting Bro

  No but I do know of a case where an elder (married) and a pioneer (single) having sex during a return visit in the car while the other 2 publishers were in the householders house. It was in a rural area.

  The same elder was walked in by his (now ex) wife having sex with another pioneer sister in their bed. Since we was caught, he ended up confessing to a whole list of transgressions the above experience being one of them. He was df'ed and has since come back with a new wife.

  
  
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  31

  Does anyone have the 2014 stats from the 2015 Yearbook yet?

  by berrygerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  does anyone have the 2014 stats from the 2015 yearbook yet?.

  (isn't it usually out by now - or are they waiting to celebrate new year's day?

  ).

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  Doubting Bro

  Seems pretty consistent with previous year's numbers. Growth is anemic but still growth. LOL at the memorial partakers! That seems to be their biggest percentage increase.

  I really wish I knew the percentage of baptized that were born-in. It's got be huge. Lots more hours without any results.
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  63

  LDC Semininar

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ldc semininar @ patterson nov 15-18, 2014 .

  entire ldc dept included remote workers/design/legal/real estate/purchasing.

  oversight.

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  Doubting Bro

  Oubliette, this looks like either notes Sour Grapes personally made or that someone gave him. Not necessarily a WTS outline. That's likely the reason for the typos.

  And yes, it is crazy but what do you expect. 
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  75

  Media request to record/broadcast oral argument; from ABC News New York

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=1&doc_id=2025979&doc_no=a136641.

  see last item:.

  "media request to record/broadcast oral argument; from abc news new york".

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  Doubting Bro

  BOOM

  I think that any organization that doesn't take reasonable steps to protect kids should answer for it. Hopefully this will be a follow-up to the Dateline report several years ago. Not much has really changed.
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  29

  A possible way for the Watch Tower to generate revenue via their website.

  by adjusted knowledge in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  earlier in the week someone posted the potential value of the jw website based on visits and if they used advertisements.

  many stated they would never do that but i propose they could.. besides their real estate profit making business model, they have the conventions as cash generating machines.

  they give directions to their members to which hotels/motels to use.

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  Doubting Bro

  Wouldn't paid ads put their "not-for-profit" status in jeopardy? Or maybe they don't care anymore? Certainly one of the worst mistakes from a financial standpoint in their history was moving to a voluntary contribution arrangement for their literature. And that was only to avoid having to deal with sales tax. 

  The "contributing" for a subscription to JW tv is an interesting idea. Of course, I also wouldn't be shocked if they went into a full on tithing situation in a few years. 
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  63

  LDC Semininar

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ldc semininar @ patterson nov 15-18, 2014 .

  entire ldc dept included remote workers/design/legal/real estate/purchasing.

  oversight.

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  Doubting Bro

  If I were them, I would have made this move a long time ago. It's funny, when I was a kid, the "quick builds" were just starting and it was almost like an Amish barn raising. The transformation to a corporately driven, branded product is almost complete.
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  40

  Governing Body new Branch letter begging for donations !

  by ToesUp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just want the governing body to know how "happified" i am today.

  keep sending those branch letters to the congregation(s) about sending your donations in.

  not only did you humiliate the rank and file with your tony morris tight pants talk but now you are begging the same people you humiliated for money.

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  Doubting Bro

  I would love to see their books. They made a ton of money from the sale of Brooklyn property plus all the downsizing in recent years. I would be shocked it they aren't loaded. But, their behavior makes it seem otherwise. I believe they want the rank and file to believe they are barely scrapping by so that they can guilt people into contributions. However, I also believe that they have plenty of cash to support them in the short term (5-10 years)